A Second Chance at Forever

Chapter 1450
Bernard’s gaze was indifferent, his eyes a frosty blue as they locked onto Yates. “What’s this? Can’t find Xavier, so you’re
thinking of messing with my chip to make me go looking for him?”
Evan had mentioned, Yates had been scouring the globe to no avail; Xavier had vanished without a trace, as if he’d been
swallowed whole by the earth. Yates must have been desperate to come to him now.
Yates felt a pang of frustration under Bernard’s scrutiny. “You’ve got me all wrong, Bernard. I didn’t come here to talk shop about
the chip just to manipulate you. I came to tell you I’ve destroyed the failsafe system. You’re not under its thumb anymore.”
Bernard was momentarily taken aback. Ever since he’d returned from his stint outside the Golden Sea District, he’d tried and
failed to dismantle the chip’s self-destruct mechanism. Hearing that Yates, the chip’s creator, had personally disabled it, was a
shock to his system.
“Though the explosive system is gone, the chip’s laced with a virus. Remove it, and you risk unleashing an infection. Looks like
that piece of tech is a permanent tenant in your head now.”
Bernard knew this all too well and didn’t respond, but Yates continued. “This could shorten your lifespan, but I don’t know how.”
This chip was designed for control, never before tested on a human subject. Bernard was the first, so the final outcome was a
mystery to Yates as well.
Yates fell silent as Bernard remained quiet, his gaze shifting to the corner where Eleanor was deep in conversation with
Peterson. “She hasn’t come after me yet, which means you haven’t told her about the chip.”
Bernard’s silence was his way of protecting Eleanor from worry and fear, a testament to his responsibility as a man and his love
for her. But...
“The virus in your head could flare up at any moment. She’s bound to find out sooner or later. If that day comes, could you do me
a solid? Tell her it was Kermit Hyde who put that chip in you, not me.”
It was Yates’s research, sure, but it wasn’t him who’d used Bernard as the guinea pig. And he certainly didn’t know Bernard was
Eleanor’s husband or that Eleanor was his granddaughter.

Yates had admired Bernard’s savvy from the start, seeing him only as a pawn to be used and controlled, hence why he told
Kermit to control him. But that initial intention didn’t account for their personal connections.
Regardless, Yates couldn’t wash his hands of the matter entirely. If Eleanor found out, she’d likely want his head, but relations
with Eleanor were strained enough. He didn’t want an enemy in her. He could only hope Bernard would understand.
Asking a victim to speak on your behalf was a tall order, and Bernard’s disdain was palpable. Without a word, he turned on his
heel and walked away.
Yates sighed, watching the proud figure approach Eleanor, perhaps regretting his actions a little, but also feeling somewhat
innocent. He didn’t linger, instead choosing to leave as well.
Eleanor asked Peterson how could he stop running errands for Yates.
Peterson just smiled at his cousin’s concern and said nothing, prompting an impatient shake of his arm. “Peterson, come on, talk
to me.”
He finally spoke, his voice smooth and cultured. “With Area Opaca disbanded, and no one left to stand by my grandfather’s side,
I can’t just up and leave him, can I? And what about avenging Ma’am Pauline?”
He was raised by his grandfather, and despite realizing the old man’s ruthlessness, he owed him his loyalty.
Peterson’s sense of duty and filial piety proved his character, and the more Eleanor saw, the more she admired him. “Just look
out for yourself, okay? Don’t be the hero every time.”
Eleanor was aware of Yates’s vendetta against Xavier. It spelled trouble, and she feared her cousin might sacrifice himself for
Yates, which she could not bear to see.
She couldn’t sway Peterson easily, so she heaped on the advice, cherishing the cousin who had always been there for her.
Peterson gently patted the top of Eleanor’s head with a reassuring touch. “Cousin, don’t worry. I’ll be around till I’m 99 at least.
Maybe I’ll even meet your great-grandkids.”
His tone was tender, and Eleanor felt comforted. “Bernard, I owe you a lot for helping me and my husband unite. Without you,
God knows how long we would have been apart.”

Peterson felt a twinge of guilt. “If we hadn’t started Area Opaca, if we hadn’t done those terrible things, you and your husband
wouldn’t have had to part. I’m truly sorry for that.”
The chip in Bernard’s head was a secret he was bound to keep, his grandfather’s strict warning. All Peterson could offer was his
silent apology.