A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 760
Cedric Laurence was sitting alone in the bar, drinking. After checking his messages, he replied with a simple “Not going”.
He had no intention of meeting up with Hailey Vulpe; he didn’t fancy putting up with her mood swings.
He put down his phone and downed the Macallan Blue Diamond whiskey on the bar counter.
“Another one,” he said, tapping the counter.
The bartender quickly whipped up another one and slid it over to him.
He picked up the glass and took a refined sip when his phone started buzzing again.
He figured it was Aidyn Reyes nagging him to hit the nightclub. He picked up his phone, only to find out it was a message from the family group chat.
“New clothes.”
After Bernard sent the text, he followed up with a photo.
Cedric opened the photo, zooming in with his index and middle finger.
There stood the tall Bernard, donned in a pink shirt, under a palm tree, with blue skies and emerald seas behind him.
The scenery was pretty decent, and the man looked decent too, but that pink shirt…

“Wow, Bernard, I’m totally thrown by your flashy shirt!”
Before Cedric could make a comment, the usually subtle Matthew Laurence made a rather “tactful” statement.
Then came Kendrick Laurence and Taylor Laurence, each expressing their high cultural literacy:
“If the salesman kidnapped you, blink twice; I’ll come and rescue you.”
“That pink is way too bright; it’s blinding. Stick to black, white, and gray, or I won’t even admit you’re my brother.”
Seeing his brothers teasing Bernard, Cedric’s mood lifted. He started typing his reply:
“Honestly, you would look better naked than in that shirt.”
“Where did you get this knockoff? It’s hideous!”
“Ever since you got married, your taste has gone down the drain. I can’t even bear to look!”
As Cedric was going all out, he failed to notice a new member had joined the group chat before he sent his first message.
Bernard: “My wife bought the shirt.”
But Cedric was too busy typing away to notice until the screen was flooded with messages:
“Eleanor Shultz has such a good eye! The pink really suits Bernard!”
“Exactly, pink makes you look fair. It brings out Bernard’s rosy lips, white teeth, and sharp features. He looks amazing!
“Absolutely, Eleanor has a unique taste. I hope she can help me pick out some clothes in the future.”
Cedric: …
So Eleanor only saw his messages mocking the ugliness of the shirt and not the others’?
That’s so unfair!
Cedric screenshotted the messages where his brothers were mocking and sent them to the group chat, tagging Eleanor.
If he was going down, he was taking them with him. Even if he died of embarrassment, he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
After sending the messages, he decided to sit back and watch the drama unfold, only to find the chat became eerily quiet.
Just as he was wondering why nobody was reacting, Bernard’s message popped up:
“What the hell is this?”