A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 1413

Bernard stood defiantly in the harsh glare of the sun, his complexion pale. His lips curled in a half-smile, but it was devoid of warmth.

“I never wanted my wife to live in fear because of me,” he said, his voice laced with a mixture of resolve and sadness. “All I ever wanted was to spend the rest of my days with her in peace. Is that so wrong?”

His tenure with the Siren Organization meant he was perpetually walking on a knife’s edge. One slip, one hint of his true identity, and it wouldn’t just be him facing dire consequences-it would be Eleanor, their home, their entire lives, turned to dust.

“You’re not in the wrong,” came the reply.

“Then who is?” Bernard challenged, raising an eyebrow at Xavier.

“I’m not in the wrong, so it must be Caleb, right?”

Xavier shot him a glance but said nothing.

Bernard slowly straightened up, resting his hands on his knees, his gaze fixed coldly on Xavier.

“Do you have any idea how many lives your selfishness has cost?” Bernard’s finger tapped insistently on the table between them, where the Siren Organization’s roster lay. “They were turned into bioengineered soldiers for your vendetta! And Caleb, who grew up with me, died in Area Opaca, never to rest in peace! And Evan, your own adopted son-if I hadn’t pushed him out of harm’s way, he would’ve died there too!”

As Bernard thought of the fallen, his eyes turned a deep, bloody red, and his fists clenched so tightly that his veins stood out like cords.

“Xavier, Evan was your boy, and you were willing to sacrifice him. What kind of heart do you have?!”

a calm composure even in the face of infuriating situations. But now, Bernard was yelling at him, hysterical with grief for Caleb, Evan, and the others-it was

adopted son, his biological father was Victor, so there wasn’t much of a bond,” Xavier said, as if that justified any part

out that the Darkness Xavier’s father had schemed to seize was rightfully Evan’s all along.

enemy as his father,” Bernard muttered, making Xavier

end justifies the means,” he said. “It doesn’t matter whose son one is, as long as the balance of benefits

looked at Xavier as if he were seeing him for the first time,

telling me all this, and you’re not afraid I’ll

didn’t tell you, and you found out

back the question and then sat up straighter, looking directly at Bernard. “Now that we’ve finished with those trifles, let’s discuss the matter

grudges, the lives entangled, were nothing but trifles?

the others,” Xavier began. “I have only one condition: help me take out Yates. After that, we’re even.”

curled into a bitter smile as he spoke, “You have the nerve to speak of

scornful gaze impassively

life debt. Without my guidance, you wouldn’t be the man in charge of

speaking, Xavier looked apologetically at

sorry, it seems I’m calling in those debts. But Bernard, if Yates learns the truth, more people from Siren Organization will die, including you.” The glimmer of a smile in Bernard’s eyes was quickly veiled by

every member killed in Area Opaca, I’ll exact the same number in revenge. That should settle your debts. As for your private vendetta with Yates, that’s none of my concern. Settle it

his emotions tucked away, Bernard gestured towards the door with his chin.

be tied up and delivered to Yates right now,

at the outright rejection. But he couldn’t forget Bernard’s

deadly chill as he