A Second Chance at Forever ( Eleanor Shultz )
A Second Chance at Forever Chapter 1399

Chapter 1399.

As Peterson closed the door behind him, his tall, broad-shouldered silhouette exuded a sense of determination that somehow felt comforting to Eleanor, “Peterson, thanks a lot.”

Without turning back, he lifted his muscular arm in a casual wave, the gesture oozing a cool nonchalance.

Eleanor’s lips curved into a restrained smile as she turned her gaze away from the door and looked at the heap of snacks on the table. She had no real appetite; yet he brought so much.

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His thoughtfulness gently eased her heart, much like the gradual emergence of the sun piercing through a cloudy sky.

She paused for a few moments, making sure Peterson was well out of sight, before she left the control room and made her way to the surveillance room.

Inside, Yates was busy at the console, his fingers dancing over the keyboard. He glanced up as Peterson walked in. “What are you doing here instead of managing the central zone?”

Peterson clenched his fist, then approached Yates with a facade of indifference. “Grandpa, didn’t you promise the Ratliff family their lives?”

At these words, Yates’ fingers froze on the console. “Can’t you see what I’m planning?”

Feeling the heat of Yates’ scrutiny, Peterson’s momentary tension was quickly concealed. “Of course, I see it, but aren’t you afraid Eleanor will catch on to what you’re doing?”

Yates’ steely gaze shifted away from Peterson and back to the console. “I may have been a bit hasty, but she’ll figure it out eventually. What does it matter? I have plenty of ways to allay her suspicions.”

Yates was always a few moves ahead. Even Peterson couldn’t fathom his grandfather’s thoughts. But Yates was underestimating Eleanor. She was much quicker on the uptake than he assumed.

Peterson didn’t let on that Eleanor already knew. He simply said to Yates, “You might have ways to settle her doubts, but some things can’t be hidden forever. What will you do when she learns the truth?”

Yates eyed Peterson with suspicion. “Are you here to plead their case, or do you think forty lashes weren’t enough?” Unruffled, Peterson shook his head. “I’m just worried she’ll turn against you if she replaces out everything.”

Yates replied coldly, “As long as you keep your mouth shut, she’ll never know the truth.”

Peterson tempted him further, “But you’re restricting Bernard’s freedom, refusing to let him go home, and using Eleanor’s unborn child to threaten him into breaking up with her. Bernard knows all this.”

Yates was about to retort that Bernard’s head was chipped and would therefore keep secrets, but suddenly he sensed something amiss. His icy gaze swept over to Peterson’s face. “Come out.”

In a flash, Yates had guessed his two grandchildren’s game. His eyes, filled with hostility, were fixed on Peterson, but the command “come out” was directed at Eleanor, who was hiding outside the door.

Peterson had thought his approach was sound, but as the founder of Area Opaca, Yates was more experienced than he could match.

He had said his piece; the next move was up to Eleanor. As her family, he had done all he could.

Eleanor, now discovered, didn’t bother to hide any longer and stepped into the surveillance room. “I suspected you were the one restricting Bernard’s freedom, but I never imagined you were such a good actor.”

Yates’ reproachful gaze moved from Peterson to Eleanor. “Now that you know, there’s nothing left to hide. Ask whatever you want.”

Facing Yates’ indifferent expression, Eleanor’s heart was in turmoil. “Do you still consider yourself my grandfather? You use my child to threaten my husband to leave me? What kind of grandfather would do that?”

Yates, devoid of emotion, laid out his logic. “Bernard is the leader of Siren Organization and my enemy, which makes him your enemy. I couldn’t allow you two to be together.”

Eleanor let out a bitter laugh, her hand resting on her rounded belly as she stepped closer to Yates. “Aside from our blood relation, you’re a stranger to me. What right do you have to meddle in my life?”

The word “stranger” clearly struck a nerve, but Yates maintained his stance. “You’re my granddaughter, and your affairs are

my affairs. I have the right and the privilege to intervene, just as I do with Peterson.”

At such skewed logic, Eleanor could only scoff. “You’ve raised Peterson, and he listens out of gratitude, but have you raised me? Have you ever provided for me or helped me grow?”

Yates was silenced, and as he tried to speak, Eleanor cut him off. “You’ve done nothing for me, yet you try to use your position as an elder to control me, to intimidate me, even to drive away my husband. What gives you the right?!”

Her fingers trembled with anger over her belly, but Eleanor kept her emotions in check, her words ringing out as she continued to confront Yates. “You’re nothing but a stranger to me. What gives you the right?!”