A Second Chance at Forever ( Eleanor Shultz )
A Second Chance at Forever Chapter 1412

Chapter 1412

Bernard’s question jolted Mr. Penrod from his reverie. With a lift of his gaze, he locked eyes with Bernard-the eyes that seemed to see right through everything.

“Indeed,” he said, “I thought to myself, maybe with your knife, taking down the Pines, the Stanleys, and the Lawrences would be more satisfying than doing it myself. After all, they’re your kin.”

Revenge-a vendetta like the one the Howards had-that endless cycle of blood for blood wouldn’t do. It had to be like slowly boiling three frogs in a pot over a low flame, making them turn on each other in their desperation.

If Yates was ruthless, Mr. Penrod was venomous, biding his time, orchestrating for years just to set this chessboard. And ironically, the pawns saw the chessmaster as family.

“At seven, beaten within an inch of my life, it was you who reached out, pulled me back from the brink. I thought it was salvation, not realizing it was all just part of your game.” Even suspecting he was a pawn, Bernard couldn’t help but feel the sting of disappointment, an emotion that seeped out, unable to be concealed.

All his life, with a father who didn’t care, a mother who wasn’t there, and a stepmother’s cruelty, even the grandfather who raised him did so only for his utility…

So at seven, when Mr. Penrod cradled a bloodied Bernard, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. It’ll all get better,” he truly believed that he was his redemption, the life raft on his journey of growth, a foster father with genuine affection.

In his final moments, Mr. Penrod was indeed a fatherly figure, a mentor, the reason for Bernard’s tireless dedication to the Siren Organization. But now, as winter approached, the once savior morphed into a specter, encased in frost, forever chilling his heart.

The savior of his seventh year was gone, leaving only Bernard shrouded in darkness, an enigma half-lit on the couch.

Mr. Penrod saw the shift in Bernard’s eyes, yet he seemed to have anticipated this outcome and felt no regret.

“Truth be told, watching you demolish the Stanleys, unite the Lawrences, and clash with the Pines was quite satisfying. But…” Mr. Penrod paused, peering at the solitary and desolate Bernard across from him.

“My strategy did take out the Stanleys, but the Pines, even with my nudging from the shadows, only reached a stalemate, not obliteration. And then there’s the Laurence family…”

Mr. Penrod kept his darkest thoughts to himself, but Bernard had already guessed them.

“At this point, Mr. Penrod, why bother with pretense?”

A slight nod from Mr. Penrod confirmed the truth. “Yes, even if I don’t tell you, you would replace out. So, it’s better that give you the answers.”

Bernard, setting aside all sense of loss, leaned back on the couch and gestured with a tilt of his chin for Xavier to continue.

“We both know the caliber of the Laurence heirs; none can hold a candle to you. I was thinking, without you, the Laurences would probably fall into decline before long, right? And that’s precisely when Yates would make his move. I reckon, if you were to die in Area Opaca, the trail wouldn’t lead back to me, would it?”

Xavier Penrod’s voice was casual, as if discussing something utterly mundane.

But to Bernard, it was as chilling as being in the Arctic, a biting cold that enveloped him.

“So you’ve always known who the founder of Area Opaca was, yet you let me walk into a death trap, sacrificing so many members.”

Xavier waved off the suggestion with a flick of his hand.

“At first, I truly believed that Area Opaca was a coalition of business scourges wiped out by the Siren Organization. But when they began to massacre our members en masse, I recalled the Darkness and suspected Yates was the puppeteer. I considered confronting Yates with the full might of the Siren Organization, but…”

Xavier couldn’t bring himself to say it, but Bernard had no qualms about stripping away the facade.

“But your father was involved in a gang assault, and your aunt was the mastermind who incited Yates’ hatred. You feared that if Yates found out, he would wreak havoc on you, on the Penrods, so you dared not reveal yourself, to face Yates head-on.”

Bernard had pieced it all together, and with nothing left to hide, Xavier simply nodded in admission.

“Had

you not insisted on leaving the Siren Organization, I wouldn’t have exploited your trust and sent you to Area Opaca.”

Xavier knew that given Bernard’s nature, once inside Area Opaca and learning who was behind it, he would undoubtedly kill them.

Thus, by using Bernard to discreetly eliminate Yates, Xavier could forever lurk in the shadows, avoiding any fallout.

And if Bernard failed to kill Yates and fell in Area Opaca, the Laurences, without Bernard, would be doomed to decline.

Either outcome would benefit him. So why wouldn’t Xavier stand back and reap the rewards of a watcher’s game?