A Second Chance at Forever (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1397

Eleanor watched the scene unfold before her and felt an overwhelming sense of pity for Sophie. Her life was a tragedy wrapped in a series of fatal missteps: first, she had inadvertently caused the death of Dominic, the man who loved her; then she failed to cherish Mr. Ben; and finally, she had directly caused the death of her own father, the only man who truly cared for her.

Sophie had been living a charmed life. If only she had been a bit kinder, she could have been the happiest woman in the world. But she was fixated on things she could get, and ultimately, she ended up losing everything.

If Sophie had only realized this, she wouldn't have been so twisted to the extent of blaming Eleanor for all her woes. It was her stubborn fixation on her desires that had led to her downfall.

But what she couldn't fathom was why Yates had broken his promise. She wasn't foolish; she knew there had to be a reason. It hit her in a moment of quiet reflection.

Yates had set terms with them, stating that as long as they didn't mention anything about Bernard in front of Eleanor, he would spare their lives. His true intention was to calm the waters, to keep them from spilling secrets that could turn Eleanor against him.

Once they complied, Yates tampered with the game, providing them with clues to navigate the first six rounds successfully. They let their guards down, and that's when he struck.

Yates wanted to kill them, and Sophie surmised it must be because of the way Cameron had treated his daughter and granddaughter. He was never going to let them live.

Fully understanding Yates' motives, Sophie realized she was marked for death as well.

If Yates had trapped her and there was no escape, then she might as well burn all bridges and turn him against Eleanor!

If she couldn't live, neither would they have peace!

With that thought, Sophie lifted her head to the surveillance camera and began to speak volumes, but suddenly the audio failed, and Eleanor couldn't make out a word.

"These darn systems have been glitchy lately," complained a man in black as he furiously typed at the control panel.

Eleanor couldn't decipher the code on the screens; she could only fix her gaze on Sophie in the monitor, wondering what she was saying.

Eleanor was about to rise and go down to interrogate Sophie when the man in black exclaimed, "Not again! Another glitch!"

Right after his exclamation, the floor beneath Sophie opened, and in the blink of an eye, she plummeted down.

Peterson knew Eleanor usually preferred tangy flavors and rarely ate spicy food, so he frowned slightly. "Spicy foods can be tough on the stomach. If Grandpa finds out, he'll have words for you. Maybe you should go easy on it."

Eleanor quickly grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "I just want a little spice right now. Can you get it for me? I'll hide in the control room to eat, so Grandpa won't find out."

The control room was devoid of surveillance and listening devices. Eleanor was clearly seeking an excuse to get him to talk privately. Realizing her intent, Peterson hesitated. His grandfather had warned him not to interfere again, or he would face severe consequences.

Seeing his hesitation, Eleanor tugged at his sleeve and gave it a gentle shake. "Peterson, it's just a little spicy food. Please help me out."

All she wanted to know was why Yates hadn’t openly taken out Sophie, but waited until she had spoken. There was clearly more to the story.

She suspected Yates was keeping secrets, and the only person who could help her uncover them was the very Peterson standing before her...

"Peterson." Her soft calls eventually warmed Peterson's heart, and he relented. "Go ahead, I'll find you some spicy snacks and bring them to you."