A Second Chance at Forever (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1410

Bernard's deep-set eyes, edged with a hint of frost, bore into the space before him as his voice, low and resonant, broke the silence. "I didn't have to dig, Mr. Penrod. You would've come looking for me anyway, wouldn't you? Did you guess I'd make it back alive?"

Mr. Penrod passed his walking stick to Aidyn before settling into the sofa with an air of entitlement. "Given your skill set, surviving wasn't a gamble."

Bernard pivoted, his tall frame turning to face the self-assured Mr. Penrod, now lounging comfortably. "So, what brings you here then?"

Mr. Penrod leaned back, legs crossed in an almost lazy pose. "Since you’re aware of the Darkness, there's no harm in telling you."

Bernard before him, bathed in the dimming light of dusk, regarded Mr. Penrod with an unflinching gaze. "If I hadn't known about its existence, would you have kept it from me forever?"

Mr. Penrod didn’t answer directly, opting for a lighter tone. "I didn't tell you because Darkness is no good Samaritan."

The golden hues of twilight caressed Bernard, yet the warmth seemed to elude him.

His voice, steady and frosty, cut through the air. "So, it's not deliberate secrecy but outright deception. Do you think I'm easy to manipulate, Mr. Penrod?"

Denial came swiftly. "I've invested more time, thought, and effort in you than in my own kin, Evan and Gianna Penrod. There's been no deceit. Why would I manipulate you?"

A cold laugh escaped Bernard. "Is that right?"

Mr. Penrod remained silent as Bernard advanced, towering over him with a scrutinizing gaze. "The Siren Organization has been around for ages, yet you wiped its existence from the record, claiming it was founded for me. Isn't that deception?"

In the face of his accuser, Mr. Penrod fell momentarily silent. "I did withhold that from you intentionally, but I didn't think it concerned you."

Bernard was prepared for the confession, yet disappointment crept in. "Is it truly irrelevant to me, or have you not used me enough to disclose the truth?"

Mr. Penrod, faced with suspicion, chose silence. "Bernard, Darkness was an enterprise started by my father's generation. It’s ancient history and not something to leverage against you."

Bernard responded with icy detachment. "Mr. Penrod, you knew full well that Darkness took Pauline's life, leading Yates to create Area Opaca to hunt down the Siren Organization. Isn't withholding the truth from me a form of use?"

Mr. Penrod, eyeing Bernard across the way, began tracing the rim of his black hat. "Before she crossed paths with Yates, Pauline had a first love—Timothy Howard, the youngest son of the rising Howard family of North Funland.

My father used to say there was an adage among their generation, 'The young lord is fair as jade,' referring to Timothy. Unfortunately, even the most promising can't stand against the all-encompassing power of the Sharp family. When Timothy faced Yates, he was but a bug underfoot. Yates' father taught him to take what he wanted by force. So, Yates, naturally inclined to seize, stole Pauline from Timothy.

Timothy, not one to give up, harassed Pauline and even pulled a gun on Yates. Having never been shot before, Yates, wounded, decided to kill.

With a single slash, the young lord met his end in a filthy ditch. Among those hiding and witnessing the event was my aunt, Samantha Penrod.

She went to great lengths to marry Yates. First, she planted evidence next to the body to implicate Pauline in Timothy's death, then anonymously informed Timothy's father - Gregory Howard, who already disliked Pauline, believed she'd abandoned his son for the Sharp family and, fearing his pursuit would block her social climbing, had him killed. His fury was unquenchable.

Gregory, called a rising star, was really just a thug from the streets of North Funland, who clawed his way up through violence. The established families there looked down on him.

Despite their contempt, Gregory had a knack for rallying the street gangs. Once he learned his son had been killed by Pauline, he founded Darkness to kill the Hardys.”