Chapter 1450


    Bernard’s gaze was indifferent, his eyes a frosty blue as they locked onto Yates. “What’s this? Can’t


    find Xavier, so you’re thinking of messing with my chip to make me go looking for him?”


    Evan had mentioned, Yates had been scouring the globe to no avail; Xavier had vanished without a


    trace, as if he’d been swallowed whole by the earth. Yates must have been desperate toe to him


    now.


    Yates felt a pang of frustration under Bernard’s scrutiny. “You’ve got me all wrong, Bernard. I didn’t


    come here to talk shop about the chip just to manipte you. I came to tell you I’ve destroyed the


    failsafe system. You’re not under its thumb anymore.”


    Bernard was momentarily taken aback. Ever since he’d returned from his stint outside the Golden Sea


    District, he’d tried and failed to dismantle the chip’s self-destruct mechanism. Hearing that Yates, the


    chip’s creator, had personally disabled it, was a shock to his system.


    “Though the explosive system is gone, the chip’sced with a virus. Remove it, and you risk unleashing


    an infection. Looks like that piece of tech is a permanent tenant in your head now.”


    Bernard knew this all too well and didn’t respond, but Yates continued. “This could shorten your


    lifespan, but I don’t know how.”


    This chip was designed for control, never before tested on a human subject. Bernard was the first, so


    the final oue was a mystery to Yates as well.


    Yates fell silent as Bernard remained quiet, his gaze shifting to the corner where Eleanor was deep in


    conversation with Peterson. “She hasn’te after me yet, which means you haven’t told her about


    the chip.”


    Bernard’s silence was his way of protecting Eleanor from worry and fear, a testament to his


    responsibility as a man and his love for her. But…


    “The virus in your head could re up at any moment. She’s bound to find out sooner orter. If that


    dayes, could you do me a solid? Tell her it was Kermit Hyde who put that chip in you, not me.”


    It was Yates’s research, sure, but it wasn’t him who’d used Bernard as the guinea pig. And he certainly


    didn’t know Bernard was Eleanor’s husband or that Eleanor was his granddaughter.


    Yates had admired Bernard’s savvy from the start, seeing him only as a pawn to be used and


    controlled, hence why he told Kermit to control him. But that initial intention didn’t ount for their


    personal connections.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Regardless, Yates couldn’t wash his hands of the matter entirely. If Eleanor found out, she’d likely want


    his head, but rtions with Eleanor were strained enough. He didn’t want an enemy in her. He could


    only hope Bernard would understand.


    Asking a victim to speak on your behalf was a tall order, and Bernard’s disdain was palpable. Without a


    word, he turned on his heel and walked away.


    Yates sighed, watching the proud figure approach Eleanor, perhaps regretting his actions a little, but


    also feeling somewhat innocent. He didn’t linger, instead choosing to leave as well.


    Eleanor asked Peterson how could he stop running errands for Yates.


    Peterson just smiled at his cousin’s concern and said nothing, prompting an impatient shake of his arm.


    “Peterson,e on, talk to me.”


    He finally spoke, his voice smooth and cultured. “With Area Opaca disbanded, and no one left to stand


    by my grandfather’s side, I can’t just up and leave him, can I? And what about avenging Ma’am


    Pauline?”


    He was raised by his grandfather, and despite realizing the old man’s ruthlessness, he owed him his


    loyalty.


    Peterson’s sense of duty and filial piety proved his character, and the more Eleanor saw, the more she


    admired him. “Just look out for yourself, okay? Don’t be the hero every time.”


    Eleanor was aware of Yates’s vendetta against Xavier. It spelled trouble, and she feared her cousin


    might sacrifice himself for Yates, which she could not bear to see.


    She couldn’t sway Peterson easily, so she heaped on the advice, cherishing the cousin who had


    always been there for her.


    Peterson gently patted the top of Eleanor’s head with a reassuring touch. “Cousin, don’t worry. I’ll be


    around till I’m 99 at least. Maybe I’ll even meet your great-grandkids.”


    His tone was tender, and Eleanor feltforted. “Bernard, I owe you a lot for helping me and my


    husband unite. Without you, God knows how long we would have been apart.”


    Peterson felt a twinge of guilt. “If we hadn’t started Area Opaca, if we hadn’t done those terrible things,


    you and your husband wouldn’t have had to part. I’m truly sorry for that.”


    The chip in Bernard’s head was a secret he was bound to keep, his grandfather’s strict warning. All


    Peterson could offer was his silent apology.