Chapter 1490
It was a moment that defied simple emotion for Bernard as he cradled the squirming bundle of life in his
arms. For the first time, he truly grasped why Eleanor had risked everything for a mere 10% chance.
Parenthood has a way of unlocking a primal willingness to sacrifice oneself for the continuance of one’s
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offspring-a noble instinct indeed.
Eleanor’s eyes reddened as she watched Bernard with their child, bathed in a warm glow. of sunlight,
his lips curled in a soft smile. She knew, without a doubt, she would make the same choice again and
again-to bring this child into the world, no matter the cost.
Cedric, ever the joker, snapped a photo with his phone and sent it off to their cousin group chat,
excluding Bernard, [Holy smokes, our dear old Bernard is actually cradling a baby!]
No sooner had he sent the message than Hailey elbowed him. “You bonehead, you sent it to the family
group chat…”
Cedric’s grin froze as he fumbled to retract the message, only to see Bernard beckoning him over with
a curled finger. “Hand it over,” Bernard said, calm yetmanding.
Cedric clutched his phone to his chest, refusing to give it up. “Come on, I was sending the guys
some… uh, racy videos. Sent it to the family by mistake. Hailey here told me to take it back before
Eleanor sees. I’ll show you some other time.”
The excuse was so poor that Bernard didn’t even bother to respond. Instead, he locked eyes with
Hailey and made an offer she couldn’t ignore. “I’ll give you a 30% stake in the nightclub. You’ll run
Midnight Bar and keep it at the top.”
Hailey didn’t hesitate for a second-a testament to her respect for the almighty dor. “He said, ‘Holy
smokes, our dear old Bernard is actually cradling a baby!”
To curry favor with the big boss, she even spilled the beans about a secret brothers’ gossip group titled
“Annoying Bernard, Why Don’t You Just Fly Away?”
As Cedric frantically tugged at Hailey’s sleeve, trying to silence her, his face a mix of anger and fear, he
beat a hasty retreat.
Bernard, who had already set the baby down, sprang into action, catching Cedric in a chokehold and
marching him out of the room with the promise of a brotherly lesson in humility, “Let’s go. I’ll show you
how to fly.”
Cedric, looking utterly dejected, pleaded, “Bernard, I’m all for flying, but please, not the face. I’ve got a
big corporate meeting tomorrow, and I’d rather not show up looking like a punching bag.”
Bernard’s response was unheard, but soon after, Cedric’s wails for mercy echoed through the halls.
Hailey snuck a peek and caught Scott pinning Cedric against the wall, while Aidyn tickled his bare feet
with a feather, and Bernard stood by, hands in pockets, watching the spectacle with apparent delight.
Hailey quickly captured the scene and sent it to the “Annoying Bernard, Why Don’t You Just Fly Away?”
group with a caption, “Everyone, here’s the sequel.”
The group chat exploded.
“Spill the tea quick, then bail from this group!”
“Bailing won’t save us from Bernard’s wrath. I better delete the group with Cedric’s phone.”
“I’d cut ties with Cedric in a heartbeat if it meant Bernard would let us off the hook.”
“This is why I said this group was a bad idea. Now Bernard knows, and we’re all screwed.” “It’s not the
group. It’s Cedric who’s the liability. Any group he makes, count me out.”
“Count me out too. Foot tickling? I can’t handle that kind of torture.”
“You know… I kind of enjoy being tickled.”
That odd confession from the brother in Africa brought a moment of silence, followed by a collective
virtual cringe.
“Weirdo.”
“Disgusting!”
“I’m out!”
“I’m gone too…”
One by one, the cousins exited the chat, and Hailey, putting her phone away, felt a twinge of guilt for
dismantling their brotherly bond. But then she looked at her husband,ughing until he cried, and
thought, sorry, but her career muste first.
Returning to the hospital room, Hailey showed Eleanor the captured photo and the chat messages.
Eleanor chuckled and shook her head. “They’re just like children who never grew up, so utterly
childish.”
Hailey agreed. “Cedric turns into a chatterbox under pressure from your husband, firing off messages
like a machine gun. If only he spent his time more productively.”
Eleanor held their baby, smiling contentedly. “Cedric’s retained his childlike spirit because life’s been
kind to him. He’s had few troubles, and that’s precious.”
Hailey nodded, recognizing the stark contrast between Cedric’s charmed life and Bernard’s trials. Both
from the same family, yet their fates were worlds apart, as if all the hardships were reserved for
Bernard alone.