Chapter 1496


    The news of Yates’ passing reached Eleanor as she was cradling the baby, Damian, and helping Nina


    with her homework. Nina was struggling, especially with math, much like Eleanor had at her age. Even


    the simplest questions was a challenge for Nina.


    Fortunately, elementary level math was something Eleanor could handle. So, with patience, she guided


    Nina, while Damian, nestled in her arms, often couldn’t help but snort at Nina’s puzzled expressions.


    At first, Nina thought little of Damian’s strange noises, assuming the baby was just being odd. It wasn’t


    until the fifth snort that she grew suspicious and turned her wide, inquisitive eyes to study Damian.


    Damian, absentmindedly fiddling with a pen, felt Nina’s gaze and suddenly tilted his head, lifting his


    chin defiantly and ring at her with his little nostrils, “Hmph!”


    Now Nina was certain. She waved her chubby little hand in usation towards the smug Damian,


    “Eleanor, Dame is taunting me!”


    Eleanor, engrossed in flipping through the math textbook, didn’t look up. “How could that be? Dame’s


    just one year old; he probably doesn’t even know what is taunting…”


    But Nina, stomping her foot in urgency, pointed at Damian, “Eleanor, look! He’s not just ring with his


    nostrils; he’sughing at me with his eyes…”


    As Eleanor’s gaze shifted from the textbook to her son, Damian quickly reverted to an innocent


    expression, even shing a goofy smile when Eleanor turned him to face her.


    Nina was spooked by Damian’s rapid change in demeanor. “Eleanor, your baby birthed is kinda


    freaky…”


    Unaware of the face-changing act, Eleanor brushed it off, “Maybe you’re just stressed from all the


    schoolwork. How about we go for a walk and clear your head?”


    Nina, still eyeing Damian, shook her head determinedly. “No need, I want to stay home and keep an


    eye on Dame, see if he will wet the bed at night…”


    As soon as she spoke, Damian cracked a silent but sinister smile, chilling Nina to the bone. “Aaah!


    Bernard, help! I don’t find your son cute at all anymore!” Panicked, Nina dashed toward the study,


    bumping into, Bernard. The collision sent her bouncing backward, but Bernard’s strong, slender hand


    gaught her by her cor, steadying her. She was about toin when she caught sight of Bernard’s


    solemn face and wisely stepped aside.


    As Bernard walked past Nina, he ruffled her hair, a gesture that set Nina off again. “Aaah! Help! Has


    Uncle Bernard been possessed? He’s acting weird too…”


    From a distance, Damian watched Nina’s frantic spinning, his bright eyes rolling as if to say, “Idiot…”


    Bernard approached Eleanor and ryed the news, “Yates injected himself with a drug at Pauline’s


    grave and passed away. He left all his personal assets to you.”


    Eleanor paused mid-motion while dressing the children, absorbing the shock, then turned to Bernard,


    “Why would he suddenly…”


    Bernard looked down, his gazending softly on Damian, who was quietly ying with his pen.


    “Peterson said Yates felt he had done all he needed to in this world and had no more attachments.”


    After a moment, Bernard added, “Before he died, he arranged for a doctor to help me. Someone who


    could stabilize the chip in my brain.”


    Eleanor wasn’t deeply moved by Yates’ death; after all, she hadn’t grown up with the Sharp family, and


    her connection to Yates was one of blood, not affection. Her feelings were furtherplicated by the


    fact that, despite everything, it was Yates who had saved her life and helped her regain her memories


    using her child. And now, he’d found a doctor to help Bernard.


    Still, the chip in Bernard’s brain was tied to Yates, and Eleanor felt no sorrow for Yates’ passing, only


    empathy for what Bernard had endured in Area Opaca.


    Afterposing her emotions, she picked up Damian. “Honey, could you tell Peterson that I don’t want


    Yates’ assets? He can keep them.”


    Bernard nodded slightly, then said, “Peterson mentioned that we won’t be invited to the funeral, but if


    you ever want to go back home, you can. The cottage will always be there for you.”


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    Eleanor had always been treated well by the rest of the Sharp family-the uncles, cousins, aunts by


    marriage-so she was open to staying in touch. “We’ll visit when we have the chance.”


    “Sounds good,” Bernard replied, his eyes tenderly tracing Eleanor’s face before resting on baby


    Damian’s plump cheeks. “Nina has been begging to have a sleepover with the little one. Let’s let them


    sleep together tonight.”


    Damian, still ying with the pen, looked up at Bernard with eyes clear as a melted snowdrift, as if


    pondering the intent behind Bernard’s suggestion.