A Second Chance at Forever

Chapter 1407

After delivering the news, Sheldon added with an apologetic tone, “The signal to the Area Opaca is jammed too. I can’t get in touch with anyone inside.”

Bernard’s expression turned cool and detached. As he searched for a breakthrough, Yates was also strategizing. It was a race to see who could outwit the other first.

Unable to rescue Eleanor ahead of time, Bernard decided to focus on the demolition program. If Yates couldn’t control his life, he could save Eleanor.

With this in mind, Bernard ended the call and looked up at Cedric. “If we can’t shut down the demolition system, we need to buy ourselves more time before it goes off.”

Cedric, who was already half-asleep from working on the simulation, forced himself awake and said, “Just give me a bit more time. I’ll find a way to shut it down.”

He wasn’t just aiming to shut it down; he planned to hack into it, rewrite the code, and encrypt it so the enemy couldn’t reboot it.

As Cedric was rapidly typing out code, he glanced across at the man sitting opposite him, chin propped on one hand. He had been contemplating whether to inform his brother that Eleanor had gone to Canada to trace her roots. Little did he know, his brother was already aware and had even met her in the Area Opaca.

If it weren’t for overhearing his brother’s phone conversation, Cedric would still be in the dark about the founder of the Area Opaca being Eleanor’s grandfather, let alone that she was trapped there.

Concerned about Eleanor’s predicament, Cedric hoped that Yates, being Eleanor’s grandfather, wouldn’t harm his own kin.

Lost in thought, Cedric was jolted back to reality by Bernard’s cool voice, “Don’t tell Hailey about the chip in my head.”

Cedric paused, his gaze shifting from the screen to Bernard’s solemn face. “Bernard, are you worried that Hailey might tell Eleanor? Why keep it a secret?”

Bernard remained silent, which Cedric took as confirmation. He didn’t understand. “Bernard, wouldn’t it be good for her to worry about you a little? Why hide it?”

But Bernard knew better that this chip in his brain was a matter of life and death. How could he burden Eleanor with that worry?

Besides, once Eleanor was rescued, there was no telling if she would come back. If she never returned, it was better she remained ignorant. Why worry her about a man who was living on borrowed time?

Yet the thought of her not coming back made Bernard’s heart ache. He yearned to hold onto her for a lifetime but seemed powerless to do so.

Bernard’s silence was thick with loneliness, which Cedric saw as a desolation no one could redeem. Perhaps Eleanor could, but would

she return?

Everything was uncertain, and Cedric didn’t understand their relationship. His priority was to disable the demolition system, to buy his brother time for vengeance and rescue.

After two grueling days and nights, Cedric finally broke through the system. He extended the countdown but couldn’t completely neutralize the program. The enemy could stil! recalibrate the timer or trigger the demolition at will.

Yates, learning that Bernard’s hacker had breached and altered their surveillance and tracking systems, rushed to the control room.

The programmers at the Area Opaca were still decrypting Cedric’s encrypted codes. It wasn’t too hard, but each breakthrough was met with a taunting message on their screens:

“Go to hell. One day, I’ll take you all down, you idiots.”

Seeing the mix of English and profanity, Yates actually cracked a smile. “This kid who keeps cracking my codes, I wish he was one of mine at the Area Opaca.”

The operator beside him, far from amused, voiced his concern. “With the surveillance and tracking systems compromised, we can’t anticipate his next move. What do we do?” NôvelDrama.Org content rights.

Yates, arms crossed over his chest, turned to address the question. “Knowing Bemard as I do, he’ll be coming for us tomorrow, with backup.”