A Second Chance at Forever (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1136

After the local cops had closed off the scene and investigated the cause of the shooting, they confirmed that Tyler had committed suicide and got in touch with the authorities in his home country. Those cops, after getting the lowdown on the story, passed the buck back to the local police. They sent Tyler's body to the crematorium to be turned into ashes.

Liana watched as Tyler's body was tossed into the cremator. When his body suddenly sat up due to nerve reflex, she wished it was real. But as a doctor, she knew the score. For about three days after someone dies, their muscles aren't totally dead yet. When the muscle tissue feels the scorching pain, it causes a nerve reflex. Tyler sitting up in the cremator was just his body's muscles reacting to the pain. Tyler was gone, never to return.

He'd protected her before he died, shielding her from any fallout, but got branded as a rapist and kidnapper himself. His reputation was shot to hell after he died, and Hackett wiped him out of the family tree. The Howell family wouldn't have a Tyler anymore. Just to save their image, they still had someone come to pick up Tyler's ashes.

Along with Hackett came Karan, and the kid she had in her later years. The kid, only seven, was named Damien Howell. He was young, but his gaze was ice-cold. When Liana handed over Tyler's urn to Damien, he just took it for a moment, then recoiled like it was a box of trash, and tossed it to a servant behind him. He never looked at it again.

Liana didn't have much to say. She was the one who'd killed Tyler, after all. What could she expect from a seven-year-old kid? Especially when Tyler hadn't exactly been nice to the kid.

Still, why did Karan crack a smile when she touched Tyler's urn? She'd been the one to drive Tyler's mother to her death, ruining Tyler's life. How the hell could she still smile?

Back in the day, Karan had been real good to Liana, always telling her, "Liana, Tyler is such a good boy. You gotta get along with him, show him some love, don't make him angry." Liana thought, "Since Karan is being so nice to me, I gotta do as she says and treat Tyler right." So she always tried to get close to Tyler, to please him.

When Liana was still young, Karan would tell her, "Liana, look at Tyler. He's getting more and more handsome. If you can win his heart, you'll be able to live with me forever once you marry him." Liana, who already had feelings for Tyler, would blush at such words. Seeing this, Karan asked Liana, "Are you falling for Tyler?"

Liana, not willing to spill her secret, shook her head no. Seeing Liana's reaction, Karan just smirked and didn't push it.

After that, Karan started having the nanny prepare delicious meals to put in lunch boxes for Liana to take to school for Tyler. She even had Liana go into the bathroom to give Tyler a towel while he was showering, even though Tyler never asked for one. And when Tyler was sleeping, she'd have Liana bring him a cup of milk.

Back then, Tyler didn't care for Liana. He dealt with her kindness and attempts to get closer in a pretty rough way. He'd throw the lunch directly into the trash, fling the towel in Liana's face, and splash the milk all over Liana. Liana, hurt to her core, didn't want to do it anymore, but Karan told her to suck it up, saying that Tyler would eventually be moved by her efforts.

Liana didn't get it and asked Karan why she had to do this. Karan, with a smile, touched her nose and said, "I'm doing this for your own good. Since you like Tyler, I should help you."

Karan didn't seem to give a damn whether her actions violated any moral norms. Even though Liana and Tyler weren't blood-related, they'd grown up under the same roof, with a familiarity that couldn't be deeper. Was it really appropriate for Liana to get close to Tyler like this?