A Second Chance at Forever (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1199

Latonia finally calmed down, lifting her gaze to Bernard and asked him with a puzzled look, "Are you saying that Cedric started to change, to grow, all because he fell in love with Hailey Vulpe?"

Bernard replied with a stoic face, "Cedric had been turned down by Ms. Vulpe, and then he realized he was head over heels for her. She's the reason he changed so much. Without Ms. Vulpe, he'd probably still be a good-for-nothing."

Latonia noticed that Cedric was keeping up with his work no matter what he was doing at home - something unheard of in the past. She had lectured him countless times to settle down and stop fooling around, all to no avail. Yet, the moment Hailey appeared, he transformed instantly. This left a bitter taste in her mouth. But she kept it to herself, knowing that no matter what she said, Bernard would always take Hailey's side.

Seeing Latonia's displeasure, Bernard's eyes grew colder, "Latonia, you took one side of the story and pegged Chase McCall as a playboy, leading you to break him and Sigrid apart. Then, after witnessing Chase's growth, you tried to push him back to Sigrid. But she no longer loved Chase, nor accepted any other men. She even rejected someone like Peterson Sharp. She's still unmarried to this day. And it's all because of your meddling. You've ruined your daughter's love life. Are you planning to ruin your son's life too?"

Mention of Sigrid and Chase stirred up Latonia's guilt. She couldn't refute Bernard's biting words and could only reply in a small voice, "I regret breaking up Sigrid and Chase. But Hailey is different from Chase. She doesn't love Cedric with all her heart, nor did she beg me to give them my blessing like Chase did. She's just got my son wrapped around her finger. And as a mother, it's completely normal for me to step in."

What she was trying to say was that the situations between Chase and Sigrid, and Hailey and Cedric were different and shouldn't be compared. Also, Bernard's words were too harsh. Just confronting Hailey once wouldn't ruin Cedric's life, would it?

In fact, Latonia was just using the excuse that Hailey didn't love Cedric enough to fulfill her controlling desires of choosing her son's wife and daughter's husband.

Understanding this, Bernard didn't call her out, but instead, coldly stated, "If even you, as his mother, think that Cedric wouldn't give his true heart, how would Ms. Vulpe, who has been through a failed marriage, dare to fully love your son?"

Latonia's breath hitched, as if guided by Bernard, she suddenly felt what Hailey might have felt. She started to ask herself if she would dare to love again if she met a man like Cedric.

The answer was, she wouldn't. She wouldn't risk her stable life for a fickle man, but Hailey would.

Hailey promised that if she married Cedric, she wouldn't treat him like before. She would devote herself completely, love him, cherish him, care for him, protect him, and never betray him.

How could a woman who made such a promise not love her son?

Latonia lowered her head, but when she realized that she was actually thinking from Hailey's perspective, she found Bernard, the persuader, far too terrifying.

Bernard, worthy of being the head of the Laurence family, left her speechless with his negotiation skills. Not only did she accept the fact that Cedric loved Hailey more, but with just one sentence, Bernard made her think from Hailey's perspective.

Following this logic, after making Latonia realize that Cedric loved Hailey more, he continued, "Looking at Sigrid's past, you didn't learn your lesson to understand your children's feelings. Instead, you persisted in your ways and continued to pressure your son. Have you ever thought that if your son doesn't come out strong like your daughter after losing his love, what would you do? Would you cry holding his dead body, or regret your past decisions?"

Latonia, frightened by the mention of 'dead body', turned pale and said, "Cedric... he wouldn't do such a thing. Why would he?"

Bernard raised an eyebrow, "How do you know he won't?"