A Second Chance at Forever (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1402

Beyond the borders of Golden Sea District the helicopter settled gracefully onto the trimmed lawn. The pilot, a man in a sharp suit, glanced over his shoulder at the passenger behind him. "Mr. Nine, we've arrived. Time to switch rides."

The passenger, known only as Bernard, lifted his heavy-lidded gaze, a cold, dangerous glint in his eyes that sent a shiver down the pilot's spine. In an instant, darkness enveloped the pilot's vision as he slumped onto the controls, unconscious.

With an emotionless expression, Bernard unwound his silk tie from around his neck, looping it around his fingers as he stepped off the helicopter.

The ground crew, who had been ready for the transfer, watched in shock as Bernard knocked out their colleague. Like bees swarming, they rushed toward him.

Bernard finished wrapping his tie around his hand, clenched his fist, and faced the approaching crowd. His eyes didn't even blink as his fists flew, landing hard and fast against the faces of the pilots.

Despite nursing injuries, his combat skills were unmatched, and the men of Area Opaca were no match for him. In mere moments, he had laid out a group of adversaries.

Kicking aside a fallen pilot, Bernard's icy gaze lifted as he unwound the tie from his hand and strode swiftly toward the helicopter.

With seamless precision, he fired up the rotors, seized the controls, and lifted off. As the chopper soared away, a black tie fluttered to the ground...

The battered pilots on the ground, regaining their senses, grabbed their phones and dialed the control room.

"Boss, Bernard got away."

The controllers, each with their own agenda, turned their eyes toward Yates, the old man at the center of it all. Without a hint of emotion, he simply said, "Let him go."

His stratagem was similar to a game of patience - biding his time and planning to nab all his opponents at once, instead of chasing them down one by one, thus conserving resources.

Bernard, piloting the helicopter away from Golden Sea District realized his brain chip was silent, a clear sign that Yates had intentionally let him escape.

He had to admit, Yates was a master strategist. Even though he hadn't instigated the situation, Yates had manipulated everything, even using Eleanor's desire to rescue him to his advantage. He had lured Eleanor into becoming a pawn in his game, taking her, the child, and Bernard's freedom and life as leverage to force a break-up.

Once the split was done, Yates had enacted a charade of letting Bernard go, dispelling Eleanor's doubts while fulfilling his promise.