A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 1493
Pearce glanced at the towering, muscle-bound figure of Cedric, then down at his own skinny arms and legs. Sighing, he rolled
down his sleeves. “Next, let’s move on...”
Cedric’s hope now rested on Elwood Laurence. He picked up his son and began to lecture affectionately, “Buddy, don’t you go
chasing money like your sister did. You gotta soak up knowledge like a sponge, got it?”
The Laurences and the Sharp were all at their wits’ end with Cedric’s antics. “Mr. Laurence, the kid’s still in diapers, and you’re
loading him up with all this pressure. Being your son is no walk in the park.”
Mr. Laurence rolled his eyes, ignoring them, and continued to whisper into the baby’s ear, “When I set you down, you make a
beeline for that classic novel in the middle. If you can grab that book, you’ll be the brightest Laurence, and I’ll finally get to rub it
in Bernard’s face.”
After his speech, Cedric put down the baby, coiled his right hand into a fist, and pumped the air. “Come on, buddy, we’re not just
after a slice of bread here, we’re after pride!”
Elwood, upon whom Cedric had pinned his greatest hopes, crawled around just like his sister. Under the intense, anxious gaze
of everyone, he slowly made his way to the edge of the carpet. One little hand reached for the classic novels, and the other...
Seeing the gold coin under that tiny hand, Cedric’s heart skipped a beat. “Buddy, please, not the gold. Anything but the gold...”
But Elwood, ever defiant, grabbed the shiny coin and delighted in it, even lifting it up to wave at his sister, who was waving a wad
of cash. Both twins danced with joy, holding their treasures. Only Cedric was left banging his head against the wall. “Oh,
heavens! One loves cash, the other one obsessed with gold... How am I supposed to live with this?!”

No one paid any mind to Cedric’s theatrics. After the cash and gold were distributed, it was Eleanor and Bernard’s baby’s turn.
Bernard had no expectations for the child, simply placing him on the ground after taking him from Eleanor’s arms.
As the baby began to crawl, Cedric, eager to see another gold-grabber, crouched beside the carpet, fists clenched, “Come on
buddy, follow Selene and Elwood. Grab the cash, grab the gold, and become the richest kid in the world!”
The baby ignored Cedric and continued to crawl on his own, reaching the edge of the carpet where various items were laid out.
His eyes, clear as melting icicles, fixed on a shiny gold letter opener for a second before he crawled straight to it, bypassing
everything else, and grabbed it with determination.
Uncle Peterson couldn’t help but crouch down and pat the baby’s head, “My little nephew, are you planning to be a knight in
shining armor?”
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Chapter 1493
Before Peterson could finish, the baby pulled out the letter opener with a snap, lifted his chubby chin, and looked at him, uttering
one word, “Fight...”
Cedric’s kids were already babbling away, but their cousin hadn’t spoken a word, not even for treats. Eleanor had thought he
might be mute. But now, the child pronounced ‘fight’ so clearly that everyone shivered. It wasn’t that he couldn’t speak; it was
that he hadn’t been interested in doing so until now.

Eleanor glanced sideways at Bernard, who’d been disinterested throughout the whole affair. “Did you put that letter opener
there?” she asked.
Before Bernard could respond, Pearce chimed in, “I spotted that shiny thing in Mr. Laurence’s study. Thought it looked pretty
neat, so I...”
Eleanor shared Cedric’s silent frustration but kept her cool, merely shooting Pearce a warning glance.
Pearce, oblivious or pretending to be, scooped up the baby and placed him on another blanket. “Alright, time to pick a name!”
The baby wasted no time. As soon as Pearce set him down, he reached out and grabbed a paper from the center of the small
table. Proudly, he handed it to Pearce.
“Not bad, kid. You’re a sharp one. Your master sees great potential in you.”
After a quick compliment, Pearce unfolded the paper and announced to everyone.
“Damian Laurence-”
Hearing this somewhat serious name, Eleanor felt a chill, fearing her son might grow up to be another Bernard. Her intuition
wasn’t wrong. From the moment the baby chose the letter opener and selected his name, his life was set on a path of decisive
action...