Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

Chapter 974

Jared's eyes flickered open at the sound of Agnes' voice, the weariness in them fading as he realized it was not a trick of his mind.

It was really Agnes.

His gaze deepened, and his voice dropped below freezing, "What are you doing here?"

Agnes turned her head to meet Jared's eyes. However, in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of the bruise coloring the corner of his mouth—a souvenir from a recent scuffle with Ryder.

"I just wanted to talk, Jared," Agnes said, her voice unusually calm and gentle.

This threw Jared off. It had been so long since she had spoken to him with that tone. When had they stopped communicating like this? Their conversations had devolved into constant bickering, a relentless cycle of provocation and hurt.

Jared was weary, the kind of weariness that seeped from the soul. Yet he couldn't let go, forever entangled in this exhausting dance of struggle and compromise, watching as the waves crashed down again and again.

His own voice softened, "How's Ryder’s hand?"

A sourness flooded Agnes' heart. Even now, Jared's concern was for Ryder, always assuming the protective stance of an elder.

"He’s fine," she replied. "But you should see to that bruise. It looks painful." Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

In the dim moonlight streaming through the window, Agnes noticed the purplish tinge on Jared's lips. But she also saw his rueful, half-hearted smile. "Yeah, it's a good one. I keep thinking of him as a kid, not realizing he's grown up."

Agnes couldn't help but smirk, "Jared, he's 25. When will you stop treating him like a child? Would a child scheme to take over the Tim Group?"

She had to say it. She wanted to give Jared a heads-up, even though she knew her warning was unnecessary. Jared was too smart not to see Ryder's true intentions and ambition. She could only conclude that Jared didn't want to fight him for control.

Jared suddenly laughed, "Which side are you on, Agnes?"

Her head spun a little with his smile. It had been ages since she had seen him smile like that, and guilt washed over her. He had once been untouchable, a solitary figure of prestige, but she had worn him down to this.

Jared looked away, shifting his gaze from her face, "So, when are you planning to marry Ryder?"

Even Jared was surprised by his own composure as he spoke of the matter he most dreaded. It was, perhaps, the one thing he could never accept, yet there he was, discussing it as if his heart had gone numb.

Agnes chuckled, maintaining her calm façade, "We'll see what fate has in store."

She didn't want to explain. Explanations often carried a clear agenda, and insisting to Jared that there was nothing between her and Ryder seemed pointless. She had tried explaining countless times, but he never listened.

Jared, a man accustomed to ruling his domain, had a typical flaw of those born to power: he trusted only himself.