Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared) novel 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."

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.