Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)
Chapter 818

Although Ramona couldn't make heads or tails of what Agnes was saying, the sheer shift in Ryder's expression was undeniable. His normally stoic face was now a mask of arctic frost, signaling that Agnes had crossed a line.

She realized that, despite Agnes being Ryder's family, the nature of their relationship was shrouded in mystery. Ryder wasn't the kind of man you could dismiss or disrespect, even if the familial ties demanded a certain leniency. And there they were, mere journalists amidst a sea of high-rolling sponsors, rubbing elbows with the kind of people they couldn't afford to piss off.

Panicked, Ramona rushed to steady a tottering Agnes, pleading, "Boss, you're wasted. How about we call it a night with the drinks, huh?"

But Agnes was beyond reason, shrugging off Ramona's helping hand and discarding her glass in favor of a half-empty bottle of whiskey. She staggered toward Ryder, words slurring heavily, "Ryder, you're no cutthroat businessman. You should've been a doc, an angel in scrubs, you get me? Just look at yourself, all done up in that monkey suit. It's all wrong, just wrong. You ought to be a doctor."

As she rambled, she lunged at Ryder, attempting to strip him of his suit. "Take off the jacket! You gotta ditch the suit, throw on some scrubs..." Agnes was clearly in the throes of a drunken spectacle. The entire table watched, aghast, as she made a grab for Ryder's clothes. Ryder, face an impassive sheet of ice, didn't push her away, his stance almost permissive of her antics.

Thankfully, Ramona and Hans intervened before she could get any further with her undressing endeavor. Ramona knew that if her behavior cost the station a major client, their bonus would be as good as gone.

She quickly apologized, "Mr. Whitfield, I'm so sorry about this... We had no idea our boss could get this drunk. We'll take her home now."

To everyone's surprise, the usually silent Ryder spoke up. "I'll take her home," he said, pulling Agnes away from Hans.

Hans was about to protest but was silenced by a tug on his sleeve from Ramona. After all, Ryder was related to Agnes, had every right to take charge of the situation.

By now, Agnes was barely conscious, still muttering under her breath and occasionally blurting out Mr. Whitfield's full name. Ramona and the crew were sweating bullets for her.

But Ryder just bent down, hoisted Agnes onto his back as if she were a child, and carried her out of the private room.

"Mr. Whitfield's girlfriend is quite a handful," chuckled a few people from the project team.

Ramona was stunned. Girlfriend? She was practically Ryder's aunt-in-law. But she held her tongue, as this was clearly a private matter.

Once outside, Ryder gently placed Agnes into his car, settling her into the passenger seat before driving off into the night.