Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)
Chapter 826

As Ryder spoke up, the atmosphere around the dinner table shifted palpably. It was as if a hush fell upon the room in an instant.

Jared looked up, his gaze settling on Ryder with a mixture of surprise and contemplation.

Alyssa's face was a picture of disbelief as she scrambled to make sense of the situation.

"You're now the General Manager of Thomas Enterprises; isn't one massive corporation enough for you? What on earth do you want with shares in the Tim Group?" Alyssa demanded.

Ryder's voice remained level, betraying none of the turmoil that seemed to grip the others. "It's not the same. Grandpa said I'm as much a Whitfield as my uncle is, and therefore, shouldn't half of the shares in the Tim Group be mine by right?"

Tim, the venerable patriarch of the Whitfield clan, seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

Jared broke the silence, "I'll transfer half of my shares to you." He looked directly at Ryder, his voice calm but firm. "I'll have my lawyers on it first thing in the morning. Don't worry, all the paperwork will be sorted out within three days, and you'll be the major shareholder of the Tim Group. Of course, if you want a position at the Tim Group, I have no objections."

Alyssa tried to intervene, "No, Jared, you can't do this."

But Jared was resolute. "Alyssa, Ryder's right. He's a Whitfield, and the Tim Group was always partly his. If Ryder hadn't gone into medicine, this is what you all would have expected. Now that he's chosen to join the business world, it's not too late to redistribute everything."

With a heavy heart, Tim sighed deeply, "Do as you will, just don't run the Tim Group into the ground."

Agnes, who had been quiet throughout the meal, couldn't help but wonder - Ryder already had Thomas Enterprises; why was the share in the Tim Group so important to him? Was it merely a matter of pride and fairness?

In her mind, Ryder seemed like a man in a fortress of his own making. He kept his heart securely locked away, and from the outside, all one could perceive was his stony exterior. His thoughts and emotions completely obscured.

After dinner, Nocturne, the family's cherished little guy, was ready for bed.

Agnes carried the sleepy boy to the room, but while inside, she caught a glimpse of a shadow passing by the door.

It was Tim, likely wanting to check on Nocturne, but upon seeing Agnes, he refrained from entering.

Agnes deliberately stepped out of the room and made her way to the second-floor conservatory.

From the balcony, she could see the vast expanse of the Whitfield Manor's grounds.

Below, Jared and Ryder stood in the yard, their presences equally commanding, their conversation lost to the night breeze.

Ryder had grown, matured into someone she no longer recognized.

Now he shared with Jared not just a familial bond, but an air of regal authority, a sartorial elegance that made them seem cut from the same cloth.

From a distance, Agnes could almost believe there were two Jareds standing in the yard.

In time, Ryder returned inside, leaving Jared alone under the moonlit sky.

Watching from above, Agnes felt an unexpected pang of sympathy. She couldn't comprehend exactly what Jared was feeling.

Ryder, who used to be Jared's weak spot, had now turned into an irremovable thorn in his side, and it was all because of her.

Lost in thought, Agnes didn't realize how long she had been standing there until she turned to replace Ryder right behind her. Caught off guard, she stammered, "Ryder..."

He spoke first, breaking the silence, "Sorry about making you drink so much last night."

Recalling the embarrassment, Agnes quickly responded, "No, it's my fault. I was drunk last night, and everything I said and did-just forget it, okay? Pretend it was just drunken nonsense."