Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)
Chapter 831

Kerri nodded, a silent affirmation behind her resolve.

Following Agnes down the stairs, Kerri suddenly froze, her feet refusing to take another step. She stood perched on the staircase, her heart pounding against her chest. Despite being a celebrated cardiac surgeon who had navigated through countless intricate heart operations, she had never felt such intense nerves as she did in this moment.

From afar, Kerri's eyes caught the door swing open, revealing Brayden's familiar frame.

"Hey, Agnes! Have you been dipping into some kind of youth potion? Four years gone and not a day older, huh?" Brayden greeted Agnes with a playful jab.

His casual banter with Agnes was a clear signal of his good spirits.

Agnes retorted with a chuckle, "No change with you either, still as cheeky as ever."

It was then that Agnes noticed the little boy Brayden had in tow. The boy greeted Agnes when he saw her, "Hi, Lady Agnes!"

Brayden appeared genuinely surprised. "How do you two know each other?"

Of course, Sprague knew her; they had met previously at the Prestige Medical Center, but that was something Brayden was unaware of.

Agnes couldn't help but recall the chaos of those days-the time when Brayden had sent his men to the hospital in a brash attempt to take someone, only to inadvertently abduct Nocturne instead. The subsequent mishaps had led Jared to take over the situation.

Agnes had followed the trail, leading to a cascade of events that seemed to ripple out like a butterfly effect. Reflecting on it, she realized she might actually owe Brayden a debt of gratitude. If not for his arbitrary decision to take Nocturne who later ended up with Jared-her life would not have intersected with Jared's as it had.

In an alternate reality, she might have left with Nocturne, continuing the predictable routine of the past four years, while Jared could have been engaged to Valeria.

Sprague, however, remained oddly silent. This was out of character for the usually vivacious and chatty boy. Today, he seemed as sullen as a deflated balloon, giving Brayden the cold shoulder. Agnes explained on her own accord, "I've met Sprague before at the Prestige Medical Center."

Brayden's face cleared in understanding. "Right, that makes sense. If the kid is yours and Jared's, then you must have been at the hospital and ran into Kerri and my son."

The mention of Kerri made Brayden's expression shift noticeably. He quickly brushed past the subject, offering Agnes a smile, "Can we come in? I've brought two bottles of fine wine as a peace offering." He handed over two bottles of red wine to Agnes as they entered the warm, inviting home.

Brayden inquired, "Where's Jared?"

"In the kitchen, cooking dinner."

Brayden let out a laugh. "Only you could confine President Whitfield to the kitchen and have him actually enjoy it."

"Mommy!" Sprague's voice broke through the room as he caught sight of Kerri at the top of the stairs. He yelled out, bolting from Brayden's grip and running straight to her.

Brayden's eyes followed, landing on Kerri, and his entire demeanor shifted. He turned to Agnes, suspicion in his tone, "Did you set this up?"

Agnes spoke with a mother's empathy, "Brayden, as a parent myself, I understand what Kerri must be feeling. Whatever happened between you two, taking Sprague away from her is like taking her life. I have to ask you, Brayden, do you really want to drive her to a breaking point? So, I'm hoping that today, you both can sit down and have a real talk, and try to replace a solution that works for everyone."