Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)
Chapter 835

Sprague clung to Agnes' arm, his eyes wide with fear. "Lady Agnes, you and my mom are close. You gotta help her out, pretty please? I don't wanna be split up from her. I don't wanna live in some big, old house. All I want is to be with my mom, even if it means bunking in the tiny dorm at the hospital."

Agnes looked down at Sprague, her heart aching for the little guy.

Despite his young age, he knew the score all too well.

She ran her hand gently over Sprague's cheek and said softly, "I'll help you, I promise. You won't be separated from your mom. Now, be a good boy and stay here with Nocturne, okay? I'll go and have a heart- to-heart with your folks."

Sprague nodded vigorously, gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thank you, Lady Agnes."

After leaving Nocturne with a few words of advice, Agnes left the room and headed for the dining room.

The scene there was still at a standstill.

Jared, who rarely spoke up, broke the silence. "Arguing isn't getting us anywhere. Brayden, is pushing Kerri to the edge really what you want? Let's not wait until it's too late to have regrets. Here's a piece of advice from someone who's been there. Right now, fighting won't solve anything. Let's sit down, talk things through, maybe meet halfway." His tone was as if he were at a boardroom negotiating table, yet it carried an odd, calming magic.

Kerri had already taken a seat. Brayden sat down too, though reluctantly, and poured himself a stiff drink, downing it in one go.

Agnes approached them, persuading, "Whatever misunderstandings you have, let's set aside the emotions for a moment. All the love, hate, and drama can wait. Think about how Sprague feels. He just begged me to help him. How desperate does a child have to be to latch onto someone they barely know for help? Try looking at this from Sprague's perspective."

Her words seemed to cut through the tension, and the two fell silent.

After a long pause, Kerri spoke up. "Brayden, what do you really want? I'll step back. You can have whatever you want, but I'm not leaving Sprague. I'll compromise on anything else."

"I want you to cut ties with Baldrick. Can you do that?" Brayden slammed his glass down, his words slicing the air.

Without hesitation, Kerri responded, "I can."

Brayden seemed taken aback, then a smirk twisted his lips. "You're cold-hearted, aren't you? Here I thought your cruelty to me was just a front, that you at least had some real feelings for my brother. But no, it turns out you only love yourself."

Agnes felt Brayden's words were unfair. Seeing Kerri's reaction, she was reminded of her own tumultuous past with Jared, the hatred they had harbored for each other.

Having gone through it herself, Agnes understood there had to be some misunderstanding. Kerri was not the heartless woman Brayden painted her to be.

Kerri's voice was low when she finally spoke. "You're right, Brayden. In this world, I only look out for myself. Growing up under someone else's roof, enduring your bullying, my personality-it's all because of you. And you expect me to fall for a demon who tormented me for a decade?"

"I was tormenting you? You have no idea what I was really..."