Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)
Chapter 864

Agnes pressed herself against the wall of the hospital corridor, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. Thankfully, Ryder had gone in the opposite direction to catch the elevator.

She was safe for the moment.

She had overheard everything Alyssa and Ryder had said.

His words hit her like bricks, each one landing with a weight that seemed to crush her lungs.

She knew Ryder had never given up on her. He had always been upfront about what he wanted. Agnes had rejected him countless times, even thought about hurting him to make him stop, but nothing worked. Ryder was too clever for that. He saw through every one of Agnes' deliberate attempts to push him away.

And Agnes? She was at a loss. Her feelings for Ryder were tangled, complex. Because of Nocturne's illness, she could never bring herself to truly hurt Ryder.

Agnes let out a weary sigh. After lingering in the corridor for a few more minutes, she headed to the hospital room.

Alyssa was still there.

Agnes softly called out, "Alyssa."

Alyssa turned around, "You're here."

Agnes walked over and gently touched Nocturne's forehead. He was still burning up with fever, his condition worrisome.

"He woke up once before, but went back to sleep a while later," Alyssa said.

Agnes simply hummed in response.

Alyssa's gaze lingered on the child in the bed. "Why does he have to suffer so much at such a young age? If I could, I'd take his place in a heartbeat."

Agnes knew Alyssa adored Nocturne. Sometimes, even she couldn't understand it. Alyssa seemed to have a special bond with Nocturne. Every time she looked at his face, there was a sense of déjà vu.

It was much later that Agnes found out Nocturne bore a striking resemblance to Jared as a child. Alyssa probably saw Nocturne as a reflection of Jared's younger self.

Agnes tried to offer comfort, "Alyssa, don't worry. Nocturne will get better; he has to."

She sounded confident, but her words seemed to be as much for Alyssa as they were a reassurance for herself.

After a long silence, Alyssa suddenly spoke, "Agnes, I remember we had a deal."

Upon hearing it, Agnes' heart skipped a beat. She had been dreading meeting Alyssa because of that very reason.

Yes, they had a one-month agreement. Alyssa had said that if she couldn't persuade Ryder to give up within a month, then she would take Nocturne and disappear from Jared and Ryder's lives for good. Alyssa feared that Jared and Ryder would destroy each other. And truthfully, that was Agnes' greatest fear as well.

Destroying each other was an overstatement. Agnes believed Jared and Ryder would never go that far, but she didn't want them to become enemies either.

Agnes looked down and said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't do it."

Alyssa replied, "Actually, I have no right to oppose your relationship with Jared. That's between the two of you. But both Jared and Ryder are family to me. Ryder always felt I favored Jared, but he doesn't realize that it's actually him I favor the most. They are the most important people in my life, and I can't let them ruin everything because of you."