Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)
Chapter 865

Agnes sat here and remained silent. They had agreed to this in the beginning. She would leave of her own accord if she couldn't convince Ryder. Now, she had nothing to argue with, but the words refused to come.

"I... I can't leave Jared," Agnes finally whispered, breaking the silence. "I won't leave, no matter what the future holds. I'll face it with Jared. We've come too far to give up so easily. I want to give our son, Nocturne, a complete family. It would be absurd to throw away my marriage, my family, just because Ryder has feelings for me."

Despite the cold war between her and Jared, Agnes knew there were countless issues to resolve. Yet, at that moment, she was certain she couldn't leave him. Perhaps they could work through their problems. Her suspicions about Jared's feelings for Valeria were just that-suspicions. She couldn't disappear over such a trivial misunderstanding, not again. After all, she had made a promise to Jared. She had lived with regret for four long years over past mistakes. Agnes was not about to repeat them.

Alyssa studied Agnes for a long moment before speaking. "I won't let you leave Jared. We have to give Nocturne the complete family he deserves. Like Jared back in the day, Nocturne's biggest sorrow would be to grow up without his father's love. That's what turned Jared so cold and distant. I don't want Nocturne to end up like his dad, to walk through life alone, trying to stay optimistic in the absence of a partner's love. After you left, Jared was a shell of a man, a sunflower without its sun."

Alyssa's heart ached. Jared was a warm person at heart, but his character prevented him from replaceing his own sunshine. To him, Agnes was that missing light, and he would do anything to seek the warmth of her glow.

With Alyssa's declaration, Agnes breathed a sigh of relief. The Whitfield family's opposition had always been her Achilles' heel. Without Alyssa and Tim's approval, Agnes knew happiness would elude her-and Jared would suffer too.

But Alyssa's sudden change of heart was disconcerting.

Just as Agnes began to relax, Alyssa added, "But you have to promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Agnes asked, wary.

"You must never see Ryder again."

Agnes was taken aback, and then she replied, "I can't promise that. Ryder's the only one who understands Nocturne's condition."

"You don't need to worry about Nocturne. From now on, I'll take care of his treatment. We'll coordinate with the Novy Medical Team. Ryder's no longer with them, and honestly, he can't offer any more assistance for Nocturne's condition."

Agnes fell silent. She sensed that things were far from simple, but the gravity of Alyssa's words was undeniable. She felt the fabric of her life being pulled in directions she couldn't control, and at the center of it all was Nocturne, her son, whose well-being trumped every other concern.