Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

Ryder had made it clear to her: "Leave Jared, and I'll give you whatever you want."

Now Jared was saying the same thing about Ryder, promising her the world if only she'd walk away.

Jared looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"Jared," Agnes replied. "I don't need your bargains. I don't lack for anything. All I want right now is to leave."

"If you leave, I'll ruin Ryder's career. I'll make sure he ends up with nothing. Do you believe me?"

When she heard those words, Agnes wasn't particularly surprised.

Instead, she felt an expected sense of release.

Jared had actually said those words, just like what Ryder did.

Agnes laughed a laugh so genuine that tears began to spill from her eyes.

It was absurd, the things that were happening in her life.

Jared's threats were a mirror image of Ryder's.

But why? Why were they both threatening her?

What did they see in her, Agnes, to use as a pawn?

They were both powerful, influential men-masters of their domains, capable of manipulating or even destroying others with ease!

Yet, why did they insist on dragging her into their power games?

Once, Agnes had a choice. Maybe if she had left, everything could've returned to how it was.

But now? Whether she stayed or left, one of them would be hurt.

She was trapped in an impossible situation. The irony of it all overwhelmed her.

Jared's frown deepened as he watched her unravel.

He hadn't expected this reaction-as if his threats were nothing more than a bad joke to her.

And to Agnes, that's exactly what they had become.

But Jared didn't care anymore.

He'd rather be a laughingstock than let her walk away from him again.

He stood there, silently watching as Agnes laughed until she couldn't stand, her laughter turning into sobs.

"Why are you guys pressuring me?

never

O hurt any of you.!

done nothing wrong. I just wanted to

be

. Is that so wrong?"

Her words were heavy with the weight of her grievances, which seemed to burst forth all at once.

"But Agnes, Jared finally spoke,

"what do you mean? Who's

pressuring you? Did Ryder force you to leave? Is there some kind of deal between you two?"

Jared sensed there was more to the story, but Agnes was beyond consolation.

She cried so hard that she couldn't utter a single coherent sentence, her hands pounding against Jared's chest. "Both of you are jerks! You're all selfish, never sparing a thought for me. You only care about your own feelings. You're all devils!"

She felt a crushing exhaustion.

It was as if the immense weight of all she had been carrying had suddenly collapsed.

Finally, almost instinctively, Agnes found herself enveloped in Jared's embrace.

She hadn't slept the night before and was utterly spent.

In Jared's arms, she succumbed to her weariness, her sobs subsiding into the rhythm of sleep.

Despite her heartache, Agnes had to admit-there was no place where she felt more at ease than in the sanctuary of Jared's arms.