Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

Chapter 981

Agnes was suddenly wide awake, her heart racing with the kind of clarity that only comes from pure adrenaline.

She was pounding on Jared's broad shoulders, trying to get him to let her go. The walk through the crowded hallways was a blur of surprised and, oddly enough, envious glances.

Jared was, without a doubt, that archetype of a domineering CEO, his presence so intense it was almost suffocating.

"Jared, let me go, damn it!" Agnes shrieked, her voice echoing off the walls. Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

She never imagined things would escalate to this point. She was still tangled in a web of indecision, weighing her options. But Jared hadn’t given her the chance to choose. He’d just grabbed her and pulled her along with him.

Once they were outside, Agnes' mind was racing even faster. The clearer her thoughts became, the more fear crept into her heart.

Ryder hadn’t followed them. And that was the most terrifying part. What would he do next? She couldn’t even begin to guess.

Ultimately, Agnes found herself forcibly ushered into Jared's sleek car. He slid into the driver's seat after securing her inside.

"Jared, you've lost your mind. Let me out of here!" She reached for the door handle, only to find that Jared had locked the doors from his side. There was no escape.

Her luggage was left abandoned in the airport terminal. Where was Jared taking her?

But he didn't answer. Instead, he started the car, and soon they pulled up in front of the grand Maplewood Manor.

Once again, Jared carried her out of the car, despite her protests. "Jared, put me down! I can walk on my own."

He ignored her, striding into the house and up to a room, where he shoved her inside and locked the door behind them in one swift motion.

"Have you lost your freaking mind?" Agnes demanded.

"Agnes, we need to talk," Jared said, his voice suddenly calm.

Angry yet anxious, Agnes retorted, "Jared, there's nothing to talk about. I have to go. Now."

Her heart was pounding. She needed to go find Ryder immediately.

"You're not going anywhere. You're not setting foot outside this place today," Jared declared.

"So, what? You're imprisoning me now?" Agnes' voice rose in disbelief.

"I'm not imprisoning you—I'm imprisoning myself," he said cryptically.

Before she could process his words, Jared produced a pair of handcuffs from seemingly nowhere. In a flash, she found herself cuffed to him, their wrists linked together.

"You're insane," Agnes stared at Jared as though he was a lunatic who had suddenly become lucid.

But before she could even react, Jared tossed the handcuff key out the window, into the dense shrubbery of the garden below, where it disappeared without a trace.

"Now, can we sit down and talk?" Jared asked, his voice eerily serene.

Agnes was in disbelief, looking at Jared like he was a madman who had somehow retained his composure.

"Jared, you are absolutely, utterly insane."

She glanced at their locked hands and tried to walk away, determined to find the key, but Jared stood firm, unmoving no matter how much she tugged.

Agnes was so furious she felt like throttling the man before her.

Forcing herself to calm down, she finally said, "Fine, Jared. What do you want to talk about?"

Jared looked at her, his expression serious. "Agnes, I want to make a deal with you. Leave Ryder, and I'll give you whatever you want."

Hearing this, Agnes couldn’t help but laugh—a strange, incredulous laugh.

Jared and Ryder truly were cut from the same cloth. Both of them had an uncannily similar way of doing things, of speaking, of making wild, desperate gestures. It was almost comical, if it weren't so damn tragic.