Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

Chapter 854

Ryder cracked a rare smile, grabbed his lunchbox, and strolled over to one side of the rooftop.

The spot he chose was by the railing, waist-high with a width of about twelve inches.

It was topped with smooth, glossy glass bricks.

Planting himself on the railing, Ryder set the lunchbox on it and began to methodically open it, layer by

layer.

Agnes, however, looked a bit pale. She walked over to him. “Come on, get down from there. It’s so

dangerous.”

Even sitting cross-legged on the ground would have been fine with her, but seeing Ryder perched on

the edge was downright terrifying.

Ryder replied, “Eating up here feels different, you know? Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.”

Agnes wasn’t particularly afraid of heights.

But even a quick glance down from the rooftop was enough to stir a sense of vertigo within her.

It was a primal kind of fear.

As Agnes cautiously peered over the edge, Ryder suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her down

beside him.

Agnes yelped, startled by the sudden move.

“Ryder, what are you doing?”

He shot back with a teasing grin, “Scaredy-cat.”

Agnes glared at him. But, once seated, she had to admit it felt different.

Caught between being grounded and suspended, the feeling was indescribable; it was akin to standing

on the edge of a cliff and simultaneously sitting amidst the clouds, an unsettling blend of tension and

exhilaration.

Ryder handed her a pair of chopsticks, “Let’s eat.”

Agnes had been waiting for Jared in the office for quite a while and was genuinely hungry.

So there they were, eating atop the railing. The two chatted as they ate.

“Ryder, did you really give up medicine for business?”

Agnes didn't know the specifics of his business, but she could sense that Ryder's arrival at the Tim © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Group meant something big was brewing, and it seemed to be the source of Jared's recent agitation.

Ryder said, “It’s all the same to me. Before, it was endless reports and never-ending research. Now, it’s

pretty much the same drill.”

Agnes sighed, “It’s just a shame. You were such a brilliant doctor.”

Jared spoke up, “I got tired of nights spent with nothing but academic papers for company. I wanted to

live differently.”

Agnes glanced at Ryder, “If you feel happier, then that’s not a bad thing.” She wasn't sure what else to

say.

Everyone has their own path; just because she thought it was fitting didn't mean it was right for

everyone.

Ryder was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “If I tried to become more like my uncle, would

you love me?”

Agnes paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. Looking up, she said firmly, “Ryder, we’ve been over

this countless times. There’s no chance for us, you’re not him, and you can’t become him.”

“Agnes, I was just joking,” Ryder said, his tone nonchalant.

Agnes exhaled in relief, “Don’t make jokes like that anymore.”

Still, she felt there was more to his words. The food felt heavy in her stomach.

Soon after, Agnes changed the subject. They ended up talking almost entirely about Nocturne.

Nocturne was probably the best common ground they had. And once they got started, it was as if they

couldn't stop. Soon enough, the atmosphere began to seem more harmonious.

Jared, coincidentally, arrived at the rooftop just as Agnes and Ryder did.