Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1038

Jared and Agnes were still sitting at the table. Jared had barely touched his food.

Breaking the silence, Agnes asked, “Do you hate him?”

She knew this was probably a taboo subject for Jared, but if he couldn’t talk about it with her, who could he talk to?

Jared hesitated before answering, “I don’t know…”

After a long pause, he continued, “I’ve always had doubts about my origins because no one ever told me who my mother was. Everyone said I was born out of wedlock. I came to accept that, but then…”

Jared let out a bitter laugh, “My sister became my mom, and my dad became my grandfather. That was the first time I realized how chaotic my world was. It was also when I started to wonder about my biological father. I had so many questions. Why abandon me? Why never a word from him? Why, after all these years, not even a visit? I imagined all sorts of scenarios, even thought maybe he was dead. But then I found out… Michael is Reggie, the feared mob boss.”

Agnes squeezed Jared’s hand.

There were many things Alyssa couldn’t say to Jared. But she had told Agnes.

Agnes knew about the tangled web of feelings between Alyssa, Michael, and her own mother when they were young. Michael had never acknowledged him, probably out of guilt towards Julia and hatred for Alyssa.

Alyssa had mentioned that when Michael left that basement years ago, he declared they would be strangers from then on, dead to each other.

Jared went on, “Actually, I don’t hate him. I feel nothing for him. I’m just curious how someone can be so cold as to abandon their own son. For years, I’ve wanted to meet him, to ask him face to face. But I never imagined he’d turn out to be your godfather.”

Agnes sighed as well. It seemed the world was full of too many coincidences. But many coincidences were man-made.

Like how Agnes now understood her encounter with Reggie was no simple twist of fate.

She once asked Reggie why he was so good to her. His gaze was deep and penetrating, as if looking through the years at someone from the past. He said, “Because out of everyone, you remind me of her the most.”

At that moment, Agnes thought Reggie might be the most sentimental person in the world. Spending his life unmarried, living in the memory of a lost love. Indeed, he had loved her mother deeply. But from Jared’s perspective, he was a heartless father. The world was full of complex emotions that were hard to articulate.

Agnes said, “Jared, I’m not in a position to judge, nor do I want to make excuses for Reggie. But I want to share some stories with you, just so you might understand Reggie a bit more.”

For two hours, Agnes spoke. She shared the stories Alyssa had told her about the love triangle and the faded memories of the past with Jared.

Jared listened in silence. But Agnes knew he was listening intently.