Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1068

Agnes was in tears, her voice breaking with each word, "Jared, I had no other choice. It's the only way to get you out. Ryder knows where the drug lord is hiding. Only by catching him can we find out who's pulling the strings. That's the only way you'll clear your name. I'm sorry, Jared. I can't just stand by and watch you rot in this place. I'll do whatever it takes to get you out."

Jared had his suspicions all along.

It was clear that Agnes wouldn't agree to marry Ryder without a very good reason.

Jared turned to Ryder with a calm yet icy tone, "Why stoop to such lows?"

"Because it gets me what I want," Ryder replied unapologetically, "Uncle, I'm sorry, but I have my desires too."

"You're despicable," Jared gritted his teeth. "You know full well those drugs kill people. Yet, you keep silent, even blackmail Agnes, making the Tim Group a pawn in your game, without a care for the damage it'll cause. You conspired against me with outsiders, showing no honor or decency. Ryder, I don't recognize you anymore. You're not the person I thought I knew."

Ryder's face was a mask of frost.

It was as if he was encased in a suit of ice, impervious to Jared's words.

"In this life, all I've ever wanted... was her."

Ryder gestured vaguely towards Agnes, "You have no idea how much pain I endure every day. I find this world cold, filthy, and bloody. For years, I've felt suffocated by a darkness, a gloom that makes it hard to breathe. Uncle, I can't take it anymore. I need someone by my side just as much as you do. We're too much alike. If you were in my shoes, you might not have shown mercy either."

Jared could see the deep despair in Ryder's eyes.

He always thought Ryder was cold, as if he had shut himself away.