Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1081

"Michael, you..." Cilian was truly livid. The gentlemanly demeanor he usually carried with ease seemed impossible to maintain in this man's presence. The thought of Alyssa holding Michael in her heart for thirty years ignited a fire within Cilian.

Agnes, sensing the tension, quickly intervened. "Godfather, Cilian, let's not fight. We're all here together today. Cilian, you're seeking the truth by wanting Ryder to show up, and godfather, you're looking to root out the mole in Albert's Arms. Everyone has their needs; there's no reason to be at odds right now."

Michael finally turned his gaze to Agnes, his eyes softening considerably. Agnes addressing Michael as godfather took Alyssa by surprise. She hadn't realized Agnes and Michael had met before, let alone shared such a close relationship. But it only took a moment for Alyssa to make sense of it all. Given Michael’s deep affection for Julia, finding Julia’s daughter and adopting her as his own didn’t seem so far-fetched after all.

Life indeed had its ironies. Jared and Agnes were married, linking Michael to this son he was reluctant to acknowledge, yet establishing a complex web of intimacy. But the more Alyssa pondered, the more she felt she owed Jared. She couldn’t offer him a normal, complete family in his childhood. And now, her past misdeeds continued to bring him endless torment.

The group made their way upstairs to the study. Cilian challenged, "Mr. Albert, knowing full well there’s a traitor in Albert’s Arms, yet you’ve brought them all here. What if one of your own children is the mole?"

Reggie responded firmly, "If it turns out to be one of them, I’ll deal with them personally. That’s exactly why I brought them here - to uncover the truth. No one will escape justice."

Cilian was taken aback by Reggie's righteousness, wondering whether Reggie was overly confident in his children’s innocence or simply that ruthless.

They began to share and scrutinize the information they each knew. Valeria was investigating the involvement of the Thomas Group.

"Even though my father held the majority shares in NovaPlex Labs, the company was struggling and sold off those shares long ago, which were then acquired by the Tim Group. As far as my investigation goes, the Thomas Group wasn’t involved. Moreover, my father doesn’t know anyone from Albert’s Arms," Valeria explained.

Phenix, who was listening in, added, "That’s your father, Ms. Thomas. If you intend to cover for him, how would anyone else know the truth? As far as I’m aware, your father was once convicted of arranging a murder, only to be exonerated later. And you, his daughter, played no small part in that. If Mr. Thomas wasn’t trying to protect someone, why would he assign this investigation to Ms. Thomas?"

Valeria was at a loss for words. The Berlin case had once made headlines, and it wasn’t surprising that Phenix, the owner of the Capital’s largest nightclub, Eden Nights, knew the details. Berlin was a frequent visitor to such places, and the connections with Agnes only added layers to their relationship.

Cilian concluded, "I will continue to have this investigated. But at the end of the day, this mess is Albert’s Arms’ own doing. Mr. Albert claims it’s a problem within his ranks, but how are we to know if he’s not just passing the blame to absolve his own guilt?"