Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1142

Kearney's words caught Agnes completely off guard. The sliver of doubt that had been nagging at the back of her mind shattered into pieces with what Kearney had just said. Agnes felt like her brain was a tangled mess, unable to latch onto anything useful.

"Let's go to the restaurant for dinner. They've got a lot of fresh seafood tonight," Kearney suggested. Turning to Phenix, Agnes said, "Phenix, let's go grab some dinner together."

"I'm not hungry, I don't feel like eating."

"You should eat something, even if you're not hungry."

Agnes tried to persuade him, but Phenix remained unmoved. Kearney walked over and said, "Septima, you head out first. I'll bring Phenix along for dinner in a bit." Agnes nodded and left.

As she walked away, a strange emotion stirred within her. On a whim, Agnes quietly made her way back to Phenix's room and peeked inside. Phenix was still sitting in the wicker chair. Kearney was there, kneeling down, holding Phenix's hand, pressing it against his cheek as if patiently trying to comfort him. Kearney was always so patient with Phenix.

It seemed like Agnes was about to leave, relieved, but then she saw Kearney gently kiss the back of Phenix's hand. Phenix appeared unresponsive, his gaze lost in the distance. Agnes's heart skipped a beat. Kearney stood up and turned to leave. Realizing this, Agnes hurriedly stepped away, darting into the stairwell just around the corner. Kearney passed by without noticing her. Agnes's heart was still racing. The scene she had just witnessed was etched into her mind.

Even though she knew Kearney deeply cared for Phenix, that kiss felt unsettling to Agnes. But perhaps it was just an irresistible moment, a natural human emotion. Agnes didn't dwell on it further. She made her way to the restaurant. As expected, the table was laden with all sorts of seafood, but only Agnes and Kearney ended up sitting down to eat. Phenix still refused to come down for dinner. Kearney had no choice but to have a bowl of seafood chowder sent up to his room. And Reggie, he preferred not to be disturbed.

"Septima, could you take a bowl up to godfather later? He might not accept it from anyone else, but he'd accept it from you," Kearney said. Agnes agreed.

As they began their dinner, Kearney's demeanor changed from the cold, distant one he held outside. Here, he was the epitome of a protective older brother. He shifted from casual family concerns to work matters seamlessly. Agnes had always been under his care when she was abroad. Of all the siblings, Agnes and Kearney had spent the most time together and shared a deeper bond.

Agnes didn't want to doubt Kearney. But she couldn't help it; she began to suspect him. Without a shred of evidence, Agnes felt ashamed and guilty for even harboring such suspicions. Yet, a tiny seed of doubt had taken root deep within her, uncontrollably beginning to sprout. But Agnes couldn't fathom a motive. Kearney and Phenix had grown up together since they were kids. The only motive Agnes could think of was a crime of passion. Yet, it made no sense to Agnes that if Kearney had wanted to harm Phenix, he wouldn't wait until their wedding day to do it. Most importantly, Agnes didn't want to believe Kearney could be so cold-hearted. No matter how hard she tried, Agnes couldn't piece it together.