Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1156

Agnes made her way upstairs. Just in time, she caught sight of those figures in black boarding a speedboat. The yachts that were originally docked at the island's pier had mysteriously disappeared. Meaning, she no longer had a way to leave the island on her own. What's more, the island was completely cut off from the outside world—no phones. Agnes couldn't reach out for help even if she wanted to. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Deep down, Agnes had a hunch something was off. But there wasn't much she could do at the moment.

Her first stop was Phenix's room. As expected, Phenix was asleep, lounging on the balcony. The wicker chair he was curled up on was draped with a mink blanket. His eyes were closed, and his body was wrapped tightly in the chair. His long, wavy hair cascaded over his shoulders. The afternoon sun was warm and golden, bathing him in a soft glow. Agnes approached him. She hadn't intended to wake Phenix from his slumber. But Phenix stirred awake on his own. Turning his head, he saw Agnes and smiled, "Septima."

Agnes moved closer, "Phenix, how have you been lately?" Phenix replied, "Oh, the same old, but Sean drops by to check on me now and then." Seeing Phenix like this, Agnes couldn't help but think he was losing touch with reality. It was as if he was living in a dream world. Agnes worried for him deeply but felt powerless. Then again, living in one's own fantasy might not be so bad after all. At that moment, Agnes didn't know what to say. She just silently kept Phenix company.

Phenix seemed to drift back towards sleep. As his head tilted slightly, his scarf slipped off, revealing hickeys on his neck. Agnes was shocked to the core. A dreadful thought crossed her mind. She pulled off Phenix's scarf entirely, only to find more marks! Beast! Agnes was almost certain of what Kearney had done. She quickly woke Phenix up. Agnes held Phenix's shoulders, "Phenix, what exactly did Kearney do to you, what did that beast do?"

Phenix seemed confused. "Kearney? He's done nothing. Just visits me occasionally," he murmured. But Agnes wasn't buying it. She grabbed a mirror from the vanity and placed it in front of Phenix. "Look at these, how did you get them? Did Kearney do this to you?" The marks were unmistakably hickeys, not just on his neck but spreading further. And Phenix looked utterly bewildered by his own reflection. "I don't know, I've never noticed them before," he confessed. Phenix had been too drowsy these days to notice anything.

But Agnes knew better. The strange noises she had heard that night in her room weren't just her imagination. Kearney was a monster! How could he, how dare he... Agnes was seething with righteous anger. Just then, the door swung open. "It's just an allergic reaction to some food Phenix had, nothing to worry about," Kearney's cool voice floated in from the doorway. Agnes slowly stood up. Facing him, she felt a chill run down her spine. Kearney looked as calm and composed as ever.