Chapter 821 The incessant buzzing from within Agnes purse finally caught Ryderâs attention He frowned, determined not to answer, but the persistent ringing of two backâtoâback calls made him reconsider Sighing, Ryder opened Agnes purse and retrieved the vibrating phone. The incoming call was from a string of digits that, despite the lack of a saved contact name, Ryder recognized immediatelyâit was Jaredâs number Agnes hadnât bothered to save Jaredâs contact details. Perhaps she knew it by heart, no need for a label. The phone continued its relentless dance in Ryderâs hand, and after a moments hesitation, he answered âWhere are you? When are you coming back? Jaredâs voice was terse on the other end.
There was a pause before Ryder called out, âUncle, itâs me Silence fell on the line, and Ryder could almost picture Jaredâs furrowed brow After a brief wait Jared spoke again. âWhy do you have Agnes phone? Where is she?â
âShe had too much to drink, and now sheâs at my place. You should come pick her up Ryder replied Jaredâs response was a chilling silence Even through the phone, Ryder could feel the cold disapproval emanating from the other side. Finally, Jared said. âT right there Once the call ended Ryder sat motionless for a long time, his heart clenching in waves of pain. Even if Agnes was inebriated, it wasnât his place to harbor her. This was quandary he found himself in Jared arrived quickly, within twenty minutesâhalf the time it would take to drive from the Tim Group headquarters under normal conditions. It was clear how fast he must have driven, unwilling to waste a single second with Agnes in Ryderâs presence As Jared entered Ryderâs house, he wore a stern expression Ryder had changed into casual home attire by the time he opened the door. Jared walked straight to the couch where Agnes lay, checked her forehead to ensure she was alright, then turned to question Ryder âWhat exactly happened?â
Ryderâs voice was cool and detached, âAre you asking how she got drunk, or why she ended up here?â
Jaredâs tone grew even icier. âI want to know bothâ
âThen you can wait for Agnes to wake up and ask her yourself,â Ryder said.
âDonât lose sight of who she is Sheâs my wife, and concurrently, your aunt by marriage,â he reminded.
Ryder replied calmly âUncle, I donât think itâs set in stone that you two will end up together. Who she belongs to in the end is still up in the airâ His tone was steady, as was certain of his stance Jaredâs fingers tensed and then relaxed, âWhat are you trying to do? After all this time, why persist in this madness?â
âI know you want me to let go, but have you ever considered that in the years you werenât by her side, I was the one who accompanied her through every tough decision? | watched Nocturne grow up, his health gradually improving Iâve invested so much, why should I give up? Didnât you always teach me to hold on to the things | love means necessary? That nothing is impossible in this world?â
âYou re speaking of rebellion Thatâs not what I raised you to do,â Jared replied, his voice laced with finality