Heartstrings on Fire (Agnes and Jared)

Agnes frowned.

What was Jared getting at?

What did he mean by overseeing the deletion of her private info?

They stood separated by a wrought iron gate, their eyes locked in a silent confrontation.

Agnes just couldn't get a read on what Jared was really thinking.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, Agnes unlatched the gate. "Come in," she said. "Give me the phone, and I'll clear it out for you to check." She could have easily tossed the phone aside with a flippant "Keep it."

But she didn't.

That phone held a trove of precious memories, and it also contained many important files.

Losing it had been beyond her control.

Now that it was back in her hands, Agnes intended to retrieve what she could.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason. The real issue was that having the phone in Jared's possession made her feel... exposed.

Jared walked in with an unhurried stride, not immediately handing over the phone.

Instead, he headed straight into the villa.

Agnes' brow furrowed, and she followed him inside.

Jared moved through the house with a familiarity that spoke of many past visits.

He made his way to what used to be their shared bedroom, now solely Agnes' retreat.

Though she had moved back in, Jared hadn't been over in ages.

Yet, the room remained largely unchanged from those earlier times.

Jared seemed weary as he handed over the phone. "Sort through whatever you need to. Just let me take a look when you're done." Agnes took the phone from him.

Ignoring Jared, she retreated to the study.

Why not sort through it in front of him? Because Agnes had her secrets too.

There were things on that phone that she couldn't bear to part with.

Hidden in the depths of the phone was a discreet folder filled with photos of her and Jared.

She had held onto these images for years.

Even when she moved abroad and changed phones multiple times, she always transferred those photos and safeguarded them in each new device.

The folder was set to hidden.

In truth, she seldom dared to look through it, as each glimpse tore at her heart. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to delete them.

It was as if by holding onto these memories, she was preserving a sealed chapter of her life, unwilling to discard or confront it.

Agnes quickly located the folder. The photos were all there, not a single one missing.

She breathed a sigh of relief - Jared must not have seen them.

If he had, such a private leverage would surely have been erased by now.

She rapidly copied the photos onto her computer. Then she began to delete every trace of Jared from her phone - all the contact information, messages, everything.

Though she knew his details by heart, erasing them from her phone couldn't wipe them from her memory.

Yet, with each confirmation click to delete, a pang of pain resonated within her.

It felt like forcibly extracting Jared from her life.

Jared must have truly wanted to cut all ties with her.

Even these trivial points of contact seemed too much for him to bear.

Agnes finished purging all traces of Jared swiftly.

After double-checking, she stood up and headed back to her room.

Jared had been there for quite some time, and she had no idea what he'd been up to.

But as Agnes reached the doorway, she paused, her footsteps halting abruptly.