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 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.