Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 103

The investigator glanced at her in confusion, then darted a look at Bennett, as if seeking his approval.

Bennett gave a brief nod, signaling they should follow Ruby's lead.

Only then did the investigator start working the controls.

A tiny speck of light flickered on the screen amid the darkness.

"Zoom in," Ruby said, her voice trembling with anxiety.

The investigator, being closest, could see clearly. This time, without needing further instruction from Bennett, he moved quickly.

Cassian found himself leaning in too, squinting at the screen.

"A license plate!" Ruby's heart pounded so loudly she could barely contain it. Even her fingertip, pressed against the screen, was shaking. "Get someone to trace this plate. Now!"

Her excitement made her voice crack.

Cassian waved his hand, and the agent behind him rushed off to investigate.

As they waited, Ruby's breathing came in ragged bursts, her chest heaving with every exhale.

"Mr. Veyne, it's a temporary plate," the investigator reported, returning swiftly with the result.

Hearing this, Ruby's strength seemed to drain away. She nearly collapsed on the spot, but Cassian caught her just in time, his arm wrapping around her shoulders with a firm, reassuring warmth.

That touch, solid and steady, finally broke Ruby's last bit of restraint. She let out a guttural, broken sob, her grief echoing through the room.

The raw anguish in her voice reminded Cassian of the mythical cry of a phoenix in mourning. It made something deep inside his chest ache all at once.

"Ruby." He called her name softly, his grip tightening.

She bit down hard, trying to stifle the sobs, but they still slipped through, raw and desperate.

"You can trace a temporary plate," she managed, her voice thick. "Find out who registered it."

Cassian held her steady, then barked out the order to his team.

Ruby pressed her lips together, head bowed.

"Take her back," Cassian ordered.

A staff member stepped forward at once, respectfully guiding Ruby out.

From the way Mr. Veyne treated her, everyone knew she was no ordinary guest. Even the staff straightened up, their deference obvious.

Ruby left in silence, casting a lingering, desperate glance back.

The moment she was gone, Bennett closed the hotel door tight.

"What's going on?" Cassian's presence shifted, cold and foreboding as a glacier.

Bennett lowered his voice, finally revealing the truth. "Mr. Veyne, that license plate… it's registered to the Blackwood family."

Cassian's eyes went dangerously dark. His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Morgan?"