Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 147

Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone shattered the silence.

Cassian glanced over coolly, his gaze sharpening when he saw the name "Sylas" glowing on the screen. For a moment, his eyes flickered with emotions too complicated to name.

He hesitated only briefly before answering the call.

To Cassian, Sylas was still just a boy.

But the boy had grown up. His voice now carried a pleasant, gravelly edge, and an urgency spilled out as soon as he spoke. "Uncle Cassian, I need to ask you something. Please."

He bit down on his lip, the word heavy with gravity.

Cassian's brow twitched, caught off guard.

His nephew was born to stand at the top of the world, always carrying a pride that set him apart from others. Yet now, here he was—saying "please."

Cassian closed his eyes, exhaustion weighing on him, but said nothing.

Sylas sensed something strange in the silence, but the steady rhythm of Cassian's breathing on the other end reassured him that his uncle was there.

"Go on," Cassian said, his voice low and rough.

Sylas blinked, puzzled. He could almost hear the disapproval and impatience tucked into that single word.

He gave his head a shake. What was he thinking? This was his uncle, after all.

"The pearl necklace you won at the auction—I want to buy it back from you. I'll pay ten times what you spent," Sylas blurted out.

A deep, amused laugh rumbled through the phone.

"For that girl you're seeing?"

Sylas hesitated, then nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Does she know you're doing this?"

"She doesn't need to."

"When did you two meet?"

"Two—"

The questions came quick and sharp, but as Sylas was about to answer, he stopped, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Uncle, why are you asking so many questions? Do you know Ruby?"

Cassian said nothing. He walked over to his desk and sat down, exhaling a plume of smoke into the air. The silence stretched, thick as fog.

Jealousy twisted in his chest, sharp and bewildering.

Why?

Why did he feel like this?

His face was lost in the smoke, his features blurred and unreadable. He slowly raised a hand to his chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart. For the first time in his life, Cassian was at a loss.

"Uncle?"

Sylas called out when no reply came.

Cassian's gaze dropped to the name on the screen: Sylas.

"She already has the necklace," he said quietly, his voice almost floating.

"She's married. Keep your distance."

Sylas barely caught the words, confusion on his face, but before he could ask, Cassian ended the call.

Staring at the call-ended screen, Sylas's confusion only deepened, tangling through his thoughts like a spreading web.

So, after registering, she'd inherit everything her grandmother left behind, no strings attached.

Ruby's eyes sparkled with excitement and her heart pounded.

Finally…

Her nose prickled with the sting of tears.

Her grandmother had been gone so long, and at last, she could touch her things again—hold on to some piece of her.

And, most importantly, Gennifer—the one person she couldn't stand—would never get her hands on any of it.

Ruby let out a sigh of relief and tiptoed out to wash up.

She'd barely slept, but she was buzzing with energy and even took the time to apply her makeup, carefully blending every detail.

But as she stepped into the living room, she remembered—Cassian was still living under the same roof. There was no avoiding him.

She hesitated, scanning the room.

No sign of Cassian.

She breathed easier.

With the divorce looming and her role as Mrs. Veyne all but finished, she stopped giving orders to the house staff. Instead, she made breakfast herself—something simple and easy.

But just as she set the plates on the table, she looked up and found Cassian standing there, dark circles under his eyes.

He obviously hadn't slept, but the exhaustion did nothing to dull his good looks. If anything, the weariness only made his features seem more vulnerable—heightening the sharpness of his face.

Ruby glanced at him once, then quickly looked away.

But Cassian stepped closer.