Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 166

"Don't even think about it."

Cassian's jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles in his cheek stood out in sharp relief.

A bitter, cold smile twisted his lips, his eyes glinting like shards of ice.

Ruby bit down on her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood on her tongue.

She stared Cassian down, her gaze steely and unyielding.

The man's tall frame blocked the doorway completely. His long, elegant fingers gripped the handle with such force that the veins on the back of his hand stood out, a clear sign he had no intention of backing down.

Ruby realized there was no way she was leaving today. Turning away, she scooped Mira into her arms.

With a loud bang, she stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The force of it sent a gust of air rushing through the hallway.

Cassian stood frozen in place, his figure rigid, as if all the fight had suddenly drained out of him.

They parted on a sour note, and a heavy gloom seemed to settle over Northridge Manor.

Cassian lingered in the living room for a long time, the smoky haze from his cigar curling around him, half-shrouding his face in shadow.

He couldn't shake his frustration, and finally answered a call from Bennett. With a deep scowl, he grabbed his coat and strode out the door.

The car windows were rolled down, letting the warm midday breeze rush through, but Cassian only grew more agitated, massaging his brow in irritation.

Bennett's call had brought bad news: a patent Veyne & Co. had just secured had been leaked by an unknown start-up. Now the entire tech team and legal division had been summoned for an emergency meeting.

"Mr. Veyne, when we went to find Mrs. Veyne, Miss Gennifer had already left the office."

"You can't reach her?"

Cassian could hear the clatter of keys in the background before Bennett's strained voice came through: "Every call we make gets blocked. We might need you to reach out personally."

There was a note of pleading in Bennett's tone.

Gennifer and Ruby had already drawn plenty of public attention with their recent altercations. Even though Bennett had done his best to scrub any incriminating photos or videos from the web, there were always a few that slipped through the cracks.

Though the rumors that started that evening had been quickly suppressed, an undercurrent of unease remained.

And now, with the sudden crisis at Veyne & Co., tensions were running dangerously high.

"Handle it as best you can. I'll be there soon."

Cassian's voice was low and commanding. After hanging up, he dialed Gennifer's number.

Unlike Bennett, he had no trouble getting through.

"Mr. Veyne." Her voice was soft, but her greeting was distant.

Cassian felt a surge of irritation, but forced himself to stay patient. "It was a misunderstanding. I'll have Bennett apologize to you later."

"Where are you now?" he pressed.

Gennifer replied in a subdued voice, "At the Skyview Café."

"Wait there." His words were clipped, commanding. Then he hung up.

His luxury car tore down the avenue, drawing admiring glances from passersby, until he pulled up at Centrium Tower in the heart of Quinborough.

Meanwhile, Gennifer sat at a window table, idly licking whipped cream from her spoon. She tried to maintain an air of composure, but her eyes kept darting hopefully toward the street below.

Cassian's "Wait there" echoed in her mind—so direct and authoritative, it set her heart racing.

Lost in a daydream, she barely noticed the café door swing open, the quiet room suddenly filled with anticipation.

She straightened in her chair as Cassian strode over and took the seat across from her.

His refined presence turned heads throughout the café, drawing a flurry of curious glances to where Gennifer sat.

Feeling their stares, she instinctively sat up a little straighter.

"What would you like to eat?" Cassian asked.