Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 191

When Ruby uttered "Mr. Hargrove," the words came out soft and tinged with a subtle, inexplicable thrill.

Victor shot her a playful glare.

Really now, after all they'd been through together, she was still being formal?

Ruby was in unusually high spirits and, for once, cracked a joke. Catching Victor's plaintive gaze, she arched an eyebrow and struggled to keep from laughing.

Their eyes met and lingered, a silent conversation passing between them. Romaine, standing nearby, watched the exchange, her expression darkening. She quickly looked down, letting her thick glasses slide lower on her nose to shield most of her eyes.

"Mr. Hargrove, this is the latest lab report," she announced, her voice raised as she passed the folder to Victor.

Romaine's bluntness made Victor frown, but he said nothing, simply accepting the papers. "Alright, I've got it. You can go now."

But Romaine didn't move. Her feet seemed rooted to the spot.

Head down, she pressed on stubbornly. "Director wants you to handle it as soon as possible and give him an answer."

Romaine's unusual persistence today caught Victor's attention, and he glanced at her a few times.

Sensing his gaze, she tensed up, her hands twisting together nervously.

Ruby glanced at the two of them before breaking the tension. "Looks like you've got things to handle, so I'll get out of your hair. It's getting late—I should be heading home."

"Alright. I'll see you next time," Victor replied, his stern expression softening as he looked at Ruby. The way his face changed—open, gentle—was something Romaine had never seen before.

Ruby gathered Mira from Victor's arms and strode away.

By now, dusk had settled in. A cool breeze swept through, making the hem of Ruby's dress flutter like a blooming lily, accentuating her slender, graceful figure.

A flicker of jealousy and complicated emotions flashed in Romaine's eyes as she watched Ruby leave.

With Ruby gone, Victor's demeanor shifted back to his usual reserved, almost forbidding seriousness.

He flipped through the report absently, glanced coldly at Romaine, then strode back toward the lab without another word.

Romaine followed, wooden and silent.

Meanwhile, Ruby slipped into Victor's private car, where the driver now greeted her with casual familiarity.

"Miss Grayson, did you just get divorced?" he ventured, curiosity getting the better of him. After all, he knew his boss well enough to recognize how rare it was for Victor to care so much about anyone.

Ruby paused for a beat, then her gentle smile returned. "My husband passed away."

The driver froze, then stumbled out a halting apology in accented Veyturan.

Ruby shook her head with a soft laugh, waving off his concern.

He didn't dare ask anything further, worried he might cross another line.

A man's husky whisper drifted through the air.

Gennifer's heart pounded, her cheeks flushed scarlet.

She leaned in, her hand tracing gentle circles across Cassian's chest. "Cassian, I'm right here."

As her hair brushed his cheek, Cassian's eyes fluttered half-open, dazed. In that moment, he almost thought Ruby was standing right there.

His back stiffened. He seized Gennifer suddenly, voice rough as he choked out, "You…"

Just that one word, low and ragged, was enough to send a shiver through the room.

Gennifer's eyes shone with excitement as she lifted her gaze—and met Ruby's, standing not far away.

She had heard every step Ruby took; she knew exactly when she'd arrived.

Ruby's silhouette was nearly swallowed by shadow, while Gennifer and Cassian were bathed in the dim, golden light of a single lamp—a hazy glow that cast an almost illicit intimacy over them.

The challenge in Gennifer's eyes was clear.

Click.

Expression icy, Ruby strode over and flipped on the main lights. The whole living room was instantly flooded with harsh, white brightness—like sunlight at midday, exposing every corner, every speck of dust.