Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 197

The man before her radiated an unmistakable air of danger, making Renee's heart skip a beat. She quickly lowered her head, her words tumbling out in a flustered rush. "Mr… Mr. Veyne, I—Gennifer sent me to find you."

Cassian halted mid-stride, his brow furrowing as he glanced over. "Gennifer?"

Renee nodded emphatically. "Yes! She asked me to tell you—the party's starting early. She wanted you to know."

Starting early?

Cassian's gaze dropped, masking a flicker of confusion. The schedule for the celebration had been set weeks in advance; these things were never changed on a whim. But since Gennifer was the guest of honor tonight… he supposed it was her prerogative.

He looked up again, his face unreadable. "Lead the way."

Relieved, Renee brightened and hurried ahead to show him the route.

Cassian absentmindedly brushed off his suit—the same dark jacket he'd worn all day at the office—then followed with long, measured strides.

At that moment, a top-of-the-line sports car screeched to a halt at the grand entrance of Northridge Manor. The engine barely cut off before someone emerged.

Fitch, the doorman, stepped forward, blocking the path. "Sir, the party's already begun. I'm afraid late arrivals can't be admitted."

The window slid down, revealing a long-fingered hand. A pair of sunglasses was removed, and the face behind them was striking—handsome and magnetic.

Sylas arched a brow, a roguish grin playing at his lips. "Is that so?"

"Sy… Sylas…" Fitch barely managed to stammer out the name before hastily swinging the gates open.

Sylas tossed his sunglasses into the back seat, slammed his foot on the gas, and roared straight toward the manor, unbothered by protocol.

Inside, the party had officially begun, though the guest of honor was nowhere to be seen. For now, the guests were mingling idly, sipping champagne and making small talk as they waited.

In the corridor outside the dressing room, Renee knocked gently. "Gennifer, are you in there?"

No answer.

Cassian's brow tightened.

Renee's expression shifted as she tried again, her voice a little more urgent. "Gennifer?"

Still, only silence.

Voices overlapped and echoed down the long corridor. As they rounded the corner, the guests froze, eyes wide in collective shock at the scene before them.

"Ah!"

This time, Gennifer's scream was even more piercing.

Renee snapped out of her stupor, scrambling to usher the crowd away and close the door. The hallway erupted in chaos, guests gawking, while Cassian simply stood with his hands in his pockets, expression unreadable.

Unbeknownst to them, Sylas had just arrived and saw everything. The mischief in his eyes vanished, replaced by a dark, thunderous glare fixed on the two figures surrounded by onlookers.

Gennifer looked utterly stunned, her long neck flushed crimson, shoulders bare for all to see. It didn't take a genius to figure out what people were thinking—Gennifer, half-dressed, alone in a room with Cassian. The implications were obvious.

Suddenly, Sylas's usual nonchalance evaporated. He stood ramrod straight, jaw clenched, anger burning in his chest.

In that moment, he felt as if he were Ruby—the one being blatantly humiliated in public, right in the middle of her own marriage. If Cassian and Gennifer could so brazenly cast aside propriety in front of everyone, who knew what happened behind closed doors?

No wonder, Sylas thought bitterly, that when he first met Ruby, she'd refused to even admit she was married.

Now everything made sense.