Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 199

Images flickered through Ruby's mind like scenes from an old slide projector, playing over and over until reality snapped sharply back into focus. Her eyes flew open, and she was suddenly present again—face to face with Sylas, whose worried gaze was fixed on her.

His face overlapped with the fragments in her memory, hauntingly unchanged by the years, as if time had never touched him at all. For a heartbeat, Ruby's eyes betrayed her shock before she quickly masked it.

No wonder.

No wonder Sylas had looked at her that way the first time they met, with the kind of recognition reserved for someone impossibly important—a ghost from the past. There really was a bond between them, then.

She pressed her lips together, the flashes of memory coming in jumbled, hyper-real bursts. The moment she saw them, she knew beyond doubt: the girl in those fragments was her.

But…

She remembered the final image—a girl's cold, retreating silhouette and behind her, a desperate young man begging, his heart breaking with every word. The girl turned away, unmoved, while the boy was left in pieces.

A heavy ache struck Ruby square in the chest.

She jerked away from Sylas, voice sharp as she put distance between them. "Sylas!"

Her warning was clear, but the very sound of her voice seemed to send a shiver down Sylas's spine. His eyes burned even hotter.

"As long as Cassian and I are still married, I'm still your aunt by marriage," she said, each word like an icy blade.

It was as if she'd driven a cold steel sword straight into his heart. Silence fell between them, thick and suffocating.

Sylas's eyes filled with hurt and a dull, wounded bewilderment. Still, he lifted his gaze, searching Ruby's face for any trace of warmth or mercy. He found none.

He opened his mouth, voice barely more than a whisper. "Rue…"

The familiar nickname echoed in her mind, and Ruby bit her lip, turning away.

"Don't come looking for me again," she said quietly.

"Looking for you?" Sylas repeated, stunned.

Curiosity buzzed about the mysterious pianist.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so much for joining Cassian's celebration banquet, held in my honor. I'm truly grateful!" Gennifer's voice rang out as she took the microphone, flashing a brilliant smile. She swept off her shawl with a flourish. "Now then, let the party begin!"

As her words echoed through the hall, a collective gasp rose. Applause erupted.

Gennifer was already dressed for the occasion. Her gown shimmered with diamonds and gemstones, so lavish that under the chandelier's glow, she looked as if she wore a river of stars. All eyes turned to her, some with envy, all drawn by the sheer opulence of her dress.

But inevitably, glances drifted toward the man seated not far away on a plush sofa, sipping wine.

Cassian swirled his glass, the stem balanced delicately between his fingers. Most of his face was hidden in the shadowy corner of the hall, but his eyes—dark and stormy—stood out, almost black with brooding depth.

From where they stood, the guests could only see the sharp angle of his jaw, his impossibly handsome profile, and the way he kept glancing toward the center of the room.

It was as if he was waiting for something—or someone.