Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 210

“Miss Gennifer, aren’t you heading home yet? Would you like me to call for a car?”

Bennett appeared suddenly from down the hall, an anxious, squirming baby cradled in his arms.

Mira was usually so well-behaved, but ever since Ruby fell into the water, she’d been out of sorts. Probably just missing her mother—she kept looking around, searching for her.

Bennett had been left to look after Mira. Even though there were house staff, he didn’t dare trust anyone else with Ruby’s child.

Gennifer and Bennett both flinched at his sudden arrival, but quickly smoothed over their surprise, each maintaining a façade of calm.

“I’ve called for a car. It should be here soon,” Gennifer replied, forcing a smile.

She’d originally planned to spend the night at Northridge Manor, but Bennett’s words made it clear—Cassian had never intended for her to stay over.

A hot wave of embarrassment washed over her, and she wished she could just disappear into the floor.

“All right, have a safe trip.”

Bennett nodded, a brief glint of coldness in his eyes before his attention returned to the little bundle in his arms. He walked away, gently rocking Mira and murmuring soothing words.

Gennifer’s gaze lingered on his retreating back, her feelings tangled. Bennett might only be Cassian’s assistant, but after years by his side, he held real influence in the company—enough that even she had to show him respect.

Yet here he was, completely at a loss, indulging Ruby’s fussy child with a tenderness that was almost foreign. It struck Gennifer as odd, even unfair. These sorts of situations seemed to follow Ruby everywhere, leaving Gennifer with a growing sense of discomfort.

Meanwhile, in the hospital room, Ruby’s consciousness slowly surfaced—only to feel as if some invisible hand was dragging her right back into the depths.

When the darkness in her mind finally cleared, she realized she’d been trapped in a bittersweet dream from long ago.

In the dream, she was doodling on her notebook when her teacher suddenly called on her, catching her completely off-guard. She instinctively glanced around, her eyes drifting to the leafy trees outside the window.

Her hesitation drew the teacher’s irritation, and he began to scold her.

“You’re disrupting the class.”

Before Ruby could respond, the boy sitting beside her—who seemed just as uninterested in the lesson—casually answered for her. His eyes were cool and unreadable, yet in the energetic hum of the classroom, they stood out with an inexplicable allure.

Ruby found herself practically drawn into those dark, fathomless eyes, but the chill she saw there left a deep impression.

After answering, the boy sat back down. Ruby wanted to say something, but he only frowned and stood up, striding out of the classroom without a backward glance.

He wore a crisp white shirt, tall and poised, his cold, distant aura somehow making him stand out even more. Ruby couldn’t help but notice how striking he looked.

What surprised her most was how he left in the middle of class, ignoring everyone. Not a single teacher or student dared to say a word.

Who was he?

A flurry of questions burst through Ruby’s mind.

From that day on, she found herself watching that extraordinary young man, sometimes by accident, sometimes by design. The innocent curiosity of a teenage girl eventually became the snare that would trap her for years to come.

Ruby let out a bitter laugh. Lying in the hospital bed, her body shifted and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

“Bennett’s looking after her at Northridge Manor,” Cassian answered, his gaze shifting as he spoke.

He didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in his eyes as he watched Ruby. She was injured, yet she hadn’t asked a single thing about herself—only about that child whose father he still hadn’t been able to identify. Mira was safe at Northridge Manor. What could possibly happen to her?

A strange, sour feeling twisted inside him.

“You should go,” Ruby said softly, finally tearing her gaze from the ceiling to look at Cassian. Her eyes were distant, as if he were nothing more than a stranger.

Cassian’s hand clenched, his tone sharp. “Ruby, do you really see me as someone you can summon and dismiss at will?”

Ruby gave him an odd look, meeting his deep, icy stare. Scenes from her dream flickered through her mind again.

Her eyes lingered on him for a heartbeat before she quickly looked away.

“Cassian, if it weren’t for you, would I even be like this?”

She gave a soft, bitter laugh, laced with mockery.

Cassian’s brow furrowed slightly.

What did he have to do with any of this?

Ruby caught the confusion in his eyes, but she was far past the point of wanting to explain.