Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 226

In the end, Gennifer still left under the cover of thick night.

Cassian’s people worked with impressive speed. The moment Ruby woke, Northridge Manor was so quiet that only the occasional birdsong drifted through the crisp morning air. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened her bedroom door, only to find Bennett waiting outside, the morning dew still clinging to his hair.

“You—”

Ruby couldn’t hide her surprise.

Bennett, ever the consummate professional, only offered her a polite, practiced smile. “Ma’am, Mr. Veyne has gone to the office. He also asked me to report back on the matter you requested last night.”

“Oh?”

Ruby’s interest was piqued. The fog in her eyes cleared as she arched a brow.

Bennett pulled a folder from under his arm and handed it to her. “Please, have a look.”

He flipped to a page with a map and surveillance analysis of a car route, pointing to the far edge of the printout.

“You were right. The driver’s contact has secret ties to the red-light district, just as you suspected. But that’s not all. The area borders the docks—responsible for outgoing shipments. Our guess is they planned to move you out of the city, and a boat was waiting offshore to take you… This might be part of a larger trafficking operation.”

Bennett laid out the details calmly, but Ruby’s mouth fell open in shock, a chill running up her spine as the morning breeze slipped beneath her collar. Relief at having escaped was quickly replaced by unease.

Something still didn’t add up.

Everything Bennett said fit together, yet a vague sense of wrongness nagged at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something.

“How did Cassian deal with it?” she asked, trying to push aside her unease for now.

“Mr. Veyne had us report it to the authorities. All the evidence has been submitted.”

Bennett hesitated before adding, “But since it crosses state lines, there’s a good chance it’ll get swept under the rug on the other end.”

Ruby nodded. She knew Cassian had already done all he could.

She was about to go find Pamela to check on the store when Bennett stepped in her path. “Ma’am, it’s not safe for you to go out right now. The rumors online are everywhere, and after what happened to you… It’s just not safe out there.”

Bennett’s concern seemed genuine, almost anxious.

But Ruby frowned. She couldn’t help but notice the gravity in his expression, which unsettled her even more.

After waking up in the hospital, she’d briefly glanced at the news and knew that the custom C Collective gown she’d worn had caused quite a stir. But she’d been busy with her shop, and after the kidnapping, she hadn’t bothered to look at the headlines again.

If it was just ordinary gossip, Bennett—who’d worked for Cassian for years—wouldn’t be so rattled. He’d seen far worse. Why would a simple online scandal make him so tense?

Suspicious, Ruby studied Bennett, then pulled out her phone and scanned the trending news.

The deeper she scrolled, the heavier her heart became. When she saw Mira’s name appear, and the tabloids spinning wild stories, she was so furious she could hardly breathe.

“These vultures!” she spat.

They didn’t even spare a child.

Her face flushed with anger.

Nona grinned and agreed enthusiastically.

As Ruby left the store, she finally felt the weight on her shoulders lighten a little.

She knew why Nona had fallen on hard times, and wanted to help her turn things around.

Still, a faint unease lingered, as if a veil hung over her mind.

She glanced back at the store, puzzled by her own misgivings, but with no way to explain them, she simply turned and walked away.

She didn’t have time to find Pamela yet, so she texted her for an update on the renovations.

Waiting for her ride outside the store, Ruby looked up at the sky, bored and a little restless. But in the span of a single blink, a shadow suddenly fell over her, blotting out the light.

A strange, sweet scent filled her nose. Instantly, her limbs turned to lead, her body refusing to obey. Even speaking became impossible; she could only struggle weakly against someone’s grip.

She tried to cry out, but only a muffled sound escaped her.

“Who—?!”

A wave of despair swept through her. Was Bennett’s warning really going to come true so soon?

Before she could think another thought, someone’s hand clamped like a vice around her wrist.

Nona’s grocery store wasn’t exactly in a busy part of town, but it was broad daylight—Ruby’s eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn’t fathom that someone would dare snatch her right in the open.