Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 261

She leaned in slightly, meeting Elin’s eyes squarely, and spoke each word with deliberate clarity. “If you ever speak disrespectfully to my daughter again, you’ll find I have plenty of ways to deal with it.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Elin’s mouth fell open. Staring into those cold, shadowed eyes sent a chill through her—this wasn’t an empty threat. Elin shivered, only to be immediately shielded by Ruby, who stepped between them.

“I won’t let you threaten my aunt!” Ruby said firmly. “Sister, I always thought your coldness toward Mom was because you felt I’d taken away some of her affection for you. I’ve felt guilty about it and tried so hard to make it up to you. But what has Aunt Elin ever done wrong? Even if she said something out of line, shouldn’t you, as the younger one, try to be more understanding?”

Gennifer’s words sounded almost convincing—maybe even to herself.

But Ruby didn’t bother to play along. She folded her arms, an amused smirk on her lips. “Is that story for me, or are you trying to convince yourself, Gennifer?”

Gennifer hadn’t expected Ruby to brush off her script so easily. Her face flushed, then paled, caught off guard by the rebuff.

But in the next instant, tears slid down her cheeks. “I just don’t agree with the way you treat your elders, that’s all. I never meant for you to think I had some hidden agenda.”

She sniffled, voice trembling. “Cassian…”

She lifted her eyes to the doorway, all wounded innocence.

The mention of his name made Ruby stiffen for a fraction of a second, but she recovered almost instantly, her expression icy and unyielding.

Frieda and Elin both glanced anxiously toward the door.

The man who entered wore a sharp suit, his features chiseled and tense. He’d arrived in a hurry, but his presence filled the room with an intimidating chill.

Elin’s heart thudded—so that’s what that cold aura had been. No wonder he was the wealthiest man in Quinborough; his presence alone explained it. She couldn’t help but wonder how long he’d been standing there.

Cassian took a step forward.

If Ruby’s attitude had been frosty before, now it was downright glacial. Her expression was stone, her eyes as cold and still as winter water. It was as if Cassian’s arrival had dropped the temperature in the room to absolute zero.

“If you invited them, then you can go entertain them somewhere else,” Ruby said, her voice sharp as a blade. “As long as we’re still married, I won’t have anyone I don’t want in Northridge Manor.”

Cassian froze, his gaze dark and conflicted as he locked eyes with her.

Right now, Ruby was all bristles—like a hedgehog with its spines raised.

Something twisted inside him.

He’d actually arrived a while ago, and had seen her slap Elin. By all rights, he should have scolded her for disrespecting her elders. But looking into her eyes, he realized he couldn’t bring himself to say a word against her. Strangely, he found himself on her side.

Outside, the warmth of the nursery was a stark contrast to the chaos in the hallway.

Elin, emboldened, pushed closer to Cassian, pointing to her red, swollen cheek. “Mr. Veyne, you have to stand up for me! Ruby struck me—me, her own aunt! I only came to visit because Gennifer’s in the hospital, and this is how she treats me? She even had security throw us out!”

Cassian’s gaze swept over the angry red mark on Elin’s face without a hint of sympathy. Instead, he turned to Frieda and nodded politely. “Mrs. Hawthorne.”

Frieda nodded back, her tone severe. “Cassian, Ruby really was out of line. I don’t know if her attitude’s caused you trouble. If you ever see her behaving badly, don’t hesitate to put her in her place. She won’t learn unless she gets a firm hand!”

Cassian frowned at that, but didn’t say anything.

Sylas, who had been listening in disbelief, finally couldn’t hold back.

Some mother, he thought bitterly—telling your son-in-law to discipline your daughter?

Rage burned in Sylas’s chest.

“Oh, that’s rich!” he snapped, slapping his hand on the table. “You conveniently ignore it when this old bat calls Mira a bastard, but now you’re blaming Ruby? I don’t care who you drag in here—today, Ruby did nothing wrong!”

The usual roguish grin was gone from Sylas’s face, replaced by a steely anger.