Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 274

Ruby sidestepped just in time to avoid Gennifer’s lunge.

Gennifer’s hand swiped through empty air. She drew it back awkwardly, her glare growing more venomous. “Ruby, you really are impossible to get rid of, aren’t you?”

Ruby barely had time to shake off her daze before Gennifer’s accusations came raining down. Her face hardened, the confusion in her eyes turning to an icy calm.

“Miss Gennifer, I’d appreciate it if you could mind your manners in public,” Ruby said coolly.

Garrison stepped between them, his brow furrowed, voice edged with warning.

He was tall and imposing, his presence alone enough to douse most of Gennifer’s bravado.

But Gennifer wasn’t one to back down easily. She sneered, “Maybe you two should worry about your own behavior!”

Her eyes flicked over Ruby, sizing her up with a flash of jealousy. If it weren’t for that face—so distractingly beautiful—Gennifer might have mistaken her for some pampered trust fund princess in those clothes.

“Ruby, you’re still married to Cassian, and here you are parading around a nursing home with some older man. What exactly are you after? Can’t wait to move on?”

The insult was sharp, and Ruby’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

That’s when Sarah made her move.

She lunged like a little wild animal, headbutting Gennifer right in the stomach.

Caught completely off guard, Gennifer shrieked and tumbled to the ground, panic written all over her face.

“Where’s the director?! Director! Who let this lunatic in here?” she screamed, her manicured fingers glinting in the sunlight as she jabbed them accusingly at Sarah.

The director bustled over, clutching his paunch and looking ready to faint when he saw the chaos.

His face turned thunderous, all previous courtesy toward Ruby and her group gone. “Sarah! Help Miss Gennifer up right now! Apologize to her!”

Sarah just looked up at him blankly and stayed silent, making it clear she had no intention of obeying.

The director’s face reddened, and for a moment it looked like he was about to drag Sarah over to apologize.

But Ruby stepped in, blocking his way. She stared at Gennifer with a faint, almost mocking smile. “She’s just a child. Are you really going to make such a fuss about it?”

That single “just a child” extinguished Gennifer’s fury. She had no choice but to swallow her indignation.

Seething, she let someone help her up, then shot Ruby a vicious glare. “So protective, aren’t you? Anyone watching might think this is another one of your illegitimate daughters!”

Smack—

Ruby’s slap landed hard and sharp, cutting through the surrounding noise.

Cassian’s eyes drifted to where Ruby stood beside Garrison, with Sarah between them. The three of them looked, disturbingly, like a picture-perfect family.

A chill settled over Cassian, something heavy and tight in his chest.

“Ruby, she did nothing wrong. What gives you the right to hit her?” Cassian’s gaze hardened as he stared at Ruby.

Gennifer, hearing those words—“she did nothing wrong”—all but melted, her eyes shining as she gazed up at Cassian with renewed adoration.

She even managed to throw a sly glance at the photographer she’d arranged to be present, ready to capture just the right moment for the company’s PR.

She’d never expected to run into Ruby like this, and the thought filled her with wicked satisfaction.

“If you don’t want to be hit, then keep your distance and watch your mouth,” Ruby shot back, arms crossed, her tone clipped and unyielding.

Only she knew how her fingers trembled. Gennifer was right—she’d hit her because she was being ridiculous, making a scene.

Ruby let out a cold laugh inside, even as a shadow of sorrow flickered through her eyes.

Cassian clearly hadn’t expected such a response. He looked at Ruby as if seeing her for the first time, unable to read her anymore.

Garrison, meanwhile, couldn’t help but chuckle at Ruby’s boldness. But as he looked back at Cassian and Gennifer, his amusement quickly faded.