Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 285

The person on the other end seemed surprised she’d called first. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Cloud, should we consider the public’s demands? The Vertex Quarter’s stock took a nosedive today, and tomorrow’s likely to be even worse.”

“That’s right, Mr. Cloud. We can’t just keep silent. If we keep ignoring this, people are only going to get angrier.”

“Mr. Cloud, C Collective has a whole roster of designers. Since we’re a profit-driven company, shouldn’t we be putting our interests first?”

Before Ruby could respond, several anxious voices jostled to speak over each other.

“Enough!”

A sharp slap on the table echoed through the speaker, and the line fell silent.

Ruby’s brow twitched. She had never seen Garrison so furious.

“Sorry,” his voice softened, dropping to a lower register as he apologized to her.

She didn’t quite know how to feel, so she simply shook her head, lips pressed tightly together.

“If C Collective can’t survive a crisis like this,” Garrison said, voice rising with a quiet authority, “then maybe it doesn’t deserve to survive at all.”

The words struck Ruby right in the chest. On the surface, it sounded like a warning to the staff, but she could tell he was really trying to reassure himself.

Ruby lowered her gaze. “I’ll deal with it as quickly as I can. I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused everyone.”

The line went dead with a series of short beeps. Garrison stared at his phone for a long moment.

“Meeting adjourned.” His tone was cold, a rare chill settling over him as he stood.

Farrar couldn’t accept the verdict. Almost immediately, he stormed into Gennifer’s office.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the top attorney in Quinborough? How could you lose this case? Do you know how much I paid you—way more than anyone else! And you promised me, swore up and down, that there’d be no problem! What do you have to say for yourself?”

Farrar’s tirade echoed through the reception area. Gennifer, who’d rushed down to manage the situation, looked furious and pale.

Truthfully, she wasn’t considered the absolute best in her field, but she’d always had a reliable sense of judgment. Both she and her mentor had thought Farrar’s case was a sure win. How had it all gone so wrong?

Her mind raced, but she forced herself to keep her tone calm, trying to soothe Farrar. “Please, Mr. Farrar, let’s discuss this in my office. I promise I’ll do everything I can to help. Why don’t we step inside?”

She glanced nervously at the lobby, where morning rush hour had filled the building with employees. Curious eyes were beginning to turn their way.

“Right here’s fine!” Farrar barked, refusing to budge. “Let everyone see what a fraud this so-called top attorney really is!”