Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 298

How could it possibly be Cassian?

How could it ever be Cassian?

Gennifer’s hands wouldn’t stop trembling, Morgan’s taunting voice still ringing in her ears.

“Gennifer, you go on and on about how much Cassian means to you, but the moment Ruby walks in, he doesn’t spare you a second glance.”

“Compared to Ruby, you’re just not good enough. No, you don’t even deserve to be compared to her.”

“Shut up!”

The crash and clatter of things being thrown echoed from Gennifer’s end of the line, but Morgan only laughed, his voice dropping lower, wrapping around her like a cold, poisonous mist.

Losing to Ruby felt like a torrential downpour, washing away every last shred of Gennifer’s pride.

“Beeep—”

The call was abruptly cut off.

Morgan’s name flashed on the brightly lit phone screen, stinging Gennifer’s face like a slap she couldn’t dodge—hot, humiliating, impossible to ignore.

“Ruby? There’s no way I could lose to Ruby!”

Gennifer clenched her phone so tightly her sharp manicured nails dug into her palm, carving red marks deep into her skin.

Ever since she’d been brought to the Grayson family, she’d always stood above Ruby. Even their mother favored her, spoiled her. How could she possibly lose to Ruby?

Biting her lip until she tasted blood, Gennifer lifted her head in stubborn defiance.

Outside, the moon had slipped behind a bank of clouds, leaving the sky as dim and closed off as her own heart.

Meanwhile, Morgan’s smile faded the moment he hung up. His lips flattened into a cold, merciless line as he looked down at his now-blank phone screen.

He wasn’t so childish as to torment Gennifer just to amuse himself. He simply knew where her weak spots were—and sometimes, a harsh dose of reality was necessary.

It had already been two or three months since Ruby was released.

But Ruby kept her distance. Every attempt Morgan made to see her had ended in failure. All he could do was follow her from afar, tracking her movements and well-being by other means.

And all the while, more and more people were gathering around her…

Morgan’s grip tightened, his eyes narrowing, a chill settling over him.

He’d thought that once Ruby was out—once Cassian’s misunderstanding had landed her in prison—he would finally have his chance. He was established now, respected in the city; he could take her away, live the life he’d always dreamed of.

But he never imagined she’d come to hate him so fiercely.

Grinding out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray with a ruthless twist, Morgan forced himself to stop thinking about her.

He couldn’t risk doing anything that might provoke Ruby’s anger again. That was why Gennifer became the perfect pawn.

He slid his gold-rimmed glasses off, pressing his fingers to the thin wire frames.

Irritated, he tossed them aside.

Cassian shot him a frosty glare, enough to make Bennett shiver and awkwardly clamp a hand over his own mouth.

“You… didn’t sleep at all? Are you sure you don’t want to rest first?”

Bennett watched Cassian’s face, treading carefully.

“To the office,” Cassian replied, voice cold and sharp.

Bennett dared not say another word, hastily opening the car door for him.

Meanwhile, Ruby set the bowl of warm porridge down by Mira’s bedside.

Mira’s unfocused eyes lit up at once.

Watching her little girl’s rosy tongue gently lap at the porridge, Ruby’s heart melted.

This time, the small bowl was emptied in no time.

Ruby, filled with guilt, gently wiped Mira’s lips clean—realizing just how hungry her daughter had really been.

Last night, she still didn’t know who had intervened, but public opinion online had shifted dramatically in her favor. While waiting for the porridge to cook, she’d checked the latest news; several respected legal experts had spoken up, debunking every malicious rumor that had clung to her name.

The evidence Victor had provided was from the very first design meeting at Starseek Research Institute, complete with clear video records.

It was ironic, really—Victor had returned to Quinborough to help Cassian clear up a similar mess, and before long, the same kind of trouble had landed on her own shoulders.

And now, her second court hearing with Farrar was looming ever closer.