Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 299

With the heated discussions raging online, even Farrar couldn’t pull any more tricks out of his sleeve.

Gennifer had agreed to represent Farrar pro bono for the second hearing, but honestly, their odds of winning were next to none.

She was already thinking about bowing out, but Farrar—slick suit, sly grin—was the kind of shameless scoundrel that made Gennifer hesitate to turn him down outright.

Ruby, head bowed, was lost in thought, her mind racing through possibilities in the span of a few seconds.

“Auntie?”

She raised her voice, calling for the housekeeper outside.

After Ruby’s stern warning yesterday, the housekeeper kept her head lowered, clearly avoiding eye contact today.

“Don’t let anyone touch Mira. I’ll be back soon.”

Ruby’s tone was cold, a sharpness replacing her usual warmth, making her sound almost unrecognizable.

The housekeeper nodded quickly, not daring to protest.

Ruby hesitated, glancing back at Mira several times before finally leaving.

Although her name had been cleared, she had no intention of attending the second hearing—better to keep her distance. But since she now held a nominal post at the Starseek Research Institute, she figured she should help discuss the upcoming trial arrangements.

She hailed a cab, moving with swift efficiency.

With the trial nearly over, she decided that aside from her usual work, she’d spend as much time with Mira as possible.

The car sped off.

Back inside, the housekeeper lifted Mira from the bed, her eyes flickering with a clouded, unreadable emotion.

Ever since Nona had been dismissed, she’d taken over the job. Most days were uneventful, just a bit of running around before Mr. Veyne came home or putting Mira to bed. But she hadn’t expected Mr. Veyne’s wife to return from prison with a troublesome child in tow. Now, her workload had nearly doubled, and she’d been grumbling about it ever since.

“Bad! Bad!”

Mira’s tiny voice rang out, shrill with distress.

She stared at the housekeeper, flailing her little hands in protest.

A look of panic flashed across the housekeeper’s face. She quickly glanced outside, checking if anyone else had noticed.

Seeing no one, her grip didn’t loosen—in fact, her irritation seemed to grow.

She clutched Mira tighter, pressing the child’s face into her chest, blocking her nose and mouth. “Stop it!”

Mira’s wide, dark eyes bulged with fear as she let out a garbled cry.

The housekeeper’s respectful facade vanished, replaced by a chilling malice in her gaze.

Knock knock—

The sudden pounding on the door snapped her out of her frenzy, the darkness in her eyes fading.

She hurriedly set Mira back on the bed and locked the door.

Creeping to the peephole, she relaxed only when she saw it was Gennifer, then quickly let her in.

Her face was all sugary smiles. “Miss Gennifer! You’re here!”

“Who made this mess?!”

“Hey! Where’s the housekeeper?!”

“Miss Gennifer, please wait, I’m coming!”

—

The moment Ruby reached the door, she heard hurried, disgruntled voices coming from the gap in the not-quite-closed door.

The name “Gennifer” had barely left someone’s lips when Ruby’s eyes flew wide with alarm. She kicked the door open with a thunderous crash, her hand freezing on the handle.

“Ma—Madam…”

The housekeeper’s eyes were wild with terror.

Ruby was never home this early—why today?

Taking in the scene before her, Ruby nearly fainted with rage. She shoved aside anyone in her way and rushed forward.

Maybe it was the sight of her mother, but Mira’s vomiting miraculously stopped, though her cries grew even louder.

Ruby scooped her up, patting her back in a desperate attempt to comfort her, her gaze flickering anxiously to the floor.

The expensive Persian rug was stained, the mess even spreading onto the tile. Milky soup mixed with sticky lumps—Ruby realized instantly it was the porridge she’d fed Mira before leaving.

“What did you do?!”