Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 305

“Yes, yes! Mr. Blake, calm down.”

“Gennifer’s nothing but an empty-headed pretty face. Why bother getting angry over someone like her?”

...

His companions were draped around him, laughter sparkling in their eyes as they pressed more drinks into Farrar’s hands. They swayed their hips, feigning innocence, while he guffawed, slapping his bloated stomach. “You think I’d stoop to argue with a woman like her? Not a chance.”

The women giggled, laying on the flattery thick as honey.

By the time Farrar collapsed onto the couch in a drunken stupor, the room spun wildly around him, yet his mind suddenly whirred with uneasy clarity.

Was Gennifer so certain because she truly had something up her sleeve?

He’d been through more than a few lawsuits—enough to know the odds. There was almost no chance he'd win against Starseek Research Institute. So why was Gennifer so outrageously confident in victory?

His face puckered with worry, but before he could think further, the alcohol finally claimed him and he blacked out.

***

At that same moment, Ruby—who was the subject of everyone’s speculation—was jolted awake by a loud clatter.

It was as if a blindfold still covered her eyes; she couldn’t see, only listen. Echoes bounced around her, cold and metallic, making her realize she must be in a vast, empty space. Occasionally, the sound of metal rolling across concrete would echo in the darkness.

Steel pipes and concrete floors. Her mind raced, but all she found was confusion.

Where in Quinborough would you find something like this? An old factory, maybe?

Before Ruby could piece things together, footsteps approached—heavy, slow—and voices broke the silence.

“Still out cold?”

“Maybe we gave her too much of the stuff...”

“So what? If she won’t wake up, a bucket of water will fix that.”

...

Their conversation barely registered before a splash of ice-cold water hit Ruby square in the face.

She gasped, her body convulsing at the shock.

“So you were awake all along, just playing possum, huh?”

A sneering voice drew closer. Rough hands clamped around her jaw, squeezing until her teeth ached.

Maybe she’d been unconscious too long—her limbs felt like lead, and even the thought of struggling seemed impossible.

She’d met Fanny years ago for the same reason—helping people who couldn’t afford the best lawyers. Even outside Veyne & Co., she’d taken on countless pro bono cases, defending those with nowhere else to turn. Naturally, she’d made enemies. But with her reputation and the power that came from being the CEO’s wife, she’d become a symbol of justice in the legal world.

She just never imagined that, a year after being released from prison, everything would turn against her.

Her chest tightened, but she clenched her fists, feeling not a hint of regret.

“Revenge, then?”

Now that she understood their motive, Ruby dispensed with the guessing games. Her tone was light, almost careless, and utterly unafraid. The two men exchanged uneasy glances.

The first man snapped, unable to contain himself. He kicked her hard in the stomach. “Still think you’re some untouchable superstar attorney?”

His voice dripped with contempt, and he twisted his foot for good measure, as if determined to grind away every last trace of Ruby’s pride.

The gravel-voiced man watched from the side, frowning at the brutality, but said nothing. Instead, he studied Ruby’s face, searching for any crack in her composure.

The pain was immediate and excruciating. Something hard jabbed into her soft belly, grinding into her skin like a blade—only slower, more drawn out.

Ruby’s face drained of color. She bit down hard, refusing to let out a single cry, but a few shuddering whimpers escaped her lips anyway.

Her suffering seemed to delight her attacker, whose malicious grin only widened.

“Ruby, you and Victor go way back. All you have to do is convince him to confess—just stand up in court and say he stole the patent from Starseek Research Institute and Farrar. You do that, and we’ll let you walk out of here.”