Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 313

Victor’s eyes dimmed.

“I’ll come back tomorrow.”

He tossed those words over his shoulder and strode out of the room without a backward glance.

Cassian’s deep, inscrutable gaze followed him until the hospital room door clicked shut, then he calmly looked away.

“When, exactly?” he asked, voice cold as steel.

The doctor flinched under his stare and forced a smile. “If she responds well to the treatment, she should regain consciousness by early evening.”

Cassian let out a noncommittal grunt and sank back into the upholstered chair by the bedside.

His eyes drifted across Ruby’s face. Perhaps it was the pallor of her skin, but now the scar on her cheek was starkly visible.

Cassian’s gaze flickered. As if guided by something outside himself, he reached out and gently brushed his fingers along that line.

The scar felt smooth, almost unreal—like a mark drawn with a colored pencil.

“Is there any medication for this?”

The question broke the silence.

The attending doctor, following the direction of Cassian’s hand, finally noticed the scar as well. He hurriedly tugged at the sleeve of the dermatology chief.

A bespectacled middle-aged man leaned in for a closer look. “We just received a batch of imported scar treatment ointment. It should help fade this.”

Cassian waved a hand, signaling Bennett to go with them to fetch the medication.

“Take your discussion outside.”

He rubbed at his brow, exhausted.

Within moments, the room had emptied, leaving only Cassian and Ruby behind.

After a sleepless night and an entire day spent in a relentless, anxious rush, the sudden quiet was disorienting. For the first time, weariness swept over Cassian.

The faint scent of disinfectant lingered in the air, but for some reason it soothed him.

His gaze lingered on Ruby, and that feeling of peace only deepened.

He drew a trembling breath, pressing a hand to his chest, willing himself to remain steady and awake.

Cassian massaged his temples, trying to stave off the pull of sleep.

Ruby was safe now, but the people who hurt her—he’d never let them off so easily.

“Daddy!”

Mira’s face lit up the moment she spotted Cassian. She reached out her arms, wordlessly asking to be held.

That single word—“Daddy”—rang out, clear and natural.

Cassian’s heart softened. He knelt down and hugged her gently, careful not to squeeze too hard.

When Mira let go, her cherubic face fell into a tiny pout, clearly wanting more.

He ruffled her hair with a gentle hand.

“Mr. Veyne, you have such a wonderful bond with your child,” the nurse blurted out, swept up in the moment, only to instantly regret it. She ducked her head, worried she’d overstepped.

Who was she to comment on Mr. Veyne’s family affairs?

But Cassian’s lips actually quirked in the faintest of smiles, his mood visibly lighter.

“Thank you,” he said simply. “You can leave us now. I’d like a moment alone with her.”

Relieved she hadn’t incurred his wrath, the nurse slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Cassian knelt beside Mira, gently tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “Mira, do you remember who hurt you?”