Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 314

The man’s hands were gentle, but his words sent a chill down the spine.

It was as if Mira, upon identifying someone, could have them torn apart without hesitation.

The janitor captured on the hospital’s security footage had clearly been planted there—someone specifically assigned to keep an eye on Ruby. Which meant those people had known in advance that Ruby would be coming to the hospital. Maybe, it was even one of them who’d orchestrated Mira’s illness.

What was even stranger—although they’d tracked Ruby to the abandoned auto shop by following the janitor’s car, he was nowhere to be found among those they’d apprehended. The whole situation was shrouded in fog.

Cassian decided to see if Mira could offer any clues.

“Aunt! Sis… Sister!” Mira blurted out.

It almost seemed as if she understood, repeating those two words.

Cassian’s brow furrowed. He’d only been hoping for a lucky break—after all, Mira was just a baby. Yet the names “Aunt” and “Sister” were the same words she’d said the first time he’d asked.

Could it really mean something?

Cassian messaged Bennett, instructing him to dig into who these two people might be.

Prompted to speak, Mira’s little face scrunched up in a pout, frustration clear in her tiny features.

Cassian could only soothe her, gently patting her small shoulder.

Despite the tension in the air, the soft scent of his cologne seemed to calm Mira, and soon she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Just as she was slipping away, the small plush toy in her hand almost fell. Cassian caught it quickly and set it aside, pausing to regard the simple little bear.

Mira seemed to love it.

A teddy bear, huh? He looked away.

Had Bennett been standing there, he would have been floored; in all the years working for Mr. Veyne, he’d never seen such a gentle look in his eyes.

Cassian tucked Mira in, straightening the blanket with care, then slipped quietly from the room.

Meanwhile, Victor was storming back to the research institute, his face set in grim lines.

Ramsey trailed behind, panting and muttering, “Slow down! For heaven’s sake, slow down!”

Victor ignored him, forcing Ramsey to jog to keep up, grumbling to himself that young people today had no respect for their elders.

As soon as they reached the office, Victor turned to his assistant, all business.

“Use the institute’s official account to announce we’ve lost the lawsuit. Admit to infringing on Blake Tech Solutions.”

“What?” The assistant stared in disbelief. “How could we possibly lose? We never infringed on anything. Why should we admit to it?”

She bit her lip in frustration.

Victor’s gaze was icy. “Would you like to sit in my chair instead?”

“I can’t believe they were so smug in the first trial. Makes you feel sorry for all the lawyers who spoke up for them online!”

The comments were endless—sarcasm, ridicule, outright attacks. The flood of criticism made Victor’s temples throb.

He closed the app, forcing himself to stay calm, and searched for Fanny’s contact.

“I can help you get back into the District Court of Quinborough. Let’s meet,” he said as soon as she picked up.

There was a brief silence on the other end. “Send your location.”

Both sides dove into frantic preparations, while somewhere else, Ruby quietly woke.

She stared blankly at the stark white ceiling, pain radiating through her body, as if every limb had been torn apart. Her throat burned with dryness.

Slowly, Ruby shifted, finally taking in her surroundings.

A hospital room. Outside the large window, night shadows swayed in the faint light—branches moving in the breeze.

Her heart began to steady, but memories crashed back in a tidal wave.

She’d been blindfolded, unable to see anything, but the sounds lingered—laughter, crude and leering, and the heavy shadow that had fallen over her, threatening to suffocate her. The terror had almost become a living nightmare.

Ruby’s heart clenched, and then, at last, a new image formed in her mind.

Cassian, breaking through the darkness, had kicked open the door and driven away the looming figure.