Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 334

Sylas didn’t answer right away. Instead, he popped open a fresh bottle of whiskey, poured himself a glass with a lazy flourish, and took a healthy swig. "Bennett was the one who reached out to me," he said at last. "He tried calling you a dozen times, but you dropped off the map."

He downed another mouthful, eyes glinting with satisfaction. Then, as if even the glass wasn’t enough, he shrugged and drank straight from the bottle.

Cassian watched Sylas’s careless antics, his frown deepening. “If you’re done, then leave,” he snapped, his tone sharp with irritation.

Sylas paused, bottle poised in midair, a teasing glint flickering in his eyes. “Uncle, looks like you’re not as drunk as you let on.”

Cassian’s fingers tightened around his own glass, then slowly relaxed. “That’s none of your business,” he shot back with a cold huff.

“But it is Ruby’s business. And anything that concerns Ruby concerns me.”

Sylas’s grin widened, wild and rakish, a reckless light dancing in his eyes.

In stark contrast, Cassian looked clouded, brooding. His dark gaze lingered on Sylas, replaying the scene at Northridge Manor that afternoon. Ruby had barely looked at him—her own husband—yet she’d invited Sylas into her room without a second thought.

He remembered, all too well, the rules Ruby had laid down when she agreed to return to Northridge Manor: Cassian was never to set foot in her room. So why was Sylas allowed in? The thought lodged in his chest, heavy and suffocating.

Cassian’s expression soured even further. “Your business? Ruby is my wife. You’re just her nephew by marriage—don’t overstep.”

Sylas laughed, undeterred. “That won’t be the case for long.”

At his words, an icy tension sliced through the room, thick enough to taste. Cassian’s jaw clenched, his steely stare locked on Sylas. Sylas didn’t back down; he held Cassian’s gaze, still lounging but with a cold glint in his eyes that matched Cassian’s intensity.

For the first time, Cassian saw Sylas’s feelings for Ruby with perfect clarity.

Cassian froze for a heartbeat, the proposal sinking in.

Sylas caught the flicker of hesitation and smiled even wider. “You’re her husband, Uncle. So—do you dare?”

He leaned in, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper, every word laced with temptation, as if the devil himself were luring Cassian into a trap.

“Alright,” Cassian agreed, surprising himself more than anyone. He knew it was a childish game, yet his chest burned with a heat he couldn’t name—anxious, maybe even hopeful.

He told himself Sylas’s little scheme was beneath him, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder—what would Ruby do? Who would she choose?

Cassian’s grip tightened on his glass. He poured himself another drink, trying to drown the swirling chaos in his mind.