Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 359

Cassian’s brow was so tightly knit it looked as if a knot had formed between his eyes.

Everything that had happened moments before seemed to be tugging at some memory, trying to remind him of something crucial. Yet no matter how hard he tried to grasp it, it all slipped away like mist in the wind—there for a heartbeat, then gone.

His chest felt as if someone had set a heavy stone upon it, leaving him both stifled and confused.

He drove himself away from the office, intending to head back to Northridge Manor. But halfway home, something struck him. His eyes widened, and with a sudden, sharp twist of the steering wheel, he turned the car around and sped back toward the company.

When he arrived, Bennett was still at his desk. They ran into each other in the corridor.

“Mr. Veyne—”

Without preamble, Cassian grabbed him by the arm, his voice low and urgent. “A year ago. Did you have a woman resign from your department?”

Bennett blinked, caught completely off guard.

Why would Mr. Veyne suddenly bring up an employee from a year ago?

Perplexed but obedient, he furrowed his brow, thinking hard. “I think… there was a woman who left. She worked in the confidential division, if I remember right.”

Cassian’s grip on Bennett’s arm tightened.

“Do you remember why she left?”

“She submitted her own resignation letter. Miss Gennifer—she was new to upper management back then—helped process the paperwork for her. That’s why it stuck in my mind.”

“Gennifer?” Cassian’s tone was sharp, edged with disbelief and a trace of panic.

“Find her resignation letter. I need to see it—immediately.”

Bennett glanced up and saw the severity in Cassian’s expression. Suddenly, the weight of the situation dawned on him.

“Yes, sir!” He nodded quickly and hurried off.

Cassian remained where he was, eyes dark and brooding.

Gennifer had just been promoted at the time. She shouldn’t have even known anyone in Bennett’s department, much less handled their resignation. Why had she gotten involved?

His hands trembled slightly. He could sense the edge of some invisible barrier, as if he were about to break through to the truth.

And the more he pressed, the clearer an unsettling possibility began to take shape in his mind.

Everyone had always seemed to look at Ruby with a certain respect. If she truly was the type to steal credit for others’ work and claw her way up, would they really react that way?

With his jaw set, Cassian strode to the company’s archive, the half-complete dossier Cameron Lockridge had passed him clutched tightly in his hand.

Every employee he passed shrank away from his thunderous expression.

A storm was gathering over Veyne & Co.; the tension in the air was palpable.

—

Meanwhile, Ruby’s day was shaping up to be far less stressful. In fact, she was in such a good mood that she decided to treat Fanny and Pamela to a celebratory dinner.

They’d chosen a table by the window, where all it took was a slight turn of the head to catch the glimmer of moonlight dancing upon the water.

The three of them had barely settled in when, out of nowhere, a figure rushed over.

“Ruby, don’t get too comfortable.”

The sharp, biting words came from a woman’s lips.

Ruby frowned and looked up—and to her surprise, there stood Gennifer.

Gennifer seemed just as startled to see Ruby, but her face quickly twisted with hate.

“Comfortable? Oh, I am comfortable. And quite pleased with myself, actually.” Ruby shot her a taunting smile, flashing perfect white teeth, which only made Gennifer’s fury burn hotter.

“You won’t be so smug for long. You’ve already been thrown out of Northridge Manor. The next thing you’ll get is divorce papers from Cassian!” Gennifer’s chin lifted high, as if she were already the victor.

That’s right, she thought to herself. Ruby was just a scavenger, picking up the old woman’s scraps. What was there to be jealous of? Once Cassian cut ties, she—Gennifer—would become the wife of the wealthiest man in the city. Ruby wouldn’t even be fit to shine her shoes.

The thought made her braver, her confidence growing with every sneer.

“Oh, really?” Ruby drawled, resting her chin in her hand, the other hand dipping into her purse.

With a sharp smack, she slapped something down on the table.

“Divorce papers? I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, Gennifer. If anyone’s handing out divorce papers, it’ll be me giving them to Cassian.”