Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 377

“A year ago, someone came to me—used my mother to threaten me, forced me to walk away from Veyne & Co. It wasn’t out of the blue; that same day, I’d just discovered that someone had been rifling through confidential files in the records room.”

Cassian’s features tightened, his brow shadowed with concern. Bennett, beside him, tensed up as well.

“My mother couldn’t handle being shuttled around to different hospitals anymore. After digging into things myself, I started to suspect Ruby was their target. They were after Mrs. Veyne all along.”

As Helen spoke, her words wrapped around Cassian’s heart like a net, tightening with every syllable.

He’d entertained this possibility countless times, but always shoved it away. Now, with the truth laid bare, it drained the strength from his limbs. He slumped back against his chair, gripping the armrests so tightly it seemed he might shatter the entire conspiracy with his bare hands.

“Why should I believe you?” he said, forcing back the lump in his throat, his eyes as cold as frost.

Helen didn’t flinch—she must have anticipated this.

“Ruby took care of me. I’m grateful to her, and I feel like I’ve let her down.” Helen pressed a hand to her chest, her expression heavy with guilt. “But—”

She lifted her gaze and met Cassian’s eyes, her own clear and unwavering. “After I left, I had someone leave something behind in the archives. If Mr. Veyne had ever truly wanted to investigate, I’m sure he would have found it.”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed.

“What was it?” He tried to keep his voice steady.

“The case files. The files from Ruby’s case.” Helen’s fingers curled into her palm. “After I resigned, I knew I owed Ruby, so I kept an eye on what was happening at the company. I never imagined those people’s real goal was to see her put behind bars.”

“My hands were tied by family at the time. I’ve spent the past year racked with guilt, unable to sleep. Thank you, Mr. Veyne, for giving me this chance to tell the truth today.”

Helen seemed to gather herself, standing up straighter, ignoring the weakness in her knees.

Cassian’s eyes narrowed even further. “Everyone Ruby ever helped was quietly gathering evidence for her. Cameron Lockridge even told me once that he’d given you half the case files.”

This time, Helen looked directly at Cassian. “Mr. Veyne, a year ago you didn’t trust your wife. We all knew what we did might end up being useless. But I only wanted to make things right for her. I never thought you’d come to me, a year later, asking for the truth.”

Her voice carried a trace of bittersweet resignation.

Cassian felt a surge of bitter irony. She was right—it was painfully clear how two-faced his actions had been, then and now.

“Do you know who threatened you?” His knuckles popped as he flexed his fingers in the air, a chill settling over the room.

Helen bit her lip. “I don’t know for sure. But I have a suspicion.”

“Who?”

The air grew taut with tension.

The warden flinched as the implications hit home, his eyes darting about guiltily.

“I want the entire year’s worth.”

Helen had only been able to give Cassian Gennifer’s name and a handful of clues. Now, with time on his hands, Cassian scrolled through the surveillance footage himself, determined to learn exactly what Ruby had endured during that year.

He hadn’t expected most of the clips to show Ruby being bullied and assaulted by other inmates. But something in his gut told him it wasn’t that simple, so he’d come here himself.

“This… this is the full year’s footage, isn’t it?” the warden stammered, shrinking into himself.

Cassian’s voice was glacial. “Is this all you’ve got for a year?”

Bennett stepped in, his tone sharp. “You call this a year’s worth of footage?”

At once, the bodyguards behind them stepped forward, their expressions lethal as they glared at the warden.

The warden swallowed hard. It was absurd, really—a prison warden, threatened in his own office. But one glance at the man seated before him, and all resistance fled.

“Mr. Veyne…”

“If you can’t give me the full recordings, then you and your staff can spend a year inside, filming the whole thing yourselves.” Cassian’s tone left no room for argument.