Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 382

Fanny relayed every bit of information she had just coaxed out of the hotel receptionist to Ruby.

At that moment, Ruby had just finished settling Mira down for a nap and was sitting at her desk.

As she listened to Fanny’s voice through the phone, her eyes grew cold.

Violet had arrived in Quinborough four months ago. There was no reason for her to stay there alone—Hanley had to be with her during that time.

He came to Quinborough several times a year, and each visit lasted well over two weeks.

A bitter, mocking smile tugged at Ruby’s lips.

She hadn’t expected Hanley to be so brazen—keeping a supposedly dead lover installed right in the heart of the city, in a downtown hotel, for all to see.

Was he so sure of his own secrecy? Or did he just think she and Frieda Steele were too blind and too stupid to ever catch on?

“I’ve sent the files to your email,” Fanny added before hanging up.

Ruby snapped back to herself and opened her laptop.

When she saw the close-up photo of Violet’s face, Ruby’s smile twisted wider, but her eyes turned to ice.

The woman who should have died at the bottom of that cliff more than a decade ago had been living in comfort all these years, and now had even managed to sneak her own illegitimate daughter into the Grayson family.

What a calculating move.

Ruby clenched her fists.

Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes, something catching her attention.

There, in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a small figure was crawling unsteadily across the carpet.

Ruby’s pupils contracted.

A child.

Violet’s child?

When the boy finally stood up straight, the high-res camera left no room for doubt—his features were a blend of Violet’s and Hanley’s: pale, delicate, and unmistakable.

A surge of indescribable fury rose in Ruby’s chest.

Those two—after all their scheming, they’d gone so far as to have another bastard child together.

Her whole body trembled, anger threatening to consume her.

It took several deep breaths before she could steady herself.

“Pamela, I need to go back to the office,” she called out.

Pamela, who had rushed back to Southgarde Estate, stood carefully at Ruby’s side, watching her struggle to regain composure. She wisely bit back her own commentary about Hanley’s shamelessness and hurried off to arrange for a driver.

Following the GPS, the driver brought Ruby to a rather unassuming office building.

“Miss Grayson.”

Ruby dismissed him and strode inside.

She was greeted by immaculate white walls, so clean they seemed untouched by dust.

Her gaze swept across the space, her thoughts hazy.

She’d only recently purchased this new office building.

She had decided to acquire The Grayson Group, but had no wish to set foot in that loathsome place—so why not carve out a new domain for herself?

“Ta-da!” Sylas announced, pushing open the door for her.

If the old men back at The Capital could see this, they’d probably blow a gasket—their golden boy, reduced to playing doorman for someone else.

The room was strikingly modern: dove-grey carpet stretched to the panoramic window, a white swivel chair sat behind a sculpted marble desk, and sheer white drapes fluttered gently in the breeze.

On the marble table, a metallic photo frame displayed a picture of Ruby—a detail so carefully chosen she recognized the designer’s touch at once.

She gazed around, suddenly overwhelmed by a rush of complicated feelings.

Sylas watched her closely, as if gauging her reaction.

“What do you think?” he asked, smiling.

“It’s beautiful. I love it,” Ruby replied, though her voice was tight, her smile a little forced.

He’d put so much thought into this, she almost felt unworthy.

Sylas’s eyes darkened for a moment, his grin softening into something deeper.

“I figured Designer Grayson would appreciate this vibe. That marble desk? Custom-ordered from a renowned artist. Check out those subtle veins in the stone—nice, right?” He lifted his chin, clearly fishing for praise.

Ruby glanced at him, half-expecting to catch some ulterior motive in his expression, but he looked so genuine she had no choice but to look away.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from outside.

They exchanged a glance, whatever tension was between them instantly forgotten, and hurried downstairs to investigate.

Hanley was standing at the door, with Frieda at his side, her face dark with fury.

“Ruby, get out here!” Hanley shouted.