Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 423

“Of course it matters—she’s going to be your niece-in-law one day. Honestly, it’s you, Uncle, who won’t have anything to do with her.”

Sylas shot back with a sneer, almost as if he was determined to vent all his earlier frustration in one go.

He tossed out that final stinging remark and stormed out of the car, slamming the door so hard the entire vehicle shuddered.

The air inside dropped to near freezing, and Bennett sat there, feeling like he was sitting on a bed of nails.

“Ca—”

He started to speak, voice tentative, the back of his shirt already soaked through with cold sweat.

Cassian’s jaw was locked tight. After a long moment, he finally let his eyes drop, lifting a hand to massage his temples in irritation.

“Have the Cunningham family call Sylas and remind him again.”

He let out a low, bitter laugh, the edge in his voice unmistakable.

Wiping his brow, Bennett hurried to carry out the order, still replaying the verbal sparring match in his mind. To think—two men whose very names could shake the city, yet when they bickered, it was like listening to a pair of boastful schoolboys. Not that he’d ever dare say that out loud.

Hunching his shoulders, Bennett slipped outside to make the call, while Cassian straightened his suit and stepped out of the car.

He was dressed in a dark navy suit, the gold embroidery on his tie catching the light, and the whole ensemble made him look every bit the old-world European aristocrat—elegant, untouchable.

Meanwhile, Sylas had just hung up on yet another call, annoyance written all over his face as he searched for Ruby amid the crowd, as if she were the antidote to the storm swirling in his mind.

Thankfully, her fuchsia dress stood out like a beacon.

Sylas was about to rush toward her when he caught sight of Cassian already at Ruby’s side.

“Did you skip breakfast?” Cassian asked, his tone gentle but his eyes filled with concern. He’d been there for a while, waiting in the car, and had watched Sylas and Ruby head straight for the snack table together.

“I have someone in the car who can make you some nourishing soup,” he offered, voice low and sincere.

The two of them, recently divorced, together in public for the first time, drew an immediate barrage of camera flashes. Every reporter within sight had their lens trained on the pair, eager to capture even the slightest interaction.

“No need,” Ruby replied, taking a step back and putting distance between herself and Cassian.

As the faint scent of her perfume drifted away, Cassian’s eyes dimmed, the words “Do you really want nothing to do with me?” hovering on his lips. But before he could speak, Sylas appeared out of nowhere and took Ruby’s hand.

“I heard Hanley tracked down the staff from the funeral home that handled Violet’s cremation all those years ago, plus the doctors and nurses who treated her. Let me take you to meet them,” Sylas said, his gaze intent on Ruby, a note of urgency in his voice.

Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling that the air was charged with tension.

With Sylas on her left and Cassian on her right, the three of them formed a perfect triangle, each man’s eyes fixed on her. The situation was becoming more awkward by the second.

Ruby understood all too well and could only smile in response. It seemed she’d merely traded one awkward situation for another.

“Ruby!”

A shrill female voice cut through the room, sharp and accusing.

Everyone in Ruby’s orbit turned to look.

Gennifer stood at a distance, dressed in a simple white dress, a modest white flower pinned in her hair. She glared at Ruby, radiating hostility.

Her arrival scattered whatever simmering tensions lingered among the various groups, and almost by instinct, people edged Ruby further back from the brewing confrontation.

But Ruby stepped forward.

Gennifer strode up to her, their eyes locking. Ruby was taller, so their standoff had an unmistakable air of dominance.

Gennifer tried to mask her unease and pressed her attack. “Ruby, what is the meaning of this? Did you bring this crowd here to disrupt my mother’s funeral? Even if you never accepted her, you could at least show some respect for the dead!”

Her gaze lingered disapprovingly on Townsend, Ruby, Fanny, and Hayley, though she barely glanced at Sylas and the others.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I went out of my way to pick out this shade of purple. It’s this season’s hottest trend—impossible to get your hands on. Are you questioning my taste?” Townsend shot back, hands on his hips, more than ready to defend his fashion choices.