Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 524

Frieda stared at Pearl, her fingers clenched so tightly her whole body was trembling.

“Pearl, you haven’t seen Ruby in years. You’ve only spent a couple of days together—do you really think you know her at all?”

Her words were sharp with resentment, her jaw set tight. But even as she addressed Pearl, Frieda’s eyes were locked on Ruby. “If she were really a sweet, clever girl, why would I ever choose to defend my adopted daughter over my own flesh and blood?”

Ruby stood still, expression blank, but in that moment something in her chest seemed to contract painfully.

Why?

Her pupils trembled, ever so slightly.

Pearl watched Frieda’s outburst, her brow furrowing deep with concern. She glanced at Ruby again, troubled—Frieda’s reactions were erratic, almost hysterical.

“Frieda, Ruby’s a good kid. If you show her an ounce of kindness, she’ll return it tenfold. If she feels no bond with you, if there’s distance between you, it’s because you’ve wronged her in the past.”

The family matriarch spoke up in Ruby’s defense, her voice gentle but firm.

Seeing everyone siding with Ruby, Frieda felt herself burning with humiliation. Her chest heaved, and suddenly, as if a dam had burst, she began to rant, heedless of the discomfort on everyone else’s faces. “Wronged her? She brought this on herself! Ever since Gennifer came into our lives, Ruby’s been jealous—she couldn’t stand her. But what she never cared to understand is that Gennifer’s mother died because of me. Of course I felt guilty, of course I tried to care for Gennifer. But Ruby used that as an excuse to target her at every turn! Someone so spiteful doesn’t deserve to be my daughter!”

The words were vicious, cutting deep. Sylas’s gaze instantly turned icy cold, fixed on Frieda with a dark intensity.

Perhaps she sensed the weight of his glare, because Frieda’s tirade abruptly stopped.

The air in the room became thick with tension, until Ruby quietly reached out and pressed her hand to Sylas’s arm, holding him back.

She shot him a warning look. The moment their eyes met, the wild, fierce light in Sylas’s eyes softened, his anger melting away like snow under sunlight.

“Frieda, you left the Steele family years ago—I have nothing more to say to you. I’m only here today for Ruby’s sake. Gennifer said you’ve been struggling, that your mental state was concerning, so I came to see for myself. And from what I’ve seen, she wasn’t wrong.”

The old man tapped his cane on the floor, his voice heavy with disappointment.

“Hanley, with someone as stubborn as her, now that she’s attached herself to the Steele family, do you really think she cares about staying with the Graysons?” Frieda sneered.

“Oh, I’ll stay. After all, as you said, I carry Grayson blood. I’m a Grayson whether you like it or not,” Ruby replied, her eyes narrowing, lips curling in a sly, almost feline smile—sweet, but with a hint of cunning.

Frieda stared, taken aback. She knew Ruby’s temperament well, and she hadn’t expected her to so calmly accept Hanley’s rhetoric.

Hanley’s eyebrows shot up, but he quickly covered it with a booming laugh. “Good, it’s good to admit your mistakes and do better. Let’s put all this unpleasantness behind us. Come in, everyone.”

He pushed open the door with a show of hospitality.

Frieda hesitated, resisting, her hands pressed to Hanley’s side. He gave her an awkward smile, patted her hand gently, and whispered something quietly before she finally let go.

As they entered the house, Frieda watched Ruby walk past her without a glance, and let out a cold huff.

Ruby ignored her, but Sylas, at her side, was clearly not one to let things go easily. He mimicked Ruby’s polite smile, but there was a chill behind it that made the air seem to drop a few degrees.