Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 81

Ruby braced her hands against his chest. The first thing out of her mouth was—

Cassian's expression turned icy in an instant. He shot a sharp glance at Gennifer standing off to the side.

Seeing this, Gennifer pouted, her voice trembling with wounded innocence.

"If my sister didn't want to apologize to me, she didn't have to. She insisted on kneeling for two whole hours, and nothing I said could stop her. I guess she just wanted Cassian to see how pitiful she was."

Her words twisted the blame around, making it sound like Ruby was putting on a show for sympathy.

Ruby stared at her, wide-eyed, as if seeing a stranger in Gennifer's place.

Was this really the girl she'd once called her own sister?

"Bennett!" Cassian's voice cut through the tension.

Bennett quickly stepped forward to explain what had actually happened.

"It was Miss Gennifer…"

Just that one sentence completely shattered Gennifer's lie.

Gennifer's face drained of color. She stammered, "Bennett and Ruby are in this together—"

But when she met Cassian's cold, knife-edged gaze, her words died in her throat.

"Cassian, I—"

Cassian turned to Ruby, moving closer, wanting to explain.

This hadn't been his intention. He just wanted her and Gennifer to admit their faults, to knock the stubborn pride out of her, to teach her not to be so defiant—

But before he could get the words out, she cut him off.

"Get out."

Ruby's legs felt like they might give way, and it took all her strength to steady herself. But when Cassian came any closer, she found a sudden surge of will and shoved him away, hard.

Cassian staggered back a step, thrown off balance by her fury.

"Stop pretending, will you?"

Her voice was raw, strained, carrying a brittle, desperate laugh.

"Pride? What pride do I have left?"

Wasn't it you who crushed it, piece by piece?

She lifted her chin, her pale face making the pink scar across her cheek stand out even more.

Cassian's eyes flickered with shock. He tried to speak, but it was as if an invisible hand had closed around his throat. "You—"

"The apology you wanted—I've given it. Kneeling was enough, wasn't it?"

Her gaze slid sideways to where Gennifer stood, ghost-white in the corner. Then she let herself collapse weakly against Cassian, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"So now, remember what you promised."

"Who gave you the right to lay a finger on my wife?"

His voice was cold as the grave.

Gennifer's scalp prickled with dread.

Not just Cassian's anger—every eye in the room seemed to burn into her, sharp as needles.

"Cassian…" She could barely get his name out, her voice no more than a desperate whisper.

Cassian didn't so much as blink. Bennett, seeing how quickly things were spiraling, hurried to disperse the gathering employees.

In an instant, a heavy, oppressive gloom settled over Veyne & Co. Everyone walked on eggshells, afraid to even breathe too loudly.

Only Gennifer, standing at the center of it all, kept her head bowed, unable to meet anyone's gaze.

And Cassian's mind was already a thousand miles away, chasing after someone he'd just let walk out the door.

…

Outside, the scorching sunlight dulled the pain in Ruby's legs.

She had no idea what was happening inside after she left. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other, stiff and mechanical, making her way down the street.

She'd barely reached the curb to hail a cab when her phone rang.

"Miss Grayson? Mr. Lockridge is awake."