Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 91

Earlier, she had checked her bank account. Since her account was locked, the trust funds had been refunded, and if she wanted to claim the money, she'd have to make a trip to the trust company tomorrow.

Pulling her collar a little tighter, she lay back on the bed.

As soon as the figure in white disappeared, Cassian's gaze drifted away.

"Mr. Veyne, Mr. Wallace's surgery is complete. I've heard his injuries aren't severe—he should be able to resume partnership talks in two days."

Only now did Bennett dare report the news.

So, in two days, they'd be back here again?

Cassian pressed his lips together, and Ruby's image surfaced unbidden in his mind.

She was always turned away from him, or burying her face in her arms—never once meeting his eyes.

A strange ache twisted in his chest, a feeling he couldn't name.

His hand tightened unconsciously.

She was the one who'd made mistakes. What happened at Veyne Tower hadn't been what he intended…

Irritated, he rubbed his brow.

"Change the address. Find a hotel nearby, something with a high floor," he ordered coldly.

Bennett immediately understood.

Nearby, high floor—naturally, so he'd have a clear view of wherever Mrs. Veyne was staying.

"Understood. I'll make the arrangements."

As the car drove off, the city itself seemed to drift into sleep.

Meanwhile, over at Cameron Lockridge's law office, the lights still burned.

He hadn't been able to sleep—for two nights now.

Ruby's abrupt departure was final, almost cruel.

He couldn't find her. She'd vanished, as if she were a drop of water lost in a river.

Cameron sat heavily at his desk, staring at a paused video on his laptop: Ruby, kneeling at the entrance of Veyne Global Headquarters.

With a sharp snap, he closed the laptop, unable to calm the turmoil inside.

He'd tried again and again to watch it, but each time, he couldn't get through it.

Pale moonlight spilled over his face as he sat in silence. Finally, he reached under his desk for a file.

A year had passed; the folder was already dusted with gray.

The lamplight flickered over his face. His slender fingers pressed into the paper, leaving a deep crease.

With a sigh, Cameron unlocked his tablet and started searching for Cassian's recent whereabouts.

The top headline: "The Wallace Group and Veyne & Co. Nearing Partnership."

He clicked in, skimming the article until his gaze landed on the meeting location: The Summit Grand.

He stood, switched off the desk lamp, and left the office in the dark.

The next morning, top floor, Veyne & Co.

"Miss Gennifer, your trust fund has already been claimed."

The message read: Tomorrow at The Summit Grand, you'll find the file you've been searching for.

A file…

Ruby's breathing quickened.

She was no longer a lawyer. The only file she could think of was the one from the disaster that had landed her in prison a year ago.

That sudden, bewildering sentence—she'd always known it wasn't an accident.

Ruby clenched her fist, her heart pounding.

Whoever had waited outside her room was just the messenger. But who was behind the note, and what did they want?

A thousand tangled thoughts spun through her mind.

She couldn't be sure whether the sender meant well. But…

She was tired of living under a false accusation.

She wasn't just Ruby anymore—she was also Mira's mother.

That gave her even more reason to fight for her reputation.

The uneasy calm of the past few days shattered two days later, when the Wallace Group and Cassian Veyne were set to meet again.

Cameron Lockridge had been waiting near Cassian's arrival spot all morning, his fingers tightening around a folder on the table.

Time crawled by, so he ordered two bottles of whiskey to pass it.

"Getting a meeting with Mr. Veyne is no easy feat."