Burn Me Once Burn With Me (Ruby Grayson) novel Chapter 126

Sylas stood in the dimly lit hallway, staring at the closed door before him. For a man so used to getting his way, being shut out like this should have bruised his ego. Yet, there was no trace of annoyance on his face. Instead, his gaze dropped, lashes fluttering almost imperceptibly.

Had he forgotten who he was? Right now, in her eyes, he must look like some odd, intrusive stranger.

He tried to explain away his behavior to himself, to justify it on Ruby's behalf, but a strange bitterness crept into his chest. He really had been searching for her for so long.

He stared at the door, unwavering, letting all the feelings he'd always kept hidden flicker openly in his eyes—because the door was there, because she couldn't see.

Longing. Regret. The ache of lost time.

But it was fine. Sylas's lips curved into a faint, determined smile, the shadows in his eyes replaced by a quiet resolve. Now that he had found her, now that he knew she hadn't been doing well, there was nothing in the world that could keep him from her side. Not anymore.

His fists clenched, the tendons in his arms standing out beneath his skin.

Inside the room, Ruby's eyes were wide, heart pounding in her chest. Mira looked up at her mother, bemused by her odd reaction.

What did he mean just now?

Ruby parted her lips, still feeling the lingering warmth from where his hand had grazed her forehead—or maybe it was just her cheeks flushing bright with embarrassment.

The hallway outside had gone quiet, and slowly, her nerves settled. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she tried to process the moment that had left her utterly stunned.

Why was this happening? They'd only just met, barely more than strangers.

Confusion clouded her mind, and for a second, she couldn't help but wonder—maliciously, even—if Sylas had some hidden motive. After all, what could possibly attract a man like him to a single mom on the verge of divorce, someone whose life was in shambles? Did he really want to be… Mira's "stepdad"?

The thought sent a shiver up her spine.

If it were just a fleeting encounter, maybe she could blame her looks. She'd always known she was striking, with a cold, refined beauty, but Sylas never seemed like the type who'd be driven by desire alone. And after a year in prison—her face gaunt from hardship, her skin battered by wind and sun, a fresh scar on her cheek—she was hardly the woman she once was.

The memories weighed heavy on her, pressing down with a suffocating silence. She bit her lip, her mind racing, and found herself silently judging the man outside her door.

"I'll check on the retriever's exam results and keep you posted. Here's my number."

His voice filtered through the door, and Ruby's ears perked up at the faint sound of something being slipped underneath. She bent down and saw a folded silk handkerchief on the floor, digits scrawled across it in blue ink.

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