Burn Me Once Burn With Me (Ruby Grayson) novel Chapter 177

Cassian clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening.

His own nephew and his own wife—he couldn't even recall when they'd first met.

How was it that she and Sylas could seem like kindred spirits, so effortlessly close, while he and Gennifer couldn't make it through a routine work conversation without her turning cold and sarcastic?

The company's crisis might have a solution, but Cassian found no relief in that. If anything, his mood only darkened.

That night, while Bennett was already deep asleep, Cassian sent him a terse message: investigate when those two first met, and everything about how they'd interacted since.

As soon as he hit send, he gripped his phone so hard his palms burned, his eyes bloodshot as he trudged back to his bedroom.

The room was pitch black, though the light switch was right by the door. Still, Cassian insisted on feeling his way through the gloom to the bed.

His long fingers swept across the nightstand until they found a petal-shaped button. He pressed it. Finally, the room glowed with warmth.

His gaze fell, as if by instinct, on the flower-shaped lamp by the bed—a lamp that hadn't been used in ages.

The room Ruby and Mira slept in now had been specially prepared for them. But before that…

Cassian's lips parted, but the words caught in his throat.

Every trace of Ruby had been cleared from this house—except for that lamp, sitting there, gathering dust.

Cassian's eyes lingered on it, telling himself it was just a discarded relic. Yet, somehow, the lamp looked exactly as it had the day Ruby left: spotless. Even the lampshade, notorious for collecting dust, looked freshly cleaned.

He tore his gaze away and let himself fall onto the enormous bed.

The mattress was vast—and cold.

Maybe it was the emptiness.

Cassian was always a disciplined sleeper, never sprawling, even on a bed big enough for a dozen people. He'd stay on his side, never venturing from the spot where he'd lain down.

But tonight, some impulse made him reach across the bed, only to meet chilly, empty sheets.

The cold seemed to seep right into his chest.

He had no idea when he finally drifted off. The sun was well up before Bennett's call roused him.

Half-awake, Cassian answered. Bennett's voice, brimming with excitement, came through: "Mr. Veyne! I let Mrs. Veyne know that Victor's agreed to meet her. He's arriving in Quinborough this afternoon, and I hear he's bringing the draft we've been waiting for."

The work news jolted Cassian fully awake.

"Get ready. We'll meet him at the airport this afternoon."

Cassian put on a fresh suit and called for the driver, hurrying to the office.

Ruby, hearing the commotion, watched from the window as the familiar Maybach sped away.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify