Burn Me Once Burn With Me (Ruby Grayson) novel Chapter 407

Ruby cleared her throat, doing her best to project the stern authority of a warden. “Let’s head back to the interrogation room.”

Sylas, for once, didn’t push her buttons. With his long strides, he actually outpaced Ruby, though he made a point of pausing every so often to let her catch up.

When they reached the interrogation room, Sylas stood aside, gesturing for Ruby to enter first. As he was about to step in after her, he paused for the briefest moment.

His gaze flickered upward, settling on a shadowed corner of the ceiling—somewhere Ruby couldn’t see. All the mischief and playfulness vanished from his eyes, replaced by a sharp, challenging glint.

He raised an eyebrow at that hidden spot, then, the faintest hint of a smirk curving his lips, stepped into the room.

Meanwhile, in the executive suite of Veyne & Co., Cassian’s attention was locked on the live surveillance feed. His fingers tensed against the desk.

That nephew of his…

“Mr. Veyne, about Mr. Cunningham—”

Bennett’s voice was tentative as he glanced at Cassian.

Cassian’s expression was a thundercloud. His jaw tightened, lips pressed into a thin line. He said nothing.

Bennett could feel the temperature in the room drop another notch. Truth be told, the office had felt icy ever since the security feed first appeared on Cassian’s screen.

He hunched his shoulders a little, inwardly sighing.

Ever since Cassian had admitted his feelings for his wife, he seemed determined to play the silent guardian. The moment he learned she’d contacted the Quinborough Police Department, he’d picked up the phone and issued just one instruction: “Do everything exactly as she requests.”

Otherwise, even with Mr. Cunningham’s prestigious status in the capital, he held little sway in Quinborough thanks to the secrecy surrounding his identity. Ruby alone would have had a hard time convincing the upper echelons of the police to cooperate.

Bennett shoved aside his own musings and focused on the surveillance.

"Miss Ruby, these are the accountability regulations sent over from Veyne & Co.," the real warden said respectfully, handing Ruby a folder. "It’s all in black and white—Gennifer is to be detained for three months."

At the mention of “three months,” Ruby’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

What Gennifer did was certainly disgraceful, but at best it amounted to “attempted” wrongdoing. Three months seemed excessive, no matter how she looked at it.

“And The Grayson Group? Any moves from them?”

Ruby didn’t dwell on it—if Cassian was furious, this kind of overreaction was understandable.

But the warden looked genuinely lost. He scratched his head. “The Grayson Group?”

The air in the interrogation room seemed to thicken. After a long moment, the warden shook his head. “No news from The Grayson Group.”

Ruby smiled faintly.

So Hanley had really abandoned Gennifer. For a man as calculating as him, it made perfect sense.

She found herself wondering—if Gennifer ever realized all her desperate waiting was for nothing, what would she feel?

Ding—

Ruby scrolled through them, nearly laughing out loud at the sharp-tongued wit of the internet:

“Hanley’s really the type to bite the hand that feeds him. How shameless can one man get?”

“Violet’s a piece of work too, pulling a vanishing act straight out of a crime thriller.”

“I don’t buy Frieda’s innocence. I’ve followed every story—honestly, the only person who deserves any sympathy is Ruby.”

Ruby’s gaze lingered on that last comment, a ripple of emotions crossing her heart.

It was true. From the moment Gennifer entered her childhood home and everything changed, to the painstaking effort it took to marry Cassian and then land herself in prison—her journey had been nothing short of harrowing.

But she was no longer that same helpless girl.

Lost in thought, Ruby’s lashes swept down, hiding her eyes.

Sylas, ever perceptive, noticed the shift in her mood. His gaze softened with a rare hint of concern—something he’d seldom shown in his carefree life.

After a moment, Ruby gathered herself and stood. “Looks like there’s work to do.”

Sylas followed without hesitation.

They had only just stepped out of the holding facility when Ruby’s phone rang again. Fanny’s voice came through, calm but urgent—

“Ruby, check your inbox. Hanley’s selling off The Grayson Group’s shares at a breakneck pace. I’ve also found out he used The Grayson Group and Frieda’s credentials to take out massive loans!”