Burn Me Once Burn With Me (Ruby Grayson) novel Chapter 427

As Hanley spoke, his outrage grew, his voice rising with every word. “A child like that—I’m ashamed she’s even related to me! So yes, she wasn’t wrong when she said it. Just a few days ago, we cast her out of the Grayson family!”

Ruby listened to the tirade exploding through the phone, a mix of surprise and cynical amusement flashing in her eyes. She could hardly believe it—so many facts, solid as stone, had been twisted into something entirely new just by passing through Hanley’s mouth.

Hayley was left gaping, shooting Ruby a look that was half disbelief, half dark humor. “This is really your dad?”

Even as an outsider, Hayley knew the truth about what had sent Gennifer to prison. Everyone did. It was Gennifer who’d tried—and failed—to seduce Cassian, and he’d turned the tables on her. But in Hanley’s retelling, it was suddenly Ruby, jealous and vengeful, who had brought Gennifer down.

Ruby shrugged, a silent surrender to the ridiculousness of it all.

Townsend, ever the candid one, spat onto the ground with theatrical disgust, not caring about the guests or the media surrounding them. “Already got one foot in the grave and still spouting nonsense without a shred of shame.”

At first, Garrison looked a little worried. He glanced at Ruby, but when he saw her face was calm, he relaxed and joined Fanny in offering her gentle words of comfort.

Across the room, Cassian watched Ruby. She stood surrounded by friends, leaning in to chat and laugh with them. Only now did he realize that just a year ago—when she’d still been at his side—she’d had no one but Victor Hargrove as a friend at the company. Was she happier now, without him?

He found himself balling his fists, Hanley’s irritating voice still buzzing in his ear.

Hanley was still monologuing, lost in the sound of his own self-righteousness—until a hand shot out of nowhere and snatched the microphone from his grip.

“What kind of garbage are you spewing?”

The voice boomed, commanding and unyielding.

It was Sylas, who’d vanished moments ago, now striding onto the stage with swagger, waving Hanley’s stolen microphone overhead like some kind of trophy.

Ruby stared at him, her mouth falling open in shock. “When did he get up there?”

Townsend’s reaction was even more dramatic; his eyes looked ready to pop out of his head.

“No clue,” Hayley whispered, smacking her lips.

“Sylas, just because you’re Mr. Veyne’s nephew doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!” Gennifer huffed as she hurried up the steps, trying in vain to wrestle the microphone from Sylas. But he was too tall—the more she reached, the more he teased, holding it higher, playing her like a child.

Sylas wasn’t interested in games for long. He planted his foot squarely atop the projector and declared, “All this so-called evidence is fake. Those supposed staff, those nurses and doctors—they’re just actors anyone could hire if they threw enough money around.”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify