Burn Me Once Burn With Me (Ruby Grayson) novel Chapter 538

“Alright, I understand.”

Ruby Grayson gave Gayle a slight nod, noticing how her eyes kept darting to the untouched dishes on the table.

She gestured for a waiter to box up the food, then turned to Gayle with a smile. “I hear you have a son being treated at Apex Health Institute? Was it Hanley Grayson who arranged it?”

After asking, she glanced at Cassian Veyne. “Mr. Veyne, I'm having the leftovers packed. I hope you don't mind. This meal is on me.”

Hearing her offer to pay, Cassian's brow tightened, his already tense, expressionless face darkening with displeasure.

“Whatever. Bennett has already paid.”

Ruby nodded and praised him with a smile, “Ever the gentleman, Mr. Veyne.” She turned to the waiter. “Pack everything up for this lady to take with her.”

The waiter immediately complied.

Any joy Gayle might have felt about the takeaway food vanished the moment she processed Ruby’s question. The smile on her face froze.

She looked at Ruby nervously. Though Ruby was smiling, Gayle felt an inexplicable distance from her, a chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning.

Gayle’s apprehension grew, and she clasped her hands tightly under the table, her fingers twisting together.

Ruby kept smiling, even patting Gayle’s shoulder reassuringly. “Relax,” she said gently. “I’m just asking. I have no intention of harming your child.”

Gayle glanced around the table. Cassian was cold as ice, Sylas had a roguish, almost predatory air, and by comparison, Ruby’s gaze was the softest of them all.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Bennett shot Gayle a look and cleared his throat.

“Just answer Miss Ruby's questions,” Bennett repeated.

Gayle bit her lip and mumbled with her head down, “Yes.”

“About two weeks ago, Mr. Grayson found me in Stormhaven,” she began, her voice low. “He said he could get my son into a major hospital in Quinborough for treatment. The only condition was that I had to work as a caretaker for him for a few days.”

Feeling the pressure from those around her, she made her answer unusually detailed.

Ruby nodded, her expression unreadable.

Just then, the waiter returned with the containers and began boxing up the food.

“Sir, ma’am, it's all ready.”

The table was cleared, leaving behind a small mountain of takeaway containers.

“You should take these and head back now,” Ruby said to Gayle, nudging the containers toward her.

Gayle cautiously glanced at Bennett. When he nodded, she quickly thanked Ruby and hurried away.

It wasn’t until she was outside the restaurant that she finally felt like she could breathe again, the oppressive weight on her shoulders lifting.

Gayle hailed a taxi but didn't head straight back to the apartment.

Although Hanley had repeatedly warned her not to be away from the apartment for too long, he made an exception today, granting her a two-hour window each week to visit her son at the hospital.

She wanted to bring the delicious food to her son.

Cassian met Ruby’s eyes, while his peripheral vision kept flicking toward Sylas. From what he’d gathered, it was Sylas who had brought the Steele family representatives here.

Ruby frowned at the question.

This was none of his business, and she was under no obligation to answer. Still, after asking for his help, it seemed too callous to just shut him down completely.

“Yes,” she said, picking up a file from the table. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”

As she reached for the file, Cassian’s eyes narrowed, his gaze turning sharp as a razor.

He stared intently at her slender, pale wrist, where a translucent jade bracelet rested.

The Steele family heirloom, passed down only to the chosen heir!

He looked up, his eyes, usually so cold and emotionless, turning impossibly deep, like a calm sea concealing a turbulent undercurrent.

“What did they say to you? Are they asking you to return to the Steele family?” Cassian asked, his voice laced with a rare urgency.

Ruby, her back to him, froze for a second, her brow furrowing.

Why would Cassian ask that?

She recalled where his gaze had fallen and looked down at her own wrist, her eyes landing on the jade bracelet.

Was this bracelet really just a simple, ordinary trinket, as her grandmother had claimed? If so, why did everyone’s expression change so drastically upon seeing it? If it had only been Frieda Steele who reacted, she could have dismissed it. After all, Frieda doted on Gennifer, so it was natural for her to feel jealous on Gennifer's behalf. But why would Cassian have such a strong reaction?

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