Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 535

So when Fanny and Hayley stepped out of the office, they asked twice if Ruby was around.

Both of their faces were clouded with concern.

“Maybe that’s it. At least for me, I do wish you’d spare a little more of your attention for me, even with everything else on your plate.”

Sylas spoke with disarming candor.

Ruby hadn’t expected him to say that at all. Embarrassed and annoyed, she could only shoot him a half-playful glare. “I’m being serious here.”

“So am I,” Sylas replied, giving her a small nod. But as soon as he noticed the stiffness in her cheeks, he quickly changed the subject. “You just got back from Stormhaven a couple of days ago, and as soon as you landed in Quinborough, you headed straight to the Grayson estate. You’ve barely had a moment to breathe, always running around trying to sort out the Grayson family’s mess. No wonder they’re worried about you.”

“We’ll settle those old scores and grudges,” he added, watching her carefully. “But Ruby, you’ve started a new life now. If you keep drowning in the pain of the past—”

He held her gaze, steady and sincere.

For a moment, it struck Ruby how odd it was—a younger man, speaking to her with such calm and conviction, trying to comfort her.

She cleared her throat. “It’s all in the past. Maybe I should listen to them and spend some time with Mira tonight.”

With that, she stood, turning away from Sylas to grab her bag hanging by the door.

But Sylas was faster. He snatched it first, holding it out to her. “Let me drive you.”

Ruby barely had time to protest before Sylas reached for her hand and, without another word, led her out of the office.

Her surprise faded into acceptance as she glanced from Sylas’s determined face down to their interlocked hands.

No matter how much Ruby tried to pull away, Sylas didn’t slow down. If anything, the grin on his lips grew even more mischievous.

They half-jogged together to the underground garage.

When they stopped beside his car, Ruby, panting, glared at Sylas and delivered a pointed stomp to his shoe.

A smudge appeared on the otherwise pristine, designer leather.

“Ow,” Sylas said, watching her antics with a smile that only widened. He didn’t try to stop her or look remotely upset—if anything, he seemed delighted to let her take it out on him.

Seeing him like that, Ruby’s irritation fizzled. She averted her eyes, opened the car door, and slid into the back seat.

“Oh, poor front seat,” Sylas lamented with an exaggerated sigh, then slipped into the driver’s side.

“Hurry up, Mira will be up from her nap soon,” Ruby urged from the back.

“Yes, ma’am—anything you say, Ms. Grayson.” Sylas replied, his voice warm and teasing as he started the engine.

A vague ache twisted in his chest as he watched her.

“I’ll send you the location,” Ruby said, but Sylas gave no response.

She noticed the change, glancing up to meet his troubled eyes in the mirror.

Sylas looked away almost immediately, steering them toward the outskirts of the city.

“You—” Ruby started, but the half-open window let in a rush of wind, scattering her words.

Not long after they left, a thin haze of smoke drifted up in the underground garage.

A pair of black leather shoes emerged from the shadows, followed by long legs and a straight-backed figure.

He stubbed out the cigarette, crushing it under his heel with cold finality.

Unlocking his phone, the first thing he saw was his message thread with Ruby, still open on the screen.