Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 77

Posted by Adminj, ? Views, Released on December 22, 2025

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Chapter 77

Aurelia couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh at Cassian’s offhand comment.

Cassian knew damn well that Jasper was picking fights and sabotaging things on purpose.

But still, he bought Jasper’s excuses and painted Aurelia as the villain.

Aurelia didn’t buy for a second that Cassian was fooled by Jasper’s lame tricks.

Cassian just stood by, letting Jasper mess with her and humiliate her time after time.

Aurelia was so mad that her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.

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Her voice was cold as ice as she said, “Since Mr. Locke is feeling generous tonight, let’s settle at three hundred thousand dollars as compensation. What do you say?”

Before Cassian could say a word, Jasper couldn’t hold back his sarcasm toward Aurelia and said, “Are you for real? Shaking us down for cash over a laptop? Even maxed out, it wouldn’t cost anywhere close to that!”

“Then pay the top dollar,” Cassian said flatly, cutting Jasper off.

It was like Cassian figured he’d shown Aurelia enough respect, waiting for her to be smart about it and not stir up any more trouble.

After double–checking the price on his phone, Cassian handed Aurelia the check. Then, he didn’t even look back and strode

away.

‘Oh, I bet he couldn’t wait to go running off to play savior for Tessa, Aurelia scoffed to herself.

Watching Aurelia get taken down a peg, Jasper looked absolutely smug. That was what he wanted.

“Aurelia, are you seeing it clearly? Cassian doesn’t give a damn about you!” Jasper taunted, his voice dripping with contempt.

“He never did, and he never will,” Jasper pressed on, rubbing salt into the wound.

Jasper kicked the promo flyers all over the floor, grinning with open mockery. “I’ll be real with you. I wrecked your booth on purpose. What are you gonna do? And that booth spot you bent over backward for? If I say the word, it’s gone.

“So listen up, Aurelia. Next time you see me, you’d better steer clear. I’m somebody you’ll never be able to mess with, not in

this lifetime.”

Jasper’s gaze lingered on the six–thousand–dollar check, his laugh full of mockery. “This is all you’re worth, Aurelia. Compared to Tessa, you’re nothing. Cassian gave Tessa’s project without a budget cap or limits. He’s there by her side at events, introducing her to power players, pulling in resources, getting her the prime showcase spot, doing everything to launch her career to the top.

‘Aurelia, you’ve worked yourself ragged for seven years, and what did you get? Nothing. But the moment Tessa is back, Cassian hands her everything on a silver platter. She doesn’t even have to do anything, yet she can get everything you’ve been wanting.

“And you? After all those years being his loyal bootlicker and jumping through hoops, you’ve got jack to show for it. That’s the gap between you and Tessa.

“You’re not even close to being in Tessa’s league. Understand?”

Then, Jasper instantly felt a wave of satisfaction, his whole body lighter after venting.

Mon,

Chapter 77

67

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All that frustration he’d taken from Aurelia these past days? He’d finally gotten his payback, and it felt damn good.

He was eager to see Aurelia break down, waiting for her to snap.

Jasper wanted to watch her keep her head down from now on, slinking through life like a stray, too beaten to fight back.

However, instead of a meltdown, what Jasper got was a faceful of bubble tea. Aurelia tossed the entire cup right at him.

It was her idea of a “treat.”

The splash hit Jasper out of nowhere, soaking him before he even processed what was happening.

Aurelia spoke calmly before Jasper flew into a rage. “Just remember one thing: I, Aurelia Corin, don’t waste my time comparing myself to anyone.

“As for men, there’s plenty to go around. Cassian Locke? If Tessa wants him, she’s more than welcome. No big deal.

“And another thing, I’m only allergic to bad luck charms. If you admit you’re one, I’ll make sure to dodge you every time.”

“Aurelia Corin!” Jasper snapped, his face flushing with rage.

Aurelia shot him a scornful look, echoing Cassian’s earlier tone. “Whatever you lost, I’ll pay it back at the going rate.

“And don’t even think about getting greedy to gouge me. Otherwise, I’ll report you for extortion.”

Then, Aurelia flung the check Cassian had just handed her straight to Jasper.

“Taking the money would dirty my hands. That check’s right at home in the trash, Aurelia thought, her contempt clear as day.

Jasper wasn’t about to let it slide after getting humiliated like that.

However, before he could even confront Aurelia, a few security guards showed up/wanting to know what was happening.

Aurelia seized the moment, her voice cool and steady as she said, “Someone’s causing trouble.”

The guards, seasoned pros, took one look at the mess and knew exactly what was up. Without a word, they grabbed Jasper and hauled him off.

Things finally calmed down. Aurelia let out a silent sigh of relief, glad that the chaos was over.

Just as Aurelia finished straightening up the booth, Tyson rushed back holding the projector.

However, all that time and their effort had gone down the drain, thanks to Jasper stirring up trouble.

By the time they were finally set to present, most of the people at the scene had left.

Tyson felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

However, Aurelia kept her cool, even tossed him a reassuring smile. “Hey, it’s not all lost. We’ll get another chance, trust me.”

“You know how to stay positive,” Tyson said, his admiration obvious.

“I’ve been hardened by years in the workforce. Trust me, I’ve seen way tougher situations than this, which is barely a blip,” Aurelia said. Her voice was easy and relaxed.

She always recalled her struggles as if they were minor bumps in the road, never making a big deal out of them.

Listening to Aurelia, Tyson couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for her.

Chapter 77

He knew exactly how hard it was for a woman to survive in the business world.

And that knowledge made it hit even harder.

Aurelia kept busy straightening up the booth, totally unaware of what was running through Tyson’s mind.

However, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly as she replied to his question.

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Her current ability to remain calm in the face of change was entirely because Cassian never gave a damn about her previously, never bothering to check in or look out for her.

Cassian basically turned her into a wild weed that learned to thrive right in the middle of a storm.

Aurelia wasn’t some coddled greenhouse flower that fell apart in the second that life got a little rough.

Thinking about it, Aurelia glanced over at Tessa’s booth.

Cassian was still there, never leaving her side, like her personal bodyguard. He was always making sure Tessa was safe, no matter what.

By coincidence, Cassian looked up just as Aurelia’s eyes were about to turn away.

For a brief moment, their eyes met from a distance.

Then, they both looked away almost at the same time.

Jasper returned after changing into clean clothes. He was still pissed off. “Can you believe those security guards? They blamed me for the whole thing and almost threw me out! Fortunately, my dad’s got connections. Otherwise, I’d be screwed.”

Noticing that Tessa had nearly handed out all her gifts, Jasper felt smug all over again.

After all, Aurelia didn’t even get a chance to present her booth. That thought made Jasper feel even better.

“By the way, I still can’t find InquireMind anywhere,” Jasper complained. He was pissed off but hadn’t lost track of the real prize.

“Really? No luck?” Tessa asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“No. I asked a bunch of people. Nobody was paying any attention to it,” Jasper said, sounding almost frantic now.

He knew his only shot at turning his luck around depended on getting that InquireHeart deal.

Tessa tried to calm him down. “No need to rush. InquireMind is based in Ashmont, so we’ve got more chances than anyone else.”

Besides, Tessa had something even more important to focus on right now.

She’d just gotten the news that her product had made it onto the spotlight list. She was set to have a ten–minute showcase.

Tessa was busy putting together her speech. She’d decided to take the stage herself.

She even asked Cassian to go over her speech and give her some feedback.

Cassian looked it over and said, “This is kinda boring and doesn’t sound professional.”

He actually sat down and rewrote parts of it himself, making sure it sounded sharp.

Jasper watched from the sidelines, green with envy. “Cassian, when I finally hit it big and need to give a speech, think you could give mine a once–over, too?”