Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 81

Chapter 81 

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It was Graham from Novalen Capital. ‘He’s quick on the uptake. No wonder he’s managed to build his company into such a powerhouse, Aurelia thought. 

Aurelia picked up and exchanged a few pleasantries with him. Graham said he wanted to invest in Aurelia’s project and asked when she’d be back in Ashmont. He was eager to meet with her as soon as possible. 

He even pressed her for her return flight details, making it clear he was ready to stake out the airport if he had to. At a time like this, Aurelia wasn’t about to give him a straight answer. She just said her return flight wasn’t set yet and she’d get in touch once she was back in Ashmont. 

Before hanging up, Graham kept stressing that she had to call him the moment she got back, as he was waiting for her. 

As soon as Aurelia hung up with Graham, Sean from Synerda Group called. It showed that anyone who made it to the top had a sharp nose for business. Aurelia gave him the same old line. 

Back when she was the one chasing after their investment, they all played the big shot, snubbing her and giving her the cold shoulder. They even put her on the spot and gave her a hard time at those business dinners. 

Now, they were all lining up to talk to her, acting like they’d never treated her that way before. Aurelia didn’t mention any awkward history. She kept things diplomatic, exchanged pleasantries, and sidestepped the tough topics. 

That was just the way business worked. In the end, everyone was in it for money. 

It wasn’t just Sean. Darren from Pione Investment, too. All those investors who’d turned her down before, even the ones who’d humiliated her at business parties, were now scrambling to pitch their offers to Aurelia. They were all suddenly so polite. 

But now, Aurelia was the one running the table. She decided when the deal began and who got a seat. Aurelia had the final say. Her phone was blowing up with calls, so Aurelia just shut it down. ‘Finally, some real peace, Aurelia thought. 

Gideon burst out laughing. “Ms. Corin, do I need to start making appointments just to catch you now?” 

“Maybe,” Aurelia said with a playful nod. They exchanged a smile, both in on the joke. 

The summit went exactly as Aurelia expected; she came out ahead with plenty of gains. There were a few bumps along the way, but in the end, everything worked out perfectly. 

Tyson watched the replay and said, “Isn’t this a classic case of something working out better than you ever planned? If I’d been the one up there, it probably would’ve been way too technical and boring. The results wouldn’t have been nearly as good as this!” 

The best part was, Aurelia used Tessa’s presentation to take InquireMind to a whole new level. Aurelia couldn’t help but wonder, ‘If Jasper ever found out that his little scheme actually ended up boosting InquireMind, would he just explode on the spot?‘ 

Honestly, she’d love to see that. After the summit wrapped up, Aurelia politely turned down the organizers‘ celebration party. She’d already promised to grab a meal with Tyson. 

Gideon showed up unexpectedly, so naturally, Aurelia asked if he wanted to join them, and Gideon agreed. 

Tyson never imagined his perfectly planned confession dinner would suddenly turn into a party of three. He had no idea what to do now, and he’d already ordered flowers and a cake. If those showed up while all three of them were eating, talk 

about awkward. 

If the restaurant staff suddenly brought out the flowers and cake in front of everyone, he’d want to crawl under the table. But right now, there was no way to call it off. He’d just have to figure out a way to cancel once they got to the restaurant. 

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The three of them hopped in a cab and headed to the restaurant. Halfway there, Jasper called Gideon, noting that since he was already in Vireston, he could join them for dinner. He mentioned that Tessa and Cassian were there too, making it a perfect chance for everyone to hang out together. 

Gideon replied, “I’ve got something going on, so I’ll pass. You guys go ahead.” 

Jasper wanted to ask what could be so important that Gideon couldn’t even spare a moment to grab a meal with his childhood friend. But before Jasper could get a word in, Gideon cut him off and hung up. 

He didn’t even get a chance to say anything. Tessa and the others had just arrived at the restaurant. Seeing Jasper finish his call, Tessa asked, “When’s Gideon getting here?” 

Jasper scratched his head. “He said he’s got something going on, so he’s not coming.” 

Tessa paused, a little surprised. “Did you tell him Cassian and I are here too?” 

“Yeah, I did,” Jasper replied. 

Tessa fell silent for a moment, then just turned and walked into the restaurant without another word. The three of them had booked a private room. Maybe it was the aftermath of the summit drama, but the mood was pretty subdued. 

Even Jasper, usually a total chatterbox, was silent, just burying himself in his food. Tessa went to the restroom and, as luck would have it, ran into Gideon, who was also dining at the restaurant. 

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately called out, “Gideon.” 

Gideon glanced over, the smile that had been on his face quietly fading, replaced by a cool, indifferent expression. Still, he responded with quiet acknowledgment. 

“Jasper said you were in Vireston. I thought he was just pulling my leg, but turns out you really did show up,” Tessa said, strolling over to him. Her voice was soft, just like always. 

She kept quiet about spotting him at the summit earlier, playing it off like this was a total coincidence. “When did you get here?” she asked. 

“This afternoon,” Gideon replied. 

‘So he went straight to the summit the moment he got off the plane, Tessa thought. ‘Who did he come for? Could it really be the one I have in mind?‘ 

Tessa kept her feelings well hidden, not letting a single thing show on her face. After chatting for a moment, she said, “Since we bumped into each other, why not join us? Jasper and Cassian are both here. Everyone’s together.” 

Just because Jasper’s invitation got turned down didn’t mean Gideon would refuse her. After all, there were old ties between them. 

But Tessa was clearly giving way too much credit to whatever was left of their old connection. Gideon said, totally emotionless, “Well, I’m here with some friends. Maybe another time.” He just nodded and walked off. 

Tessa stood there for a while, stunned and not moving. She really hadn’t expected Gideon to shut her down so directly, so cold, not even trying to be polite. Instead of going back to the private room right away, Tessa walked off in the direction Gideon had gone. 

She wanted to find out who Gideon was dining with. When she saw Aurelia sitting across from Gideon, her heart sank to the bottom. ‘So Gideon turned me down just to have dinner with Aurelia?‘ Tessa thought. 

Even though Tessa did her best to compose herself before heading back to the private room, her face was still clouded with unease. Cassian wasn’t in the private room right then. Jasper explained, “He went out to answer a call.” 

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As soon as Tessa sat down, her phone started blowing up with notifications. She checked and saw it was the same group char where Jasper had shared that video. 

Liam had just posted some expense record photos in the chat, and suddenly everyone was popping up and chiming in. [Holy crap! No way! Am I seeing things?] 

[That’s Gideon! Gideon’s giving Aurelia flowers?] 

[When did these two start dating? How did we not hear a single thing about this?] 

[He gave her flowers, not roses, so it probably doesn’t mean anything, right? But seriously, where’d you get this pic?] 

Liam threw in the link to the summit’s live blog right into the chat. Tessa tapped it open and instantly saw the photos Liam had shared. 

Each shot came with a super–precise, timestamped timeline underneath. And that bouquet was the very same bunch of flowers Gideon was carrying when she ran into him at the summit entrance. 

So… Tessa thought, her head spinning. ‘Did he really come all the way to Vireston just to give Aurelia those flowers?‘ she wondered, feeling a pang in her chest. That hit made Tessa’s face fall again; she looked even more upset than before. 

As Aurelia came out of the restroom, she was startled to see someone standing in the corner. Before she could even see their face, the strong smell of cigarettes hit her. 

She frowned instinctively and glanced up, instantly recognizing the familiar figure. It was Cassian. 

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