Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 286

Chapter 286 The Same Score 

Jasper was just about to say something when he turned and locked eyes with Cassian. 

He looked totally indifferent, his eyes seemed bottomless and impossible to read. 

Jasper felt a sudden chill on his back, and whatever he wanted to say just vanished from his mind. 

‘Right, this is a big deal. Messing around here really isn’t cool. 

‘Plus, I’m here as part of Tessa’s team. If I keep acting like an idiot, I’ll just end up making her look bad. ‘Cassian’s cold look was probably telling him the same thing, Jasper thought. 

Jasper wisely kept his mouth shut though honestly, he was still hoping to see Aurelia embarrass herself. 

“She’s taking so long to check her score, you’d think she got perfect score or something,” Karlie muttered with a scoff. 

“No one’s ever gotten one in this subject before,” Kyler replied seriously. 

Karlie shot back, “Didn’t you catch that I was making fun of her?” 

Kyler pressed his lips together, a faint, almost imperceptible smile flickering in his eyes. 

Clearly, he was backing Karlie up. 

Across the room, Elias glanced at Aurelia’s phone and called out, “255? That’s a really impressive score!” 

The office was so quiet, everyone could hear Aurelia’s score crystal clear. 

‘255? Wait, isn’t that exactly what Tessa got? What are the chances of that happening?‘ The faint smile in Kyler‘ s eyes disappeared in a flash, replaced by disbelief. 

Karlie, who’d been all snark just a moment ago, was suddenly at a loss for words. 

Even Tessa, usually cool as a cucumber, froze for a second. ‘How could this happen?‘ 

She knew better than anyone just how tough those questions were. 

There was just no way in hell Aurelia could’ve pulled off a score that high. She felt something was definitely off. 

Jasper, standing right beside her, shot Tessa a knowing look. They were clearly on the same page. 

“So, Aurelia getting all buddy–buddy with Gideon lately wasn’t just for fun, huh?” Jasper finally spoke up. Karlie rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Figures. She was just hitching a ride on Gideon’s success.” 

Kyler couldn’t help but frown, remembering how Aurelia had shown up at Stephen’s place to drop something off. 

Just then, a reporter from the financial news channel, who’d just finished setting up his gear, spoke up. “Since both of you got 255, does that mean you’re tied for first place?” 

When they first walked in, the reporters had overheard Karlie, standing next to Tessa, mention that Tessa had scored 255. 

They were pretty surprised and were already planning to focus their interview on her. But now, out of nowhere, another 255 showed up. 

The reporter asked, curiosity all over his face, “I remember Professor Horton only picks one student a year. So how will he choose this year, since both of you got the same score?” 

Kyler raised an eyebrow, sounding all casual but with a sharp undertone. “That spot should go to the one with real skills, not someone who takes shortcuts or plays dirty.” 

He didn’t drop any names, but the reporter instantly picked up on what he meant. 

Kyler was sitting with Tessa’s crew, so obvibusty, the was calling Aurelia’s score suspicious. 

Successfully unlocked! 

173 

Chapter 286 The Same Score 

The quick–thinking reporter instantly swung his camera toward Aurelia. 

Kyler had barely finished talking when Aurelia shot him a look. She instantly got what he was implying. 

She set her phone down, her voice calm but with a bite. “Kyler, you got a problem with my score? If you’ve got real proof, take it up with the officials instead of throwing shade here.” 

She sounded cool and collected, totally unfazed. 

Elias, sitting nearby, frowned and said coldly, “Kyler, watch your mouth!” 

Kyler, facing his father’s rebuke, explained tactfully, “I don’t have any proof, but Tessa’s a finance PhD from Whitvale School of Management. She’s in my department, and I’ve read her papers many times. Her skills are beyond question.” 

He paused for a moment, then shifted his tone. 

When he looked at Aurelia again, his gaze grew colder and his words turned sharp. “But as far as I know, Ms. Corin only has a bachelor’s degree, hasn’t published any papers, and even ranked dead last once during her time at school. 

“After graduation, she’s just been grinding away in the workplace. To suddenly pull off such a high score after cramming for just a couple of months? It’s pretty hard not to be suspicious.” 

Tessa caught a glimpse of Kyler’s icy look, let out a small, relaxed smile, and kept quiet. 

She could finally relax a little. 

The reporter seized the moment, pressing, “So, does that mean Ms. Corin’s score is fake?” 

Every camera and mic zeroed in on Aurelia, eager to catch every second of the drama. 

However, no matter how many cameras were on her or how hard Kyler tried to corner her, Aurelia remained totally unfazed, not even blinking an eye. 

Kyler couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for Aurelia. Even now, she was handling it like a pro. 

‘If I didn’t know the real story, I’d almost believe she actually had the chops, Kyler thought, a hint of sarcasm in his mind. 

“Ms. Corin, could you answer the question?” the reporter was not letting it up. Meanwhile, Stephen Horton had just finished reviewing all the evidence. 

He took off his glasses, glanced up at the reporter, and said, “Who told you her score was fake? Are you doubting me, or the fairness of the whole education system?” 

With Stephen’s reputation in both academia and finance, nobody in their right mind would dare question him. 

The reporter instantly switched to a respectful tone, explaining, “We were just asking based on what that gentleman said. If Professor Horton says it’s legit, then it’s legit.” 

Kyler pressed his lips together, still couldn’t wrap his head around it. ‘Why is Stephen always siding with Aurelia?‘ 

Henry, who rarely spoke, finally chimed in, “I actually know about the time Aurelia ranked last. Back then, I was still an associate professor. I never taught her, but I knew her. 

“She was always top of her class and represented the school in competitions, winning tons of awards. The only reason she ranked last was because she was sick and missed the exam. I even visited her in the hospital on the school’s behalf. 

“Everyone joked about it, calling it the fall of the top student, and some mischievous student even posted about it on the forum. It blew up, and before you knew it, the rumor that she’d ranked last just kept spreading. “And I remember, when she graduated from college, she didn’t go on to grad school. All the teachers tried to talk her into it, but she insisted on giving up her guaranteed spot, saying she wanted to help her boyfriend run his company. 

“We all felt really sorry for her. We thought she shouldn’t have given up her future for a guy. It just wasn’t worth 

2/3 

Chapter 286 The Same Score 

it!” 

Aurelia leaned back, her posture lazy as she gave Cassian a slow, narrowed look. A raspy chuckle escaped her. “Yeah, it really wasn’t worth it.” 

Tessa’s face instantly darkened, while Cassian’s light eyes were hidden beneath the shadow of his lashes, his calm almost inhuman. 

Only Elias was fuming, snapping at Kyler, “Kyler, apologize to Ms. Corin, now!” 

Kyler honestly hadn’t expected that Aurelia’s supposed last–place ranking was just a rumor. 

Still, even with all that cleared up, he didn’t believe she could really outscore Tessa. 

Tessa’s credentials and all those papers he’d read were the real deal after all. 

The reporters weren’t interested in all the back–and–forth. They only cared about one thing: who Stephen was going to pick as his student. 

“Professor Horton, with both of them scoring the same, who gets the spot? Can you tell us your decision?” one of the reporters pressed eagerly.