Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 201

Chapter 201 

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pull out a chair for Ms. Corin, and get her some coffee, Gideon reminded Jasper. 

Jasper, for once, bit his tongue and got up to pull out a chair for Aurelia, inviting her to sit. 

“Thanks,” Mia said, plopping down without a hint of politeness. 

‘Wow, Jasper is even pulling out the chair for me. I’m definitely sitting here. Let’s see if it feels different when he does it.‘ she thought. 

Jasper’s face turned stormy, and he was just about to lose it. 

But then it hit him. He’d gone through all this trouble just to get a shot at meeting Aurelia, and since Mia was her bestie, ticking her off was basically asking for trouble with Aurelia too. So he had to suck it up. 

He went over and pulled out a chair for Aurelia, again. 

“Thanks,” Aurelia said, sliding into the seat with cool confidence. 

Jasper didn’t waste a second. He brewed a fresh cup of coffee and poured it right away. 

Just as he was about to hand it to Aurelia, Mia reached out and took it first. 

He gritted his teeth, swallowing his frustration again. 

Mia took a sip and commented, “Nice coffee!” 

It was hard to tell if she was actually talking about the coffee or just throwing shade at him. 

Even if Mia was throwing shade, Jasper just played dumb and dutifully poured another cup for Aurelia. 

Aurelia let the coffee sit untouched, not in any rush to drink it. 

Gideon shot Jasper a look, telling him to get the ball rolling. 

Jasper quickly explained about EverMass Group wanting to team up with Regal Investment. 

Aurelia just listened, keeping her poker face and not showing what she was thinking. 

Jasper was getting nervous, glancing at Gideon several times, hoping he’d jump in and help. 

“You’ve probably heard about EverMass Group’s situation. The past couple of years have been rough, and things aren’t looking too good.” 

“Since we’re talking about this, let me ask you, Mr. Quinn, why should Regal Investment even consider working with EverMass Group in this state?” Aurelia asked, cool as ever. 

Jasper’s face fell. 

He hadn’t expected Aurelia to speak so openly about the situation. 

And the worst part was, he was the one asking for her help. 

“So, Ms. Gorin, does this mean you’re not interested in helping us out?” Jasper asked, his voice a little shaky. 

This was probably the first time in all his years that Jasper had ever had to swallow his pride and beg someone for help. 

And of all people, it had to be Aurelia, the one he’d always looked down on. 

Aurelia raised her eyes, giving him a cool, sideways look. 

Her gaze was icy cold. 

“Mr. Quinn, you may not get it. This is business. I’m here to make deals, not handouts,” Aurelia replied coolly, with the calmness of the superior. 

Jasper’s heart sank, and for a split second, embarrassment flashed across his face. 

“So what will it take for you to work with EverMass Group?” Jasper asked, his hands clenched tight on his knees. 

Since things were out in the open, Aurelia didn’t bother with pleasantries. She laid it out straight: “Regal Investment will invest in, and you will hand over management rights.” 

“No way!” Jasper blurted out, jumping to his feet. He rejected her outright, his face flushed with humiliation and fury. 

Even Gideon was caught off guard by Aurelia’s demand. 

If Aurelia’s terms went through, EverMass Group would basically be under new ownership. 

‘How is that any different from just declaring bankruptcy?‘ he thought. 

Jasper couldn’t accept it at all. He shot back at Aurelia, “That’s outrageous!” 

Aurelia’s eyes stayed calm. “I’ve laid out the terms. The choice is yours.” 

Jasper clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms and glared at Aurelia’s unflinching face, his anger bubbling up inside. 

The meal ended unhappily, and Jasper left with a cold expression on his face. 

Aurelia never even touched her coffee. 

“That’s just how he is. He needs some time to accept reality,” Gideon said, refilling Aurelia’s cup and putting in a good word for Jasper. 

Aurelia didn’t pay it any mind. She just said, “EverMass Group’s management is a real mess. Even if they manage to pull in some cash, it still might not be enough to save the company.” 

Gideon knew all too well what the real issue was, but he had his own hands full and couldn’t spare the time to fix it himself. 

That night, Jasper headed over to the hospital to check on Steven and filled him in on how things went with Aurelia today. 

Steven, who’d been lying there looking half–dead, suddenly bolted upright. “Wait, you mean Aurelia’s seriously willing to invest in EverMass Group?” 

“Yeah, but she’s going all out. She wants both equity and management,” Jasper said, frustration clear in his voice. 

“Just give it to her! Why are you even hesitating?” Steven shouted, slamming his hand on the edge of the bed, coughing so hard he could barely breathe. 

Jasper quickly handed him some water and helped him catch his breath, and Steven finally started to feel a bit 

better. 

Steven grabbed Jasper’s hand and said, “Let’s go.” 

“It’s so late, where are we even going?” Jasper asked, still a bit confused. 

“Let’s go see Aurelia! Before she changes her mind, we gotta move now! Bring me along!” Steven insisted, his voice urgent. 

Jasper glanced out at the night. “It’s very late. She’s probably fallen asleep.” 

“Then go first thing in the morning! We need to see Aurelia as soon as possible! Do you even know where she lives?” Steven urged, sounding desperate. 

Jasper shook his head. “I don’t know.” 

“Then hurry up and find out!” Steven shot back. 

With Steven hounding him, Jasper had no choice but to start asking around for Aurelia’s address. 

After racking his brain, the only person he could think of who might actually know where Aurelia lived was Cassian. 

Jasper dialed Cassian’s number, and he picked up almost right away. 

“Am I bothering you guys?” Jasper asked quietly. 

“Nope, what’s up?” Cassian replied. 

“Uh… is it okay to talk right now?” Jasper asked, sounding a bit hesitant. 

Jasper was careful not to step on any toes. He knew Tessa might not be happy if she found out he was asking about Aurelia, and he didn’t want that to mess with their relationship. So he made sure to check with Cassian first. 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Cassian replied. 

Only then did Jasper ask, “Do you know where Aurelia lives?” 

Cassian paused for a second before answering, “Yeah, I know.” 

“Can you send it to me? I need to talk to her about EverMass Group,” Jasper said. 

As soon as Cassian hung up, he shot Jasper a text with Aurelia’s address. 

Early the next morning, Steven and Jasper were already waiting downstairs at Aurelia’s place. 

Aurelia was pretty surprised. She hadn’t expected Jasper to actually show up at her place. 

Steven was way more sincere than Jasper. After years in the business world, he knew how to handle things with more finesse. 

Aurelia invited the father and son to grab a bite at a nearby breakfast spot. 

Steven looked pretty weak, so Aurelia ordered him a cup of hot milk. 

Steven held the hot milk, speaking sincerely as he opened up to Aurelia about EverMass Group’s situation. 

He added, “I accept your terms. I just have one request.” 

Aurelia said, “Speak.” 

Steven glanced at Jasper, then sighed. “I don’t have what it takes to teach him. I hope you can mentor him from now on. As for how far he gets, that’s on him.” 

After wrapping things up with Aurelia, Jasper drove Steven back to the hospital. 

The atmosphere in the car was pretty heavy. 

Steven could see Jasper was still struggling with it, so he tried to comfort him. “Don’t think of Regal Investment buying into EverMass Group as a bad thing. Actually, it’s a good thing. Neither of us is really cut out to be good managers, and that’s how EverMass Group ended up like this.” 

“Now that Aurelia’s in charge, EverMass Group finally has someone to hold it together. Just follow her lead from now on, and I can finally stop worrying,” Steven said. 

“Dad, what makes you trust Aurelia so much?” Jasper couldn’t help but ask, genuinely puzzled. 

Steven thought for a moment, then said, “When I was sorting out my own will with the lawyers recently, I heard something interesting. Mr. Locke already finalized his will, and he named just one heir.”