Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 21

“Drive us to the restaurant,” Cassian said. His tone was commanding, just like always–like he still thought he could summon Aurelia whenever he wanted. 

But she wasn’t the same Aurelia anymore. She wouldn’t follow his orders like before. 

She turned him down politely. “Blue Bridge isn’t far from here, Mr. Locke. You can just take a cab.” 

Cassian frowned, impatience flickering in his eyes. “Don’t forget the car you’re driving belongs to the company,” he snapped. “I decide how it’s used.” 

Aurelia suddenly lost the strength to argue. He was right. The car belonged to Honoria Capital–and Honoria Capital belonged to Cassian. 

None of it had anything to do with her, even though she’d given seven years of her life to both the company and Cassian. 

Swallowing the bitterness rising in her chest, she held out the keys to him. “Take it back.” 

She didn’t want the job anymore. She didn’t want Cassian anymore. There was no point in holding on to the 

car. 

Cassian had given her everything she had. Now, he was taking it all away the same way. 

Aurelia’s calmness caught Cassian off guard. The emptiness in her face made him pause for a second. 

For days, he’d felt like she wasn’t the same person–but he couldn’t put his finger on what had changed. 

A strange mix of irritation and unease churned inside him, as if something important was slipping away without him realizing it. 

Aurelia looked up at him. The redness in her eyes faded, replaced by a cool detachment. 

Her voice was steady, her tone distant. “Mr. Locke, if there’s anything else that belongs to you, I’ll return it later–all at once.” 

Cassian’s jaw tightened. His sharp, handsome features turned cold. “What’s this attitude supposed to mean?” 

The rain chilled the air, but it wasn’t nearly as cold as the feeling settling in Aurelia’s chest. 

Even now, Cassian still thought this was just about her attitude. 

“Whatever you think,” she said quietly. She didn’t bother to explain. When someone stopped caring, no explanation ever mattered. 

She knew too well that if explaining her pain only led to another argument, then there was nothing left to fix. Sometimes, walking away was the only answer. 

Without another word, Aurelia turned and stepped into the rain. She didn’t look back once. 

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She had wasted enough time on Cassian. Seven years were enough. 

The early winter rain was icy, but Aurelia barely felt it. Her slim figure quickly disappeared into the downpour. 

“What’s wrong with Ms. Corin?” Tessa asked, confused. 

Cassian lowered his gaze, his tone flat. “No idea. Forget it–let’s go eat.” 

He slipped off his jacket and held it over her head. “It’s not far. Come on, let’s run.” 

With Cassian shielding her, Tessa made it to the car mostly dry. Only a few drops had soaked her hair and sleeves. 

“It’s freezing out there,” she said, rubbing her arms. 

Cassian turned on the heater, thoughtful as always. 

Once she’d warmed up, Tessa started chatting again. “Ms. Corin seemed a little off today. Was she really at the hospital for a sick relative? It feels like too much of a coincidence, especially since it was the oncology department.” 

She said it lightly, but she was watching Cassian’s reaction. 

Aurelia had been with Cassian for seven years. He had never made it public, but Tessa still felt wary. She didn’t see Aurelia as competition, but she wasn’t careless either. 

She understood that a man like Cassian wouldn’t have gone without a woman all those years. She could accept whatever existed between him and Aurelia–just not after she came into the picture. 

Cassian’s face stayed impassive. “Was she? I didn’t notice.” 

Tessa smiled, relieved. 

Maybe it was because of the rain that afternoon, but Aurelia felt dizzy and feverish that night. She kept sneezing, her head heavy and aching. 

The doctor hadn’t been exaggerating–her immune system really was shot. Now, even a little wind or rain was enough to knock her down. 

Not wanting to worry Ella, Aurelia stayed outside the hospital room, sneezing quietly in the hallway. 

But she couldn’t stay away for long. She went to the pharmacy, bought some cold medicine, took it, and went back to check on her mother. 

Ella’s face was pale and colorless, her body thin and frail. The sight of her made Aurelia’s chest ache. 

For as long as she could remember, it had only ever been her and her mom. She had never met her father and didn’t even know who he was. 

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When she was little, other kids used to tease her for being fatherless. She’d come home crying, begging Ella to tell her where her dad was. 

But Ella would just pull her close and whisper, “Aurelia, you don’t need a father. Having me is enough.” 

So for Aurelia, Ella had always been her whole world. And she had to keep that world standing, no matter what. It had been true then, and it was still true now. 

The next day was Friday. Aurelia didn’t go to work, and she didn’t bother to ask for time off. 

She wasn’t thinking about the company at all. She had already decided to leave Honoria Capital, so its rules no longer mattered to her. 

Ella’s biopsy results finally came back. Thankfully, the tumor was benign. Aurelia let out a small sigh of relief. 

Connor explained that Ella’s other health issues made surgery far riskier than normal, and the expert team might not want to take such a difficult case. 

Aurelia’s heart clenched again. Even if the odds were slim, she told Connor she still wanted to try. 

Meanwhile, Miranda nervously walked into Cassian’s office with a file. 

Cassian didn’t look up. Just as she was about to leave, he asked, “Where’s Ms. Corin?” 

“She didn’t come in today,” Miranda said softly, heart pounding. 

Cassian frowned. His expression turned sharp and cold. 

Miranda froze, but Cassian said nothing more. 

Once she stepped out, Miranda let out a shaky breath and clutched her chest. That had been close. She slipped into the bathroom and quickly called Aurelia. 

“Aurelia, why didn’t you come to work today?” she whispered. 

Aurelia hesitated and asked, “Did Mr. Locke ask about me?” 

“He did, but that’s all,” Miranda said. 

Aurelia figured he’d just asked out of habit. After all, she’d been his go–to assistant for seven years. He was probably just used to having her around. 

“I’ve got a few things to deal with,” Aurelia said. “I won’t be coming in for a few days.” 

“Should I tell Mr. Locke?” Miranda asked. 

“No need,” Aurelia replied. It didn’t matter anymore. 

Because Miranda was still on the clock, they hung up after a few quick words. 

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Aurelia set her phone aside and went back to organizing the materials for the expert team. She didn’t have the energy–or the desire–to think about whether Cassian cared. 

She worked late into the night before she finally finished. 

Her neck ached. She rubbed it and checked her phone–it was past midnight. 

She’d had her phone on silent all night, and only now did she notice a message waiting. 

It was from the company group chat. Cassian had tagged her. 

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