Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 22

The familiar name made Aurelia’s heart skip. But when she looked closer at the message, she let out a silent laugh at herself. 

Cassian hadn’t tagged just her–he’d tagged everyone at Honoria Capital. 

43 

The message said that to celebrate Tessa, the director of Strategic Division Three, for securing her first major project since joining the company, he was treating everyone to a two–day trip to Bluecrest Hot Springs Resort after work on Friday. 

Right below, the group chat exploded with cheers and thanks for both Cassian and Tessa. 

Aurelia knew how the world worked–people fawned over the powerful and trampled the weak. But watching it happen still left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

They’d all forgotten that the SkyPulse Company project had been hers–something she’d chased for more than half a year before finally signing it. 

Yet the credit now went to Tessa. Even Cassian had forgotten. 

Without hesitation, Aurelia left the group chat. She just wanted some peace. 

“Aurelia, why are you still awake?” Ella’s faint voice broke the silence. The dim glow from Aurelia’s phone must’ve disturbed her light sleep. 

“I’m going to bed now, Mom. You should rest too,” Aurelia said quickly, setting her phone aside and lying down on the narrow cot next to the hospital bed. 

The cot sat lower than the bed, and Aurelia had pushed it right against the bed so she could take care of Ella more easily. Ella could reach out and touch her head. 

Just like when Aurelia was little, Ella gently stroked her hair. 

In the darkness, Aurelia bit her lip to stop herself from making a sound, but tears still slipped down her cheeks. She was glad the lights were off. 

Ella’s voice was weak but steady. “Aurelia, could you ask Mr. Locke to come to the hospital?” 

Aurelia fought back the lump rising in her throat. “He’s really busy.” 

“I know,” Ella said softly. “But this is about your future. I’d still like to talk to him myself.” 

Aurelia covered her mouth, afraid the sob she was holding back might break free. 

Unaware of her daughter’s struggle, Ella went on, “I’m just worried that if something goes wrong during the surgery, I won’t have time to ask him to take care of you.” 

Aurelia reached up and held Ella’s hand. It felt icy cold. 

18:50 Thu, Dec 18 

Chapter 22 

43 

She gripped it tightly, trying to warm it with her own. Her voice trembled. “He’s been really busy lately, Mom. He’s always on business trips. I haven’t seen him in a while. 

“You know the new Honoria Capital branch just went public, so he’s swamped. They haven’t even had time for a celebration yet.” 

Ella sighed softly and said, “That’s true. Still, make sure to tell him to take care of himself, even if he’s busy. He’s young–he shouldn’t work himself into the ground.” 

“Okay, Mom. Go to sleep now,” Aurelia whispered. 

“Alright. You should sleep too,” Ella murmured. 

The cot in the hospital was hard, and Aurelia barely slept. Her mind wouldn’t stop racing. 

***** 

By early morning, she was already up, taking Ella from one test to the next. 

Connor told her the team of experts would arrive on Monday, but he wasn’t sure when. 

Aurelia made a mental note to wait at the hospital entrance that day, just in case. 

She didn’t rest all weekend. During her short breaks, she scrolled through her phone. 

Her Instagram feed was filled with photos from her colleagues‘ company trip. 

Bluecrest Hot Springs Resort–of course, they had to show it off. 

In past years, Aurelia had organized the company’s team–building trips herself. To save money, she’d always picked reasonably priced places. 

Never once had she considered something as extravagant as Bluecrest Hot Springs Resort. 

But now, to build up Tessa’s reputation, Cassian had chosen the most luxurious resort in all of Ashmont. Budget–clearly wasn’t an issue. 

He could spend whatever he wanted to make Tessa happy–but it made Aurelia’s efforts in the past look small and cheap. 

Scrolling down, she saw a comment under one of her colleagues‘ posts. 

[This is what a company trip should look like. The old ones were basically just forced labor with photo ops.] 

Another colleague replied: [Ms. Rowe is amazing–she knows how to treat people right. She’s not just beautiful and kind; she’s from a good family and studied abroad. 

[She and Mr. Locke are such a perfect match. Not like someone else who was tacky and stingy. Those team trips she planned were pathetic.] 

A minute later, the first commenter answered: [Are you drunk? Did you block her?] 

18:50 Thu, Dec 18 

Chapter 22 

When Aurelia refreshed the page, the thread was gone. Apparently, she was the “someone else” they were talking about–and she’d already been blocked. 

43 

Post after post showed Cassian and Tessa together, captured from different angles–Tessa feeding him fruit, Cassian handing her a skewer. 

By the end of the trip, neither of them appeared in any of the photos. 

In one video, someone asked, “Where are Mr. Locke and Ms. Rowe?” 

Another joked, “Come on, you know where they went. No need to spell it out.” 

A third person laughed. “Pretty sure I saw them head back to the hotel together.” 

The group burst out laughing. 

Aurelia set her phone down and forced her focus back to revising her mother’s medical summary. 

She wanted to make it as clear and persuasive as possible–anything to secure that consultation chance for 

Ella. 

***** 

Early Monday morning, Aurelia left Ella in a caregiver’s care and went to wait by the hospital’s main entrance. 

She didn’t want to miss the experts when they arrived. 

But morning turned into afternoon, and still no one came. Anxiety started to creep in. 

Then Miranda texted her, asking if she could come back to the office. Cassian was furious. 

Aurelia didn’t respond. Right now, even if the world fell apart at Honoria Capital, she had no time to care. She turned off her phone and kept waiting. 

At the company, Miranda had no choice but to face Cassian alone. Her heart was pounding as she stepped into his office. 

Cassian was already in a foul mood. When he saw Miranda, his expression darkened even more. “Where’s Aurelia?” 

“She hasn’t come in yet,” Miranda said carefully. “I messaged her, but she hasn’t replied.” 

“Then call her,” he snapped. 

Miranda quickly dialed Aurelia’s number. When the automated voice said the phone was off, her stomach dropped. 

“Her phone’s off,” she admitted. 

Cassian’s face hardened. “She’s getting bold.” His voice was cold enough to freeze the air. 

18:50 Thu, Dec 18 

Chapter 22 

:. 

Before he could say more, Tessa opened the door and walked in with a stack of papers. “Cassian, I’m here to go over the work report.” 

Seeing the tension in the room, she frowned slightly. “What’s going on?” 

“Aurelia skipped work without letting anyone know,” Cassian said flatly. 

Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s not very professional. It doesn’t set a good example: 

Miranda tried to speak up for Aurelia. “Ms. Corin must’ve had something urgent come up. You know how dedicated she’s been, Mr. Locke, She’d never miss work for no reason.” 

“If we start making exceptions based on personal feelings, what’s the point of having rules?” Tessa said smoothly, looking at Cassian with a smile. “Aurelia’s your secretary–her actions reflect directly on you. If you show favoritism, people will notice.” 

Cassian’s expression didn’t change. His tone was icy when he said, “Follow company policy. Dock her quarterly bonus. If she doesn’t show up tomorrow, she’ll be considered to have resigned.” 

Miranda froze, a chill spreading through her chest. 

AD