Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 245

Chapter 245 

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Aurelia didn’t hesitate for a second. She turned Cassian down flat. “Sorry, this isn’t up for negotiation.” 

Cassian didn’t seem bothered at all. He leaned back, looking completely at ease, his voice cool and even. “Why not hear my terms first? Who knows, maybe I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse?” 

Aurelia’s gaze lingered on Cassian for a couple of seconds before her frown relaxed. “Alright, let’s talk.” 

Cassian gave a faint, mocking laugh. 

It was as if he were openly mocking her. 

Even Tessa, sitting beside him, smirked in disdain. 

Aurelia didn’t care about any of that. 

All she wanted to know was what Cassian would sacrifice for Tessa this time, and just how tempting his offer would be. 

Of course, talks like this had to happen in private. 

As Cassian stood up, he gave Tessa’s shoulder a reassuring pat. 

It was a clear gesture of comfort. “I’ll be right back.” 

Tessa played it cool, acting like she was totally secure in her relationship with Cassian. “Take your time.” 

But as Aurelia walked away, Tessa shot her a look full of contempt. 

‘So what if Benjamin likes her?‘ Tessa thought to herself. ‘She’s nobody in Cassian’s eyes! Cassian only cares about me.’ 

She’d just offhandedly mentioned wanting to break his record and become the fastest in Ashmont to take a company public, and Cassian had instantly started working his magic for her. 

He personally reached out to Raphael from Coreson, swooping in to steal the deal right before Aurelia could sign with them. 

Cassian led Aurelia into another private room, where a waiter had already brewed a fresh pot of coffee. 

On the table were several plates of delicate pastries. 

Among them was some viral cakes everyone was obsessed with a few years ago. Back then, scoring one was nearly impossible. 

Aurelia had once gone out in the middle of the night to line up at the bakery, just as a treat for the Honoria Capital team who’d been working around the clock to get the subsidiary listed. 

But since they were limited, Aurelia didn’t save any for herself. 

In the end, Elara couldn’t stand to see Aurelia miss out, so she gave her half a box. 

Aurelia tasted it, thought it was amazing, and casually mentioned it to Cassian. 

He was busy back then and never replied. 

After that, Aurelia forgot all about it, and she never had the cakes again. 

She never thought she’d run into it here, after all this time. 

10:37 Thu, Jan 1 M. 

Chapter 245 

This kind of pastry wasn’t something you’d ever find in a restaurant. It was only available from specialty bakeries. 

Clearly, Cassian had come prepared today. 

Aurelia had witnessed Cassian’s devotion to Tessa plenty of times before. 

Yet every time, she found herself surprised all over again by the lengths he’d go for her. 

Whenever Tessa wanted something, Cassian was always the first to make it happen. 

Even knowing full well it was something Aurelia had busted her ass for, Cassian would still hand it over to Tessa without a second thought. 

“Try some of these pastries,” Cassian said as she sat down. 

Aurelia stayed cool. “Let’s cut to the chase.” 

At that, Cassian’s brows lifted a little, his eyes shining with a deep, amused light, a faint smile tugging at his lips. 

“You’ve really got the capitalist spirit now,” he said. 

She was cool and collected. 

Anything that worked in her favor, she’d take. 

Aurelia gave a faint smile. “Thanks for the compliment, Mr. Locke.” 

Then Cassian got down to business. “Name your terms. As long as they’re reasonable, I’ll consider them.” 

He was all business, not wasting a single second. 

Aurelia didn’t waste any time. “I want MegaTech to have full access to everything Ascend Group’s got.” 

Cassian paused mid–sip, then let out a soft laugh. “You really don’t hold back, do you?” 

Aurelia gave a faint smile. “This is your chance to show Ms. Rowe how much you care, Mr. Locke. Don’t let it slip away.” 

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“So you got a taste of the good life last time, and now you’re not even pretending to be subtle about asking for the moon?” Cassian’s smile lingered, but it was hard to tell if it was genuine or just for show. 

Of course, Aurelia couldn’t care less. 

She took a professional tone and reminded Cassian, “After all, love comes at a higher price. Looks like you’re the one cashing in, Mr. Locke.” 

Maybe that line did the trick, because Cassian agreed in the end. 

Aurelia wasn’t surprised. 

With the deal sealed, she got to her feet, all business. “Congrats to you and Tessa. Hope you two go the distance.” 

4 

Cassian’s eyes glinted with lazy indifference, his reply offhand. “Thanks.” 

When they walked back into the private room, Tessa and Raphael were chatting away, clearly hitting it off. 

“Who would’ve thought we were classmates? That’s definitely worth a toast,” Tessa said with a bright smile. 

Raphael grinned back. “Absolutely, let’s drink to that.” 

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Chapter 245 

Cassian slid into his seat and asked, “What’s got you two so happy?” 

Tessa immediately shared, “Raphael studied at Whitvale School of Management too! We’re alumni, Cassian. Talk about a coincidence!” 

“That really is a coincidence,” Cassian said as he slid back into his seat, then turned to Tessa with a gentle reminder, “Better hold off on the drinks, okay? You haven’t been feeling great these past couple days.” 

Raphael couldn’t help but say, “I’ve always heard you two were close, but it’s great to finally see it for myself.” 

Tessa flashed a charming smile. “Hope we’re not being too much.” 

“Not at all, it’s a good thing,” Raphael replied. 

Raphael shot a look at Aurelia, clearly curious about how the negotiation had turned out. 

Aurelia was straightforward. “Mr. Marshall, maybe we’ll get another chance to work together.” 

Raphael caught on immediately. “Alright! Let’s just take this as a chance to become friends.” 

As Aurelia was about to leave, he tried to persuade her. “Ms. Corin, since you’re here, why not join us for dinner?” 

“No, thanks. I’ve got things to handle, so I’ll head out. Enjoy your meal,” Aurelia said. 

Tessa smirked triumphantly, her lips curling with satisfaction. 

Maybe Cassian had a bit of a soft spot for Aurelia once, but it never went beyond that, just a passing admiration. 

At the end of the day, Cassian only ever cared about her. 

She never saw Aurelia as a threat, not even for a second. 

***** 

with came 

Wade had no idea how he found out, but as soon as he heard Aurelia had put the InquireMind IPO on ice, he came barreling into Regal Investment, eager to get the lowdown. 

Aurelia couldn’t hide her surprise. 

‘Seriously? I just wrapped things up with Cassian yesterday, and Wade’s already in the loop? Is the grapevine on steroids or what?‘ she thought. 

She asked him straight up. 

Wade frowned and said, “You don’t even need to ask around. Everyone’s talking about it already.” 

“How’d the news get out?” Aurelia asked, having been so wrapped up in MegaTech stuff she hadn’t even glanced at the rumor mill. 

Wade just shrugged. “Everyone’s buzzing about that high–temp superconductivity project. Tessa’s been all over the scene lately. Mr. Locke’s been hooking her up with tons of contacts and dragging her to every business dinner.” 

“Ran into her myself last night. She just let slip that Coreson ditched InquireMind and went with HelixTech instead,” Wade 

said. 

That one sentence said a lot. 

Anyone at that dinner could catch the drift. 

Chapter 245 

Everyone would just figure Coreson dropped InquireMind because something was off with it. 

No wonder Wade came running to her. 

So Tessa was throwing shade at InquireMind behind the scenes, using that to hype up HelixTech. 

She had gotten some serious moves. 

“Was Mr. Locke there too?” That was all Aurelia cared about. 

Wade nodded. “Yeah, he was there.” 

Be nucfiers 

Only a few people actually knew what was going on, but when Tessa made that comment, Cassian didn’t say a word. 

Guess he was just letting her run with it. 

“InquireMind’s IPO isn’t paused. We’re just not partnering with Coreson,” Aurelia said, laying it out straight for Wade. 

Wade finally relaxed. “So InquireMind’s not in trouble?” 

“Not at all. Everything’s good with InquireMind,” Aurelia assured him. 

“Glad to hear it,” Wade said, visibly relieved all over again. 

This time, he was genuinely relieved for Aurelia. 

The next day, Aurelia flew out to Grendel City to let Zofia know that the MegaTech acquisition was moving along smoothly. 

Zofia was lying in her hospital bed, looking thin and exhausted. 

She clutched the agreement, finally nodding in satisfaction. “Thanks for everything you’ve done.” 

“It’s no trouble at all. Just focus on getting better. When MegaTech goes public, you’ll be the one up there ringing the bell,” Aurelia said with a gentle smile. 

Zofia just smiled, saying nothing in reply. 

The very next day, as soon as Aurelia touched down in Ashmont, her phone rang. It was Darren. 

His voice was hollow, tinged with a grief that words couldn’t capture. “Zofia’s gone.” 

Aurelia felt her heart drop like a stone. 

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