Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 26

Chapter 26 

All the hurt and frustration Aurelia had endured over the past few days came crashing down on her like a 

giant wave. 

No matter how strong her defenses were, they crumbled in an instant. 

Her emotions took over before she could think, and all she wanted was to find Cassian and demand an explanation. 

By the time her head cleared a little, she was already standing downstairs from Cassian’s building. 

The wind was bitterly cold. She’d left in such a rush that she hadn’t even brought a coat, and the chill kept creeping down her neck. 

Since she was already there, she decided she might as well face him and talk it out. 

But just as she took out her phone, Cassian’s car pulled into the driveway. 

The headlights were so bright she couldn’t see anything at first. When her eyes adjusted, the car had already stopped neatly in its spot. 

Aurelia was about to call out his name–until she saw Tessa step out of the passenger seat, smiling brightly. 

The words caught in her throat. She couldn’t say a thing. 

Cassian got out and pulled a small pink suitcase from the trunk–it was clearly a woman’s. 

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked inside together. 

When the door finally shut, the cold seemed to sink even deeper into Aurelia’s chest. She stood there for a long time, unable to pull herself together. 

She couldn’t believe they had started living together so soon. 

But she also understood. They had loved each other for years. Now that they could finally be together out in the open, of course, they wouldn’t wait. 

People only hesitated when they didn’t care. When one loved someone, one refused to waste another second. 

In that moment, everything clicked for Aurelia—and her heart shattered completely. 

She stood in the shadows under a tree, watching the lights turn on inside Cassian’s house. A sharp pain pierced through the numbness that had been there for so long. 

She didn’t turn away from it this time. She faced it head–on. 

Once, she had given half her soul to Cassian. When he left, she had to kill that half of herself just to survive and patch together what was left piece by piece. 

18:51 Thu, Dec 18 

Chapter 26 

She forced herself to accept that Cassian simply stopped loving her. She wanted to walk away in the most painful way she could imagine. 

43 

That night, Aurelia stood in the cold wind for what felt like forever, watching the lights in Cassian’s house go from bright to dark. 

And in that long, torturous silence, so many things that once confused her finally made sense. 

***** 

Since she couldn’t get Ella a surgery slot, Aurelia started preparing to transfer her to the top cancer hospital in Talyndra City. 

But before she could finish the paperwork, Gideon called. 

He told her he had invited one of the country’s top specialists to perform a special guest surgery for Ella. 

Connor also advised her not to transfer. Ella’s condition wasn’t stable, and moving her could cause unnecessary stress that would only slow her recovery. 

He said the best choice was to wait for the expert’s arrival. 

Aurelia agreed. For the first time in days, the crushing weight on her chest felt a little lighter. 

She told Gideon she didn’t know how to thank him–that she owed him more than she could ever repay. 

After all, he had gone all the way to Talyndra City overnight just to secure the expert for Ella. She knew she could never forget that. 

“Just owe me for now. I’ll let you know when I think of something,” Gideon said. He was still at the airport, waiting for his flight. 

“What time do you land?” Aurelia asked. Since he’d done so much for her, the least she could do was treat him to a meal. 

“What? Are you going to pick me up from the airport?” Gideon teased. 

“Do you need me to?” she asked. 

“Of course,” Gideon said without hesitation. 

Aurelia smiled faintly. “Alright. Send me your flight info. I’ll be there on time.” 

**** 

That afternoon, Miranda texted Aurelia saying she had a package waiting at the office. 

Aurelia found some time to stop by Honoria Capital. When she opened it, she saw the dress she’d ordered for the company’s celebration party. 

Back when she ordered it, she’d been full of hope. She had thought that by now, she would’ve already 

18:51 Thu, Dec 18 *** 

Chapter 26 

proposed to Cassian–that everyone at the company would know about them. 

She’d even ordered the dress as a matching couple’s set with Cassian’s suit 

She’d wanted the whole world to see their love just like Cassian now wanted everyone to see his love for 

Tessa. 

But she would never wear that dress anymore. 

Just as Aurelia finished ironing it, Cassian called, asking her to go to Vanvelle Studio to pick up a gown. 

On the way there, she couldn’t help feeling puzzled. 

She had always been the one handling Cassian’s suits for all his business events. She wondered when he started ordering clothes on his own. 

It wasn’t until she arrived that she realized how foolish she had been. 

Cassian hadn’t ordered a suit–it was a woman’s gown. And the size wasn’t hers. 

She didn’t even have to ask. She knew the dress was custom–made for Tessa. 

Then she checked the order date–and her heart sank even further. It had been placed even earlier than the one she ordered for herself. 

That meant while she’d been dreaming about proposing to Cassian, he had already been ordering a gown for 

Tessa 

Realizing that, Aurelia felt like a complete joke. 

Even though she had already forced herself to accept that Cassian’s heart belonged to someone else, this discovery still hit her like a knife to the chest. The pain was sharp, suffocating, 

She told herself it was okay. She believed that everything would be fine once she walked away from Cassian. 

Aurelia ironed the gown, hung it carefully, and printed another resignation letter. She placed it on Cassian’s desk right as the workday ended, 

She was leaving on time again. 

Miranda barely blinked this time; she seemed used to it. 

Seeing Aurelia put on fresh lipstick before leaving, she asked curiously, “Got a date tonight?” 

“Something like that,” Aurelia said, packing up her things before saying goodbye and walking out right on 

time. 

Miranda stayed late to finish her tasks. Halfway through, the phone on her desk rang. 

“Where’s Ms. Corin?” Cassian asked. 

18:51 Thu, Dec 18 

Chapter 26 

“She’s gone for the day,” Miranda replied. 

There was a pause. “She left already? Again?” 

Z43) 

“Yes,” Miranda said. She could hear the surprise in his voice. After all, the old Aurelia never left before him. If Cassian was still in the office, she’d stay–no matter how late it got. 

Cassian went quiet for a moment before hanging up. 

Miranda couldn’t see his face, but from his tone, it wasn’t hard to tell he was unsettled. 

The old Aurelia always had an answer ready for him. She took care of everything without him asking. 

But lately, she’d been different–distant in a way that irritated him more than he wanted to admit. 

Tessa came knocking right then, pushing the door open with a bright smile. “Cassian, are you almost done?” 

“Almost. Just a few more documents to sign,” he said. 

“I’ll wait for you then. We can have dinner together,” Tessa offered cheerfully. 

Cassian went back to his work. But when he reached the last document, his pen froze. 

It was Aurelia’s resignation letter–the second one this month. 

Cassian frowned, disbelief flickering across his face. He couldn’t believe she was still throwing a fit. 

田