Bones Learn To Listen When Silence Speaks by Ryn Miles 296

Chapter 296 

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After Graham left. Tessa kept a close eye on Cassian, watching for any sign of his mood. 

He was still the same old Cassian, like nothing had changed at all. 

When he noticed she’d stopped eating, he looked up at her. “Not hungry? Or is the food not your thing?” 

“No,” Tessa said, her nerves casing up a little. 

After they finished eating, Cassian had to head back to Honoria Capital for a meeting, so he dropped Tessa off at the Rowe family’s place on his way. 

As soon as she stepped inside, Karlie spotted her and exclaimed, “Back so soon? I thought you and Cassian would be out on a date all day!” 

“He just got back, and his company’s got a ton of stuff waiting for him. Honestly, I think he barely squeezed in time for breakfast with me,” Tessa said, setting down the gift Cassian had given her as she settled onto the couch. 

Karlie instantly leaned in. “That’s from Cassian, right?” 

“Yeah,” Tessa said. 

“Is it jewelry?” Karlie’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. 

“Looks like it,” Tessa replied. 

“Geez! Is it that ruby set everyone’s been talking about?” Karlie was practically bouncing with excitement, way more hyped than Tessa. 

Right then, Alina and Vanessa came downstairs too. When they heard Karlie, they rushed over, all curious to see what was up. 

When Cassian handed her the gift, Tessa couldn’t help but wonder if it was the ruby set everyone’s been talking about. 

But she quickly brushed off that thought. 

Karlie had said that ruby necklace had some special meaning. Cassian was definitely saving that for when he proposed. He didn’t pop the question today, so obviously he wouldn’t give her that. 

Tessa shared her thoughts with the others. 

Karlie looked a little disappointed, but she was still buzzing with excitement. “Maybe it’s something else super expensive. Didn’t Carlee say Cassian bought a bunch of stuff at those overseas auctions? I heard even the cheapest thing there starts at 15 million dollars!” 

Even Alina couldn’t wait any longer. “Quit teasing us and just open it already!” 

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Seeing all three of them staring at the gift box in her hands, Tessa finally gave in and opened it. 

All four of them just stared in shock for a moment when they saw what was inside the box. 

Then everyone’s face changed in their own way. 

Karlie blurted out, “No way, is that it? Just a totally ordinary necklace? Cassian really gave you this?” 

Vanessa saw Tessa’s expression and quickly tugged Karlic, giving her a look to shut up. 

Tessa’s pride took a hit. She never expected Cassian to give her something so basic. 

Compared to the gifts he used to give her, this one didn’t even come close. 

“Did Cassian mention what this was for?” Alina asked. 

“Just a business trip souvenir, I guess. He always brings me something back whenever he’s away,” Tessa replied. 

Alina’s expression softened. “We were just overthinking it. If it’s just a business trip gift, that’s more than enough. It means you’re always on his mind, even when he’s traveling.” 

Vanessa chimed in right away, “Yeah, totally. He’s really thoughtful about it.” 

After all that reassurance from the women, Tessa’s mood finally started to lift. 

But her good mood didn’t last long. An hour later, Tessa was rushing over to Ascend Group. 

When she arrived, Cassian was already holding an emergency meeting. 

The conference room was filled with Ascend Group’s shareholders and senior executives. Everyone looked grim. 

Cassian stood at the head of the table, shirt sleeves rolled up, hands on his hips, his sharp features dark with 

anger. 

He was the one who built Ascend Group from scratch, and everyone there was wary of him. They all kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound. 

“Why isn’t anyone talking? Are you all mute?” Cassian barked. 

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 

“Leo!” Cassian snapped, his voice sharp as a whip. 

Leo Zedler flinched, stammering, “Mr. Lo–Locke, you… you should ask Ms. Rowe about it instead.” 

Tessa felt herself flush with embarrassment, suddenly feeling all eyes on her and nowhere to hide. 

Cassian turned his gaze to her, his tone still icy, but noticeably softer than when he’d snapped at Leo. Clearly, she got special treatment. 

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“Ms. Rowe, tell us, why has the defect rate for Ascend Group’s AI chips hit sixty percent these last two quarters?” Cassian demanded. 

That number hit Tessa like a punch to the gut. 

She hadn’t set foot in Ascend Group for ages, too caught up with HelixTech and her master program application. 

Especially during the months she was prepping for her exams, she’d left everything in Preston’s hands. 

She never imagined things could get this bad. 

“Sorry, let me take a look at the data first,” Tessa said, her lips pressed into a thin line. 

Tessa didn’t need to look around; she could practically feel the stares burning into her from every corner of the room. 

The pressure in the room kept building, making it harder to think. It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out, leaving her struggling to breathe. 

As if a giant boulder was pressing down on her chest. 

The numbers on the report said it all; Ascend Group’s products were in serious trouble. 

A sixty percent defect rate was a death sentence for any company. 

Plenty of old clients came knocking with complaints, and some even pulled the plug on their deals with Ascend Group. 

The more Tessa read, the more her heart sank. 

She thought if she just paid off that 100 million dollars on the sly, that’d be the end of it. But she never imagined that was just the beginning. 

The compensation claims Ascend Group was about to face would be hundreds of times more than that 100 million dollars, an astronomical sum. 

Tessa went pale as paper, completely blindsided by how bad things had gotten. 

“Mr. Locke, the stock market… there’s nothing we can do now,” one of the shareholders said, his voice heavy with resignation. 

Ascend Group’s stock had already taken a huge hit during the Weston fireworks incident. 

It had been barely hanging on, and everyone thought it might finally start to bounce back. 

But then, the news about Tessa’s fake degree came out, and investor confidence just collapsed. 

Investors started dumping their shares at rock–bottom prices, bailing out as fast as they could. 

The stock price hit an all–time low, and now Ascend Group was staring down the barrel of forced delisting. 

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Cassian turned his back to the room, standing there in silence for a long moment. 

Tessa clutched the documents in her hands, feeling like she could barely breathe. 

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After a moment, Cassian turned around. His gaze swept over her, his eyes dark and unreadable, but there was an unmistakable pressure in them. 

“File for bankruptcy.” His brief, decisive words plunged the conference room into utter silence. 

Tessa spent a good while in the restroom, gathering her courage before finally heading out to face Cassian. 

As soon as she got to the door of Cassian’s office, she heard people talking inside. 

“Mr. Locke, Ascend Group went bankrupt less than a year after Ms. Rowe took over. I mean… maybe she’s just a jinx,” someone said. 

Tessa’s grip on the doorknob tightened. 

It was the company’s old–timer, Edric Gordon. 

“Maybe you should just call off the wedding,” Edric added. 

Cassian replied, “Mr. Gordon, when did you start getting all superstitious?” 

Edric said, “Hey, I’m not saying I believe in all that, but you never know. Honestly, your old secretary, Ms. Corin, was a real lucky charm for you. 

“I even ran your birth charts–you two are a perfect match!” 

The conversation inside made Tessa’s whole body go cold. She drew in a sharp breath, then without hesitating, threw the door open and stepped inside, cutting their talk short.