Losing her was his punishment novel

Chapter 27 : " What's wrong ? " Tessa asked when she noticed the odd look on Cassian's face . Cassian casually grabbed the resignation letter from his desk and tossed it into a drawer . " Nothing . I'm done . Let's go eat ." " Okay , " Tessa said softly , already looking forward to dinner with him . ***** Aurelia arrived at the airport on time . Gideon spotted her the second he walked out . " You actually came to pick me up , " he said , clearly pleased . Aurelia smiled . " I promised , didn't I ? I'm not the type to break my word ." " That's more like it ," Gideon said with a grin .

The two left the airport together , chatting and laughing as they went . Aurelia had already booked a restaurant . After picking Gideon up , she drove straight there . It was the dinner rush when they arrived , and the place was packed . Once they were seated , Aurelia introduced a few of the restaurant's specialties . Gideon seemed content , but as they ate , he noticed she was only picking at the milder dishes . " I thought you used to love spicy food ," he said , raising a brow . " My stomach hasn't been great these past couple of years , " Aurelia explained .

" The doctor told me to cut back on spicy stuff , so now I mostly stick to plain food . " " No wonder you've gotten so thin , " Gideon said , frowning . " I still remember the first time I saw you at Professor Horton's house - you had a little baby fat on your cheeks . " He gave her a once - over and added , " Look at you now - so skinny there's nothing to pinch . " " Isn't being slim a good thing ? " Aurelia teased . " No , " Gideon said flatly . " You should take better care of yourself . " He immediately called the waiter back and ordered every light , healthy dish on the menu .

Aurelia barely had time to stop him . " Gideon , I can't eat that much . " " Then I'll help ," he said , laughing . " You have no idea how awful the food was abroad . Every time I come home , I hit the first restaurant I can find ." They talked and laughed , the mood light and easy . Meanwhile , in another part of the restaurant , Tessa got up to use the restroom . On her way , she happened to spot Aurelia sitting with a man . Since Gideon's back was to her , she didn't see his face - and didn't recognize him - but she could tell Aurelia was having dinner with a man .

Excited by the discovery , Tessa hurried back to their private room , barely able to hide her glee . " Cassian , guess who I just saw outside ? " " Who ? " Cassian asked , sounding mildly curious . " Ms. Corin , " Tessa said , watching his face closely . Cassian's reaction was calm , unreadable . " What's so special about that ? " " It's not strange to see Ms. Corin , " Tessa said , eyes glinting . " What's strange is that she's on a date with another man . " Cassian didn't even look up . " Just eat your food ." Tessa smiled faintly , catching every subtle change in his expression .

His indifference made her feel completely at ease . Clearly , she had nothing to worry about - Cassian didn't care about Aurelia at all . Sure , Aurelia had been the only woman around him for years , but Tessa figured he had just seen her as someone useful - a tool . After all , men had needs . To put it bluntly , Aurelia was probably just someone Cassian used to satisfy himself . Otherwise , they wouldn't have spent seven years without moving forward . Besides , Tessa had never thought much of Aurelia . She might be pretty , but Tessa wasn't exactly lacking in looks herself .

And unlike Aurelia , Tessa had what truly mattered - a powerful family and a prestigious education . Those were things Aurelia could never have , not in this lifetime . That was why Alina had told her not to bother worrying about Aurelia at all , just to focus on Cassian . Now , Tessa finally understood - Alina's way of thinking was far wiser than hers . " Okay ," she said with a bright smile , in a wonderful mood . ***** Ella's surgery was scheduled for Friday , and Aurelia arrived early at the hospital .

For the past two days , she had been going into the office each morning and then using the company's upcoming celebration party as an excuse to head to the hospital afterward . She'd always been the one organizing those events , so she was familiar with the process and didn't need to be present all the time . That way , she could spend most of her hours by Ella's side . Ella kept worrying that Aurelia was neglecting her job to take care of her . Aurelia would always reassure her with the same gentle lie - that Cassian had given her time off .

Ella loved hearing that and would even praise Cassian for being such a considerate man . Aurelia only sneered silently . Cassian was considerate , sure - but only when it came to Tessa . Ella asked about Cassian almost every day , and each time , Aurelia gave the same answer - he was busy with work . While they were preparing for the surgery , Ella asked again . " He's busy . He'll come when he has time , " Aurelia replied softly . This time , Ella sounded a little down . " I just worry I might not make it out of- " " Mom ! " Aurelia cut her off firmly . " You're going to be fine .

" Ella nodded weakly . " Okay ." A little later , Gideon arrived with a bag of health supplements . Ella didn't recognize him , but since Aurelia introduced him as a friend , she didn't ask much . Gideon stayed to help , and together , they accompanied Ella to the operating room . Aurelia thanked him quietly . " Are you really going to be that formal with me ? " Gideon asked , pretending to be annoyed . " You know that's not what I meant , " Aurelia said with a shrug . He laughed . " Relax . I'm just teasing .

You're always so serious ." He still had that same old habit of patting her on the head . In the past , Aurelia would immediately protest , " Stop doing that - you're messing up my hair . " And Gideon would always grin and say , " Then I'll just spend my life fixing it for you . " It had just been a silly childhood joke back then - something he said without thinking , and she never took it seriously . The wait outside the operating room was long and agonizing , but having Gideon there made it a little easier to bear .

By coincidence , Alina was also having surgery that same day , just a little later than Ella . Tessa had Cassian with her , and Daniel was still tied up with work and would come by later . " Cassian , I'm so glad you're here , " Tessa said , her eyes red . " You don't know how scared I was signing those papers - my hands were shaking ." Cassian gently patted her back . " Don't worry . Your mother's team is the best in the country . She'll be fine . " Tessa nodded , tears glistening in her eyes . With her head lowered , she looked fragile and pitiful - someone who instantly drew sympathy .

When Aurelia came back carrying two cups of coffee , that was the sight she saw . Tessa stood close to Cassian , her head bowed , eyes red , looking every bit the delicate woman confiding in her lover . Cassian's hand rested gently on her back as he murmured something to comfort her . The scene would have been picture - perfect - if they weren't standing right in the middle of the hallway . " Excuse me , could you move ? " Aurelia said , cutting through the moment . Tessa quickly turned away to wipe her tears , but when she saw who it was , she froze . " Ms. Corin ?

" Cassian turned at the sound of her voice . The moment his eyes landed on Aurelia , he frowned , his tone colder now than it had been a second ago . " What are you doing here ? " Aurelia's first instinct was to snap back that he didn't own the hospital , so she didn't need to explain herself . But then she remembered - he actually was one of the hospital's investors .