Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149

David’s POV

“Come on, Dave, there’s no way you don’t know where my brother is.”

Aria’s voice trailed behind me as I walked into my office. She was persistent, I’ll give her that.

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Behind her, my assistant, Teddy, followed like a shadow, rattling off the list of meetings and cybersecurity audits I needed to oversee for the day.

The steady flow of their voices made my head ache. I sat down in my leather chair and traced the lines on my palm, trying to find a moment of stillness before the storm.

When I looked up, Aria was hovering over my desk, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

“Aria,” I said, keeping my voice as level as possible. “I honestly have no idea where your brother went.”

She rolled her eyes, a gesture so similar to Aaron’s it almost made me smile.

“Do I look like a child to you? You and Aaron are like titanium. You’re always together, you share the same secrets, and you run the same tech divisions. You’re hiding him.”

“Ari-”

“Sir,” Teddy interrupted, stepping forward. “You haven’t confirmed the meeting with the cloud security leads. They’re waiting for a response.”

My eyes slid from Aria’s frustrated face to Teddy’s expectant one

“I’ll be there, Teddy. If that’s all, you can go.”

Teddy bowed her head slightly and ducked out, closing the door behind her.

I was left with a relentless Aria who was now glaring at me with a pointed intensity.

The absurdity of the situation-me, the keeper of the Great Escape-against her, the suspicious sister, was too much.

I let out a soft laugh, which only made her scowl deepen.

“I’m not joking, Dave.”

“Ari, you know you have a phone, right? Have you tried calling him?” I raised a brow.

“Well, genius, if he were taking my calls, I wouldn’t be bugging you. I’ve been to all three of his penthouses. They’re empty. It’s like a ghost lives there now.”

I stayed quiet, carefully choosing my next words. I couldn’t risk anyone, even family, figuring out that I had personally seen Aaron, Jessica, and Adrian onto their flight.

Suspicion was natural given how close we were, but I had to play the part of the confused cousin.

“Aria, look,” I said, leaning forward. “I have a lot on my plate. I’m focusing on keeping the Tyrone name out of the tabloids after the mess with the Walters. Aaron has been keeping to himself. Maybe he just needs some peace after everything that happened at the altar.”

She looked at me for a long moment, her anger slowly deflating into a weary sigh.

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Chapter 149

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“You’re right,” she mumbled. “I guess I’ll just keep calling and hope he picks up. I really just want to know he’s doing okay.”

A small smile touched my lips. “Aaron is fine, Ari. Stop worrying Besides, why the sudden hunt? Does he owe you money?”

Her eyebrows puckered together. “Actually, he does.”

I raised a brow. “Really?”

“He promised me a vacation to Hawaii after my graduation. And. I just miss him. We’ve barely had a moment as a family lately.”

A pang of sadness hit me for her. She didn’t know that “lately” might turn into years. I stood up and reached across the desk, taking her hand in a reassuring squeeze.

“Aaron is fine. I’m sure he’ll reach out soon. He’s probably just looking for some time to himself after dealing with the drama….and Grandpa.”

The mention of our grandfather made something click in her mind. Her lips formed an ‘O’ shape as she nodded slowly.

The fear of Kennedy Tyrone was a universal language in our family.

She took a deep breath, straightened her jacket, and headed for the door.

“I’ll leave you to your work. I have lunch with the girls anyway.” She waved over her shoulder and hurried off, leaving me in the sudden, heavy silence of my office.

I sank back into my chair and exhaled. This was going to be a long road.

Soon, everyone would notice how long he’s been away, and I’d be the primary target for grandpa’s questions.

Maybe I should have hopped on that plane with them.

I pulled out my secure phone and dialed Aaron’s international number. He picked up on the third ring.

I filled him in on Aria’s visit and her worries.

“I know,” Aaron’s voice came through, sounding calmer than he had in years.

“I promised her that trip. Once everything is settled, once I know the old man can’t touch Jess or Adrian, I’ll make it up to her. I’ll come back for her.”

We were rounding up the call when a knock sounded on the door. Teddy peeked her head in.

“Sir, there’s someone here to see you.”

“I’m not taking visitors today, Teddy. Tell them to come back next week.” I waved her off without looking up.

Teddy looked like she wanted to argue, her mouth opening to explain who it was, but one look from me made her nod quickly and retreat, shutting the door.

I went back to work, drowning myself in code and legal filings. I was handling my own job and Aaron’s entire division. It was exhausting, but I’d do it a thousand times over. I owed Aaron.

All of us-the Tyrone cousins-owed him everything.

His defiance was the reason we weren’t all stuck in a life of hockey and ice rinks. Kennedy wanted us all to be athletes, running on ice with sticks, chasing a legacy we didn’t want.

Aaron was the one who broke the mold. He made room for those of us who had dreams in tech and business, refusing to let

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our grandfather dictate our every move.

Aaron’s bravery had delivered a whole generation from a life of sports we didn’t care about.

We wanted the money, sure, but not the skates. And now, he was being hunted for that same bravery.

He’d had to leave his company and his home to secure his family’s safety.

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I wondered why grandpa hadn’t completely eliminated Aaron from the will yet. Despite the wedding fiasco, Aaron was still on the books. It made my skin crawl.

There had to be something more sinister our grandfather was planning.

First, he’d tried to trap Jessica; he’d tried to use her to leash Aaron. He’d done everything to break Aaron’s spirit, but nothing worked. Something evil was brewing. I could feel it.

I made a vow to myself right then. I was going to protect everything Aaron had built. When he finally came home, there would be nothing for him to lose.

By the time the sky turned dark, my eyes were burning from the screen. I packed my bag and headed out, the office building mostly empty and dim.

As I stepped toward the parking garage, a figure appeared from behind a pillar, making me pull back in a defensive stance.

I looked closer to see a young woman. she looked like a total geek, but there was a beauty to her that the baggy clothes couldn’t hide. Behind oversized glasses was a nervous but pretty smile.

She had a worn-out bag slung over her shoulder and was clutching a laptop to her chest.

“Please stay, Mr. Tyrone!” she stammered, her voice shaking. “I’m sorry I startled you. My name is Daphne Moore.”

I furrowed my brow, exhausted and in no mood for a pitch. “Lock, Miss Moore, it’s late.”

“I sent you an email!” she continued, her words tumbling over each other.

“A few weeks ago. About the encryption vulnerabilities in the new server farm. You… you actually replied and told me to come by.”

I searched my memory, but it was a blank. I probably had seen a brilliant line of code in an email and sent a two-word reply during a midnight caffeine binge.

I didn’t remember her, though. I started walking toward my car, but she didn’t give up.

She followed me, her sneakers squeaking on the concrete.

“I can do more than just audits,” she said, her voice gaining strength as she read out her portfolio from memory.

“I’ve helped three major firms prevent SQL injections, and I can code in six languages fluently. I just need a chance to show you what I can do for the Tyrone tech wing.”

I reached my car and turned to her. She was breathless, her eyes wide with hope. I took a deep breath, looking at the sheer determination in her face. It reminded me of Aaron.

“Daphne,” I called firmly.

“Yes, sir!” she answered immediately, standing up straighter.

“Come to my office on Friday at noon. Do not be late.”

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Chapter 149

She nodded vigorously, her glasses nearly slipping off her nose.

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