Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

David’s POV

“Do you really not know where he is?”

I opened my mouth to offer the same rehearsed line I’d given everyone else, but Fiona interjected before I could get a single syllable out.

“You don’t need to lie, Dave. You and Aaron are far too close. There’s no way you have no idea.”

She spoke softly, her gray eyes piercing right into mine with a clarity that made it hard to look away.

I didn’t say a word. I just sat there, allowing the silence to stretch between us, hoping my expression remained a blank slate.

She let out a long, weary sigh.

“I won’t probe further,” she said, though her gaze didn’t waver.

“But I know you’re aware of his whereabouts. And I know he’s with Jessica and Adrian. I dropped by their place last weekend. They weren’t there. The whole house felt… finished.”

My brow shot up despite my best efforts to stay neutral. “You stopped at Jessica’s house?”

She nodded, the tips of her nails tapping softly, rhythmically, against the polished wood of my desk.

The sound was tiny, but in the quiet of the office, it felt like a ticking clock.

“I wanted to apologize again,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Truly.”

I looked at Fiona-really looked at her. Over the last six years, she had been trying so hard to reinvent herself.

The sharp edges of the woman she used to be had been sanded down by regret and time. It was obvious she was trying to change, and on some level, I felt for her. But another part of me was colder.

I knew this was her karma. Everyone, eventually, has to settle the bill for the choices they make.

“Why did you really cheat on him, Fiona?” I finally asked. My voice was calm, but the question felt heavy in the air.

She flinched as if I’d reached out and slapped her.

“Aaron was head over heels for you,” I continued, the old anger beginning to stir in my gut.

“He was ready to give up the entire world for you. Of all people, you chose Eric? A cousin you knew never liked him? How do you even justify that?”

The memories of that night came back to me-the sight of my cousin, a man who usually carried himself like a fortress, falling apart.

I had seen Aaron cry-real, full-blown sobs that shook his entire frame.

Every time I thought about it, a part of me felt like it was being torn open.

And the worst part? Fiona hadn’t been remorseful then. Not unt the damage started eating her alive from the inside out.

I’d bet anything that if Eric hadn’t eventually cheated on her too she wouldn’t be standing here playing the penitent soul.

Tears began to tracks down her cheeks, catching the light from the desk lamp.

1/4

10:34 Fri, Feb

Chapter 154

“I would be lying if I said I had a clear answer, Dave,” she choked out. “I wake up every day and I’m mad at myself. I’m furious at the person I was.”

My gaze lingered on her, unimpressed by the display.

“Mad about what, Fiona? The fact that you did something wrong Or the fact that you finally realize no one will ever give you the kind of love he gave you? You realized how badly you messed up, and now that he’s moved on, you’re suddenly hit with the reality of what you

lost.”

Her eyes met mine, and she swallowed hard.

The silence that followed was the only answer I needed. It was the silence of a woman who knew she’d traded a diamond for a handful of gravel.

I chuckled humorlessly, leaning back in my chair.

“You should stop whatever it is you’re doing or plan to do, Fiona Aaron has found the one he truly loves-someone who loves him just as much in return. Jess and Aaron deserve their happy ending. And you already know… they have a son to think about now. Don’t go looking for ghosts.”

Fiona stood up, her movements stiff and awkward.

For a second, her lips parted as if she were about to beg, or perhaps scream, but the sound died in her throat.

She didn’t say another word. She just turned and walked out, leasing the scent of her perfume lingering in the air.

I stayed in my chair for a long time after the door clicked shut. The silence of the office felt different now-hollower.

I rubbed my face with both hands, feeling the stubble beginning to itch against my palms. It was well past seven.

I finally stood up, grabbing my coat and bag.

As I walked through the darkened lobby toward the parking structure, I found myself doing something I rarely did: I looked over my shoulder.

My mind drifted back to the night in the garage. I thought about how easily Daphne had appeared out of the shadows.

If she hadn’t been a desperate girl with a laptop-if she’d been someone with a grudge or a weapon, I wouldn’t be standing

here.

It was a sobering thought. I was so used to being the one in control that I’d forgotten how vulnerable a man becomes when he’s distracted.

The city air was cool as I drove. My stomach gave a loud, demanding growl, reminding me that I’d skipped lunch in favor of a meeting about international broadcasting rights.

The thought of my pristine, empty kitchen felt exhausting. I didn’t want to cook; I didn’t even want to wait for a steak to

sear.

I pulled over near a small, brightly lit Mediterranean place I’d passed a thousand times but never entered.

The bell above the door chimed as I walked in, the heat of the kitchen hitting me with the scent of roasted lamb and lemon.

“Long day, boss?” the man behind the counter asked. He was older, with flour-dusted forearms and a smile that seemed remarkably genuine for a Friday night.

“You have no idea,” I muttered, looking at the menu board. “Just gyro. Extra sauce. To go.”

“Coming right up. You look like you need a drink, too, but I only got soda and water.” He chuckled, tossing a pita onto the

2/4

Chapter 154

grill.

“Water is fine,” I said, leaning against the counter. I watched him work, the simplicity of the moment prog

It felt strange to be just another guy waiting for a paper bag of food, anonymous and unremarkable in the dam light of a takeout joint.

Here, within these four walls, nobody cared about me being a Tyrone. I wasn’t a legacy, a CEO, or a secret-korper. I was just a hungry man at the end of a shift.

It was a momentary relief, a brief pause where the world didn’t expect anything from the but a few dollars and a thank y

“Here you go. Watch out, it’s hot, he said, handing me the bag.

“Thanks” I handed him a twenty and waved off the change.

“Have a better night, friend,” he called out as I walked back to the car.

I ate half the gyro in the front seat, the grease probably staining the leather, but I didn’t care. I needed the fuel.

By the time I pulled into the driveway of my penthouse, the sky as a deep, bruised purple.

I was beyond exhausted. The day had been a marathon of dodging questions about Aaron and trying to keep the company from tilting off its axis.

I stepped out of the car, clicking the lock, and headed toward the main entrance. I was already dreaming of a box shower and five hours of uninterrupted sleep. But I didn’t get far.

Two men in dark suits and sunglasses stepped out from the shadows of the stone pillars, blocking my path wiin puncmed precision.

I stopped dead, staring at them for a long moment.

Then, I slowly looked up at the dark sky, then back at their covered eyes.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify