Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Jessica’s POV

Aaron strode toward the entrance, his posture defensive and alen. He peered through the digital view-hole, and for a heartbeat, he stayed perfectly still.

Then, the tension evaporated. A bark of surprised laughter broke from his throat as he threw the door open

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Aaron said, his voice thick with genuine shock.

Standing in the hallway, looking entirely too polished and unbothered after a transcontinental flight, was David

He was wearing a casual jacket, but he still carried that billion-dollar aura.

“Uncle David!” Adrian shrieked. He scrambled out of my arms, hitting the floor running and sprinting toward the foyer.

“Hey, kiddo, David grunted, catching the flying weight of Adrian with an easy, trained strength.

He hoisted him up, letting out a laugh as Adrian nearly knocked the wind out of him.

“I heard there was a party, and I figured I’d see if there was any cake left for the favorite uncle. Or did you eat it all already?”

The joy on Adrian’s face was bright enough to light up the entire city.

He started babbling about the streamers and his new friends, his small hands gripping David’s jacket as if to make sure the man was actually real.

David set Adrian down gently, and his focus shifted immediately to me. A soft, genuine smile replaced his playful smirk.

“Jess,” he called, his voice softening with genuine warmth.

He stepped forward and pulled me into a comfortable side hug his arm draping over my shoulder with the easy familiarity of a brother.

“Just four weeks, yet it feels like you’ve been gone for a decade. Though, looking at you, China clearly agree look much less like a woman hiding from a billionaire grandfather and much more like someone who acts night.”

I let out a genuine laugh, leaning into the hug.

“It’s the lack of Tyrone-sized drama in the morning air, David. It does wonders for the complexion.”

“David.”

The name came out as a low, warning rumble.

We both looked over to see Aaron standing a few feet away, his ans crossed over his chest.

His gaze was fixed pointedly on David’s hand, which was still resting firmly on my shoulder.

David didn’t pull away immediately. Instead, he shot Aaron a look of pure, unadulterated mischiet

“Relax, cousin. I’m just checking to see if she’s real or if I’ve finally hallucinated a peaceful version of this family

“Check with your eyes, not your hands,” Aaron countered, though the corner of his mouth twitched

David finally let go, putting his hands up in a mock gesture of surrender as he stepped toward the center of the moon.

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14:01 Mon, Feb 23 WW.

Chapter 157

“The jealousy is a bit much, Aaron. I’ve flown halfway around the world; the least you could do is let me greet the lady of the house without looking like you’re calculating my orbital velocity through that window.”

I shook my head, smiling at the two of them. It was exactly the kind of banter we had been missing, the kind that made this sprawling glass refuge feel like a home.

“Is that for me?” Adrian shrieked, finally breaking the standoff as he pointed to a massive box.

In the middle of the excitement, none of us even noticed the large, discreetly wrapped package David had tucked behind one of the marble pillars in the hallway before he stepped inside

“Only if you think you’ve got the clearance to handle it,” David teased, setting Adrian off into a frenzy of tearing paper.

He tore into the paper with a ferocity that made me wince for the finish on the hardwood.

When the box was finally revealed, even Aaron let out a quiet whistle of appreciation. It was a high-end, motorized toy Cyber Truck; a perfect, scaled-down replica that looked sleek, powerful, and fast.

Within minutes, David was on the floor helping him with the final assembly. Adrian climbed into the seat, his hands gripping the wheel.

“Ready?” David asked, holding up the remote control.

“Ready!”

The truck surged forward with a quiet, powerful whir.

Adrian let out a jubilant shout as he steered it expertly around the designer sofa, narrowly missing a hand-blown glass vase on a low pedestal.

“Yup, my furniture is officially in harm’s way,” I mumbled, though the smile on my face was impossible to hide. It was the first time in weeks the air in the house had felt truly light.

Aaron was standing with his arms crossed, glaring at David, though the twinkle of amusement in his eyes gave him away.

David just stood there with an accomplished, smug smirk, watching Adrian navigate the “obstacle course” of our living suite.

“You did this on purpose,” Aaron said, his voice dry. “You knew exactly what you were doing when you brought a motorized vehicle into a penthouse with this much glass.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” David replied, his tone airy and innocent.

“I just wanted to make sure the kid had proper transportation. You know how important logistics are to the Tyrone name.

“Logistics,” Aaron repeated, shaking his head.

We watched as Adrian executed a perfect three-point turn near the grand piano.

“He’s going to be racing this thing at three in the morning. I’m going to be stepping on plastic hubcaps for a month

David patted Aaron on the shoulder, his smirk widening into a grin.

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