Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 191

Chapter 191

Chapter 191

Daphne’s pov

74%

20 vouchers

The drive felt like a slow migration into a different world. As the car pulled through the wrought-iron gates of David’s estate, I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window.

The gravel crunched under the tires, a crisp, expensive sound that seemed to announce my intrusion into a life I didn’t belong to.

When the car finally hummed to a stop, the driver hopped out to retrieve my single, battered suitcase.

He led the way to the front door, which looked like it had been carved from the heart of an ancient forest.

The door swung open before we could even knock. A woman stood there, her face etched with a kind, professional warmth.

“You must be Miss Moore,” she highlighted, her voice like a soft chime. “I’m Helen, the head housekeeper. Mr. Tyrone told us to expect you.”

I offered a small, tentative smile. “Thank you, Helen. And… you can call me Daphne.”

“Alright, darling,” she chuckled, stepping aside to let me pass.

Stepping into the foyer felt like walking into a dream. The ceilings soared high above, adorned with intricate molding that looked like frozen lace.

Light spilled from a massive chandelier, reflecting off the cream colored marble floors with a brilliance that made me feel suddenly very conscious of my scuffed sneakers.

The walls were lined with art that looked like it belonged in a museum-abstract pieces that yelled ‘wealth’ and curated taste.

It was breathtaking. It was also terrifying.

I had never been anywhere like this before. A place this vast, this luxurious-it felt unfamiliar to me, unreal… yes, that was the word.

Somehow, just being here made me think of my parents.

My dad had always wanted to build something-something as beautiful and grand as this. I remember the way he used to sit with my mom and me, laying out his plans like they were already real.

He never stopped talking about becoming a wealthy man.

I still have the blueprint he drew up, the one for the building he hoped to invest in. Sometimes I look at it and wonder what it would have become,

My parents had been good people, hard-working people. We’d survived on modest means, navigating the world with enough to get by but never enough to indulge,

Seeing this kind of opulence brought a sudden, sharp ache to my chest-a reminder of the two people who should have been here to see me “making it.”

A jolt of grief, familiar and cold, seuled behind my ribs.

I tried to push it down, to bury the memory of the funeral and e quiet, empty house they’d left behind. That part of my

room I kept locked for a reason.

life was

“This way, dear,” Helen said, sensing my hesitation.

1/5

111

O

<

ས ༣ 7:%.

Chapter 191

She led me up a grand staircase and down a wide, carpeted hallway.

When she opened the door to my assigned room, I actually stopped breathing for a second.

The interior was a space of cyan and white.

20 vouchers

The walls were the color of a clear summer sky at dawn, complemented by snowy linens and a plush, ivory rug.

Huge French windows overlooked a manicured garden that seemed to stretch on forever, the greenery silvered by the rising

moon.

The room was massive-literally larger than my entire apartment-but it felt cozy, smelling faintly of roses.

“Please, settle in,” Helen said, resting a hand on the doorframe. “Have you eaten tonight?”

I shook my head, my stomach giving a traitorous little growl.

“Well, take your time,” she smiled. “Wash up, change into something comfortable, and come down. I’ve prepared a late dinner for you.”

“Thank you, Helen. Truly.”

Once she left, I leaned against the closed door and inhaled. The scent of the room was soothing, a far cry from the city exhaust and the stale air of my old building.

I stripped off my clothes, and wandered into the bathroom, which featured a deep soaking tub and gold fixtures that sparkled under the vanity lights.

I stood under the rainfall showerhead, letting the hot water sluice away the tension of the day: the fear of Kyle, the exhaustion of the office, the loneliness of the apartment.

I changed into a pair of silk pyjamas, and made my way downstairs. The dining room was easy to find; I just followed the heavenly scent of roasted herbs and garlic.

The table was filled with varieties of dishes. There was glazed salmon, a vibrant salad, roasted vegetables, and a basket of warm bread.

“Helen?” I called out as she appeared from the kitchen. “Is David. is Mr. Tyrone hosting a party? This is a lot of food.”

She chuckled, smoothing her apron.

“No, Daphne. This is all for you. Mr. Tyrone was quite insistent. He said he needed you to be extremely comfortable while you’re under his roof.”

A warmth blossomed in my chest, a soft glow that made me feel ared for in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was a strange, fluttering sensation.

“Is he back yet?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I pulled out a hair. “I noticed his car wasn’t in the drive.”

“Not yet,” Helen replied. “He called to say he had to attend to some office matters.”

I nodded, but a prickle of curiosity stirred in my mind.

Office matters? I was his assistant; I knew his schedule down to the minute. There was nothing on his calendar for tonight, no late-night mergers or charity galas. It had been two hours sine I left the office. Where could he be?

I was halfway through a piece of salmon when the sound of the front door echoed through the house.

My heart gave a sudden, violent leap. My breath hitched, and 1 up straighter, my ears straining.

2/5

111

O

༢༣74.

Sal, Api 4

Chapter 191

He was back.

20 vouchers

I felt a surge of excitement, a childish urge to run to the foyer just to see him. But that feeling didn’t even have time to settle before it was cut down.

David walked into the dining room, but he wasn’t alone.

He was holding the hand of a woman.

She was striking, in a fragile, haunting way. Her hair was a dark cascade that fell over her shoulders, and her skin was the color of cream.

But it was her eyes that caught me; they were wide, darting, and filled with a visible, trembling terror.

She looked like she was standing on the edge of a collapse, her fingers gripping David’s hand as if he were the only thing keeping her from falling into an abyss.

I felt a flash of heat behind my eyes. Jealousy, raw and ugly, clawed at my throat. It was a physical sting, watching his large, protective hand envelop hers.

Who is she? My mind raced. I knew his family history; his only sibling was his twin sister, Mika. This woman wasn’t a sister nor an extended family.

The

way he held her, the way he hovered over her with such intense, focused concern… it felt intimate.

The hurt was so sharp I had to grip the edge of the table to keep my hands from shaking.

Did he do this on purpose? Did he bring me here, tell me to be “omfortable,” only to parade another woman in front of me an hour later? It felt like a calculated strike, a weaponization of the feelings I hadn’t even admitted to him yet.

David’s gaze shifted to me. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes softened for a fraction of a second.

“You’re here,” he said, his voice deep and resonant. “That’s good. You’re great at following instructions. Maybe you should get a special reward from me.”

The compliment hit me like a spark, a rush of heat that would usually have made me melt.

શું ભા

But tonight, it felt like an insult. The words were clouded by the sight of Julie shivering beside him.

I didn’t smile. I didn’t acknowledge the praise. I just looked at m plate, my appetite vanishing as if it had never existed.

David turned to Helen. “Bring food up to the terrace for us, Helen. Julie needs some air.”

He looked down at the woman, his voice dropping to a low, sooting murmur I’d never heard him use with anyone else.

“Let’s go. You’re safe here”

I watched them leave, I watched the way he guided her, his hand firm and possessive on hers, leading her away into the private parts of the house where I wasn’t invited.

The silence that followed was deafening.

“Daphne?” Helen asked softly, her voice filled with concern. “Are you alright, dear? You’ve barely touched your salmon.”

I pushed the plate away, the sinell of the food suddenly making the nauseous. I forced a stiff, brittle smile,

“I’m fine, Helen. Just… more tired than I thought. It’s been a long lay, and I have work tomorrow, I think I’ll just head to bed.”

3/5

о

Ja, Api 4

Chapter 191

“But you should eat-”

༢

3.74

20 vouchers

“Goodnight, Helen,” I said, cutting her off before my voice could break.

I practically ran up the stairs, my heart heavy and throbbing in my chest. I made it to the sanctuary of the cyan-and-white room and slammed the door, leaning my back against it.

Then, the tears ca

came.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my head in my hands, sobbing with a quiet, desperate intensity. I hated myself for it.

Why was I crying? David didn’t owe me anything.

He wasn’t my boyfriend. He wasn’t my partner.

We had no agreement, no shared history of romance, nothing but a few charged glances and a protective hand at the office.

He had every right to bring a woman home. He had every right to care for whoever he wanted.

But the logic didn’t stop the pain. It didn’t stop the feeling of being replaced before I’d even been chosen.

I felt like a fool, sitting in his beautiful, expensive house, wearing my silk pajamas and crying over a man who was currently feeding another woman on the terrace.

I looked at the French windows, at the moonlit garden, and felt a profound sense of isolation.

I was a stranger here, a temporary guest in a house built for people who didn’t look over their shoulders for ghosts.

I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling until my eyes burned. The jealousy was a cold, hard knot in my stomach, refusing to unravel.

I didn’t know who Julie was, and I didn’t know what she meant to him, but as I drifted into a fitful, hurt-filled sleep, I knew one thing for certain.

Moving in here was the biggest mistake I’d ever made.

4/5