Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Chapter 196

David’s POV

“Come on, Nonna, you’re talking like Aaron tied the knot ten decades ago. It’s been eight months. He and Jessica are still in the honeymoon phase, for heaven’s sake. What’s the big deal?”

I leaned back in my office chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose as my grandmother’s voice crackled thro

Even over a digital line spanning thousands of miles, her disapproval felt like a physical presence in the ro

“The deal, David, is that the Tyrone line is not getting any younger,” she huffed. I could practically see her waving spoon at nothing in particular.

“Aaron is settled. Your other cousins are settled. You are thirty-one, the third youngest of the pack, and you are wandering around that big house like a ghost. A handsome ghost, yes, but a lonely one.”

“I’m not lonely, Nonna. I’m busy. I’m the COO of a global sports firm. I have things to do that don’t involve picking out flower arrangements.”

“Listen to me, caro,” her voice dropped, transitioning into that tone she only used when she was about to drop a hammer or compel you to do something without trying so hard.

“The summer cruise is in two months. It is our family tradition. It is the time for us to be together on the water, to celebrate our bonds. If you do not bring a bride-or at least a woman who looks like she might become one-to that ship, you are not allowed on board.”

My jaw dropped. I sat bolt upright, staring at the phone on my desk as if it had betrayed me.

“Grandma, you can’t be serious. You’re banning me from the family cruise? Over a date?”

“I am very serious,” she said, her voice as hard as flint. “Either you bring a girl who makes your heart beat, or you can stay home and count your money while we drink wine in the Mediterranean. Do what I want, or just forget about the trip.”

Click.

The line went dead. I stared at the blank screen for a long minute, letting out a heavy, frustrated sigh.

That was her mission, wasn’t it? To see every single one of us marched down an aisle like soldiers on parade.

She wasn’t the type to force a specific spouse on her grandchildren-she wasn’t that archaic-but she possessed this relentless, unshakable obsession with the institution of marriage itself.

Given that she hadn’t exactly experienced a grand romance herself, I couldn’t help but wonder where that optimism came from-why she still spoke of marriage as if it were something golden and sacred.

I didn’t hate the idea of it. I wasn’t some cynical bachelor who viewed love as a tactical weakness.

If anything, I was the kind of man who wanted those things deeply. I was a “love-sick boy” at heart, the kind who would have gone to the same lengths as Dashrath Manjhi, the Mountain Man, carving through stone and earth for the woman he loved.

But my history with the opposite sex was… bruised.

Maddie Campbell.

Just thinking the name made my chest tighten.

We had been together for twelve years, starting as high school sweethearts and navigating the mess of college side-by-side-

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Chapter 196

I thought she was the one. I had built my future around the shape of her smile, only to realize too late that the smile was a mask.

She was toxic, a master of subtle manipulation who made me feel like I was constantly walking on eggshells in my own life.

Breaking up with her had been the hardest and most necessary thing I’d ever done.

Since then, I’d kept my guard up. I’d kept my heart under lock and key, buried beneath layers of corporate strate family drama.

I shook the thought of Maddie away. I had more pressing problems than my non-existent love life.

I had a trip to China coming up in a few days. The firm’s expansion was the official reason, but the unofficial reason was far more dangerous.

I would be meeting Aaron, Jessica, and Adrian, and from China, we were supposed to head straight to the Mediterranean for the cruise.

My phone buzzed again, pulling me out of the memory. This time it was the psychiatric nurse in charge of Julie. I picked up immediately.

“Mr. Tyrone,” she called politely. “How are you doing today?”

“This isn’t a social call, Nurse Rita,” I interrupted, my voice tight. How is Julie?”

Rita let out a long, weary sigh.

“She is physically stable, but still largely unresponsive. She sits by the window for hours. We’re trying different therapy approaches, but the trauma is deep. Hopefully, she begins to engage soon.”

I stared at the far wall, the silence of the room feeling like a heavy shroud. “Keep me updated. Immediately if anything changes.”

“Of course. Take care, sir.”

I hung up and leaned my head back, the leather of the headrest cool against my neck.

Julie. Finding her huddled in the office lobby that night had changed everything.

Beyond the grief of losing her sister, Fiona-the woman Aaron had once been so deeply tied to-there was a darker thread woven into her silence.

She hadn’t just fallen into a depression; she had been pushed.

From the fragments she’d given me before she retreated into her shell, I’d realized a truth far more sinister than a simple broken soul mourning a sibling.

My own cousin, Eric, had been preying on her vulnerability. He’d been feeding her lies, using her as a bridge to get closer to our family secrets.

Eric wasn’t just a black sheep; he was a predator. And he wasn’t working alone. He was in league with Laura Walters, a woman whose singular goal was the total destruction of Aaron and Jessica.

It made my blood run cold every time I let my mind wander down that path.

The trip to China wasn’t just about the company expansion anymore. It was a tactical necessity.

I needed to talk to Aaron one-on-one, away from the prying eye and ears of the firm. We had to coordinate.

Chapter 196

The summer cruise was going to be a battlefield. Eric would be there, and I had a gut feeling Laura wouldn’t be far behing

They were planning a move intended to dismantle our family from the inside out.

I found myself thinking of Aaron’s old ruthless streak. If Eric tried anything, we’d handle it together.

Hell, maybe we’d find a quiet moment to push the bastard overboard. A fitting end for a man who tried to ruin his own kin; it could easily be labeled a tragic accident.

In that moment, the idea felt less like a crime and more like a hero’s duty in a high-stakes film.

Eric had no place in our home anymore. He had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed—twice.

But as I plotted Eric’s downfall, my grandmother’s ultimatum drifted back into my mind, and I let out a low groan of annoyance.

“A bride,” I muttered to the empty office. “Where am I supposed to find a fake bride in seven days?”

I needed someone I could trust, but also someone who could play the part well enough to fool a woman who could smell a lie from a mile away.

I needed someone who wouldn’t make things awkward, yet possessed enough spark to make the “relationship” look believable.

I remembered Aaron’s strategy back when things were messy with Fiona. He had brought Jessica into the fold as a fake girlfriend to fill a void and stir the pot. It had worked-arguably too well, considering they were now actually married.

I needed a Jessica. But who?

Just then, a sound drifted through the heavy oak doors of my study. It wasn’t the sound of work or the hushed tones of the staff. It was a laugh.

A loud, uninhibited, absolutely crazy laugh that echoed from the direction of the kitchen. It was bright and unapologetic, the kind of sound that didn’t care about corporate decorum or the prestige of family legacies.

Daphne.

I froze, her name dancing in my mind. Daphne Moore.

My assistant” who was currently living in my guest room. The woman who had stumbled into my lap being a mean boss while simultaneously demanding a promotion to

nina.

accused me of

She was stubborn, she was brilliant, and she was currently the only person in my life who didn’t look at me like a Tyrone; a man of untouchable status and infinite bank accounts.

She was also the person I was currently protecting from an ex. Taking her on a cruise would keep her out of his reach. It would satisfy my grandmother.

And, if I was being honest with myself, the trip would be a lot more interesting than going alone.

“Daphne,” I whispered.

I pushed back my chair and stood up.

I needed to find her. I needed to see if she was willing to trade her baggy sweaters for a sundress and a fake engagement ring

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Chapter 197