Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 200

Chapter 200

Daphne’s POV

The car slowed to a crawl before turning into a wide, stone-paved driveway, and I felt the air leave my lungs.

I’d spent the drive from the airport pressed against the tinted glass, watching the neon pulse of the city give way to an exclusive residential district, but nothing had prepared me for this.

My jaw actually dropped. This wasn’t just a house; it was a palace.

In a city as dense as this, where even the most luxurious architecture usually meant sharing a high-rise with hundreds of others, this was a sprawling, private world.

It sat nestled against a backdrop of rolling green hills that bled into the distant city lights.

Three stories of pale cream walls and dark wooden beams rose up from the earth, connected by sweeping balconies that overlooked a garden so perfect it looked painted.

I’d seen sleek apartment towers on the way here, but this place felt intentional.

Someone had chosen every stone, every beam, and every glowing lantern that lined the path to the front door.

It was a perfect marriage of ancient elegance and modern wealth commanding the very land it sat on.

I leaned back, physically slackening into the leather seat. It was hard to process that this belonged to one family-that behind those walls, life happened in such a magnificent pocket of the world.

Standing there, bathed in the soft glow of the garden lights, the estate didn’t just look like a house. It looked like a fortress of everything I’d only ever read about in magazines.

The car came to a complete stop. My hand reached for the door handle, but before I could pull it, David’s hand clamped firmly around my wrist.

He didn’t say a word, just gave a small, commanding shake of his head. He got out, rounded the rear of the car, the door for me.

and opened

My heart was thudding so fast it felt like it might skip a beat. Everything was so foreign, so grand, and it made my insides tingle with a mix of nerves and a strange, budding excitement.

As I stepped out, David wrapped his arm around my waist-again, pulling me firmly against his side.

The contact sent a spark through me, that familiar stir of butterflies in my belly that I was starting to lose the fight against.

While we marched up the perfectly manicured lawn toward the front entrance, I leaned in closer to him, my voice a mere whisper.

“Do we have to pretend in front of your cousin, too?” I asked.

David didn’t answer immediately. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, is jaw set in that way that usually meant he was calculating three moves in advance.

After a minute of silence, he finally broke it.

“I don’t need to. But we have to. They’ll figure it out in less than ve minutes if we slip. Better to stay consistent the whole

time

Before I could respond, we reached the massive front door. He ached out and rang the bell.

pter 200

Within seconds, the door swung open, and I was staring at a slightly mini version of David.

The boy was perhaps five or six, with tousled hair and a pair of deep brown eyes that held a mischievous spark.

He was incredibly handsome, and even at his age, you could tell he carried that Tyrone streak of authority, a tiny smar billionaire in the making.

The moment he saw us, his face transformed into pure joy.

“Uncle David!” he screamed.

David immediately bent down, scooping the boy up into a massive hug.

They clung to each other, the boy’s laughter ringing out across the foyer. It was the most human I had ever seen David; the cold executive mask had completely melted away.

I stood there, smiling despite myself. I could tell instantly that this was the nephew David wanted to buy the entire toy store for.

When David finally pulled away, he showered the boy’s face with kisses, making the child giggle uncontrollably.

“What’s up, buddy? I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Uncle!”

The pure joy between them made something warm settle in my chest.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway behind them. The boy’s excitement died down into a happy grin as a woman appeared in the doorway.

My breath caught in my throat. I was momentarily awestruck.

It was Jessica Tyrone.

She was wearing a short, baggy gown that looked effortless and comfortable, yet it did nothing to hide the grace of her silhouette.

Even in something so casual, the curve of her hips and the elegant line of her ass were unmistakable.

Her straight black hair flowed down past her shoulders, and her blue eyes were so bright and striking they seemed to glow. against her skin. She was….quite simply, breathtaking.

She was beautiful in a way that made you forget how to speak for a second.

When she saw David, her eyes shone with a mixture of happiness and genuine surprise. She broke into a radiant smile.

“Dave!” she squealed, her voice sounding light and melodic.

She stepped forward to pull him into a hug. David hugged her back warmly.

Even though I knew their relationship was strictly platonic-family by marriage-I couldn’t help the tiny, sharp twinge of jealousy that pricked at my chest. I had to scold myself internally

Stop it, Daphne. This nonsense has to stop right now.

When they pulled apart, Jessica looked at him with wide eyes. “Oh my God…..how… What are you doing here?”

David chuckled, shifting his nephew to his other hip. “Well, we’ve been planning this trip for about a week now. Figured we’d surprise you

275

apter 200

Jessica gasped, faking a look of deep hurt.

“And Aaron didn’t tell me?”

David raised a hand in mock defense. “Well, that’s a conversation between you and your husband, Jess.”

Just as she was about to fire back a witty response, her eyes drifted over to me. I stood there, feeling suddenly very v and very underdressed.

I swallowed hard as her expression neutralized.

She didn’t look mean; she looked like she was observing a puzzle piece she hadn’t expected to find.

Slowly, her gaze moved between me and David. Then she looked back at David, really searching his face.

A tense, heavy silence stretched between us for a few seconds.

When she finally spoke, her words made my heart stutter.

“She’s beautiful,” Jessica said, her voice soft. She looked at David. Who is she?”

David didn’t hesitate. He shifted his arm, wrapping it securely around my waist and pulling me flush against his side.

“Meet my girlfriend, Jess. This is Daphne.”

Jessica was visibly surprised-her eyebrows shot up-but almost instantly, her face broke into a wide, welcoming smile. She reached out and pulled me into a hug.

I was awkward at first, my arms stiff, but the warmth she radiated was so genuine that I eventually relaxed and hugged her back.

When she pulled away, she kept her hands on my shoulders.

“I’m Jessica, Aaron’s wife and this guy’s long-suffering sister-in-law.” She turned back to the boy. “And this is Adrian. Adrian, come say hi to Daphne.”

When Adrian stepped forward, I reached down and gently pinched his cheek.

“You have a very cute and handsome son, Jessica.”

The little boy blushed, looks

down at his feet, and Jessica chuckled.

“I agree, though he gets his vanity from his father. But what am doing keeping you on the porch? Come in, please.”

Stepping through the foyer and into the living room, I felt an immediate shift in the air. It wasn’t just the change from the humid outdoors to the climate-controlled interior; it was the soul of the house itself.

The space smelled like home. It was warm and welcoming, a blend of fresh bread, subtle spices, and something faintly

Sweet

The interior was magnificent. It didn’t feel like a western-styled House transplanted into China.

The walls were a soft cream with intricate wooden panels carved in delicate patterns.

Gold accents caught the light everywhere-thin trim along the ceiling, the edges of the low coffee table, even the frames of the large windows that looked out over the garden.

Traditional Chinese lanterns hung in one corner, glowing softly while a beautiful screen painted with misty mountains stood against the far wall.

pter 200

Plush couches in deep green fabric invited you to sink in, and a low table held a simple vase of fresh flowers.

Everything felt intentional, elegant, and completely at peace with its surroundings.

I loved that they hadn’t tried to make it look like somewhere else they had kept the heart of where they were.

“Please, both of you, have a seat,” Jessica said, gesturing to the plush, gold-trimmed sofas.

“Aaron will be here shortly.” She shot David a pointed look, one eyebrow raised in playful accusation.

I smiled to myself, thinking that Aaron was probably going to get a very long attitude from her later tonight for keeping the surprise a secret.

Jessica looked down at Adrian. “You want to help Mommy in the kitchen for a second?”

The boy nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

“Come on, then. Let’s go.” She took his hand, giving us one last warm smile before they disappeared into the back of the house.

Suddenly, David and I were alone in the vast, beautiful room.

The pressure of his hand on my waist finally vanished as he sat down, and I felt a strange sense of loss at the absence of his touch.

“You have a beautiful sister-in-law and nephew,” I said, my voice small, almost a whisper.

David nodded, leaning his head back against the sofa.

“Yes, I do. If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s how beautiful and handsome my family members are.” He said it lightly, but the pride in his voice was real.

I rolled my eyes at how smug he sounded, but I didn’t comment

We fell into a comfortable silence, my eyes wandering over the gold leaf detailing on the ceiling, until the sound of footsteps came from the spiral staircase.

We both looked up. Aaron was descending the stairs.

He was in a simple white shirt that showed the clear lines of his arms and chest, paired with gray sweatpants.

His dark hair was tousled, like he’d run his hands through it after a long day.

His eyes were a warm, caramel brown, and as he got closer, I could see that Adrian was essentially a carbon copy of him.

There was a slight resemblance to David-mostly in the way they carried themselves and the sharp line of their jaw-but Aaron had a different kind of intensity.

He was undeniably handsome, the kind of man who commanded a room without saying a word.

I had seen his face in magazines and on business sites before, bu photos didn’t capture the charm he gave off in person.

He wasn’t someone I felt drawn to in that way-my heart was already tangled up with the man sitting beside me-but I could appreciate how well he fit into this beautiful life he had built.

“Dave. He crossed the room in a few long strides and pulled his cousin into a quick, back-slapping hug.

I remained rooted to my seat, my hands folded stiffly in my lap, as I watched the two men navigate their greeting

475元