Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 205

Chapter 205

Chapter 205

Author’s POV

The introductions that followed were a rapid-fire succession of names and expensive smiles.

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Daphne felt as if she were shaking hands with a living gallery of wealth, each cousin and aunt blending into one another in an ocean of silk and gold.

She was passed from one manicured hand to the next, meeting line of aunties-Mabel, Kate, Ruth, Patricia, Clara, and Mary-all of whom seemed to possess the same striking bone structure and effortless confidence.

Then there was Linda.

Linda didn’t smile. She stood with her arms crossed, her gaze sharp enough to stitch skin.

It was as if she could sniff out the fact that Daphne was a girl from a different world; a pauper who had stepped into their paradise of pearls and gold.

“And where exactly did you grow up, Daphne?” Linda asked, her voice clipped. “I don’t recognize the surname from the local circles. What does your father do?”

“And here she goes,” one of the sisters muttered, slapping her forehead in exasperation.

“Do you always have to make the partners of the kids feel this way, Linda?” Ruth butted in, her brow furrowed in clear displeasure.

Daphne picked up on the dynamic immediately. Every wealthy family had one; the self-absorbed snob who acted as the self-appointed gatekeeper of the bloodline.

Linda was clearly the Tyrone version.

Linda shrugged, completely unaffected by her sister’s rebuke. “I’m just making sure we don’t have another leech adding to our family. Like that… Jessica.”

The air on the deck turned ice-cold.

“Aunt Linda.” David’s voice was calm, but it was laced with a sudden, sharp danger that made the hair on the back of Daphne’s neck stand up.

It wasn’t a shout, but the utter coldness of his tone was enough to silence the surrounding chatter.

Daphne felt a strange, hollow sensation in her chest. She remained silent, her eyes darting toward the horizon, then the deck boards-anywhere but at the family members.

The initial excitement of the trip had vanished, replaced by a stinging reminder that she was an interloper in a play she hadn’t rehearsed for.

She had started feeling profoundly out of place, the emerald silk of her dress suddenly feeling like a costume that didn’t fit.

Tabitha, Aaron’s mom eventually stepped in, her voice a calm melody that broke the tension.

“The sun is starting to get to everyone. Why don’t you two go an get settled? We’re having a formal dinner on the aft deck at eight. It’s a beautiful evening for it. Go rest, catch your breath.

David nodded his head and led Daphne away, weaving through the opulent hallways of the ship toward their assigned suite, his hand still holding hers.

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12:13 Mon, Apr 13 @

Chapter 205

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Their suite was a masterpiece of cream and navy blue. The carpet was so thick it muffled their footsteps, and the far wall was entirely glass, offering an uninterrupted view of the turquoise waves.

A massive bed sat in the center, and the air held the faint, crisp sent of ozone and lilies.

“I have to go catch up with the guys,” David said, tossing his jacket onto a chair.

“Aaron and the others are meeting in the game lounge. Will you be alright here for a bit?”

“Go,” Daphne said, sinking onto the edge of the bed. “I need to lie down before my brain melts.”

He lingered for a second, his gaze softening as it traveled over her face. “You did great out there. Nonna is just trying to see if you’ll blink. Don’t blink.”

Once David left, she wandered around the room for a moment, touching the soft curtains and looking out at the endless blue water.

After a moment of soaking it in, Daphne reached for her phone, desperate for a touch of her real life. She dialed Lois, hoping for a familiar voice to ground her, but there was no service.

She sighed, dropping the phone onto the duvet. She walked out onto the private balcony, watching the white wake of the ship cut through the water.

The scale of the wealth here was dizzying. She felt like an interloper in a world where even the air felt more expensive.

She wondered how long she could keep the act up before the cracks started to show-or before the line between the act and her heart disappeared entirely.

By eight o’clock, Daphne had finished freshening up, trading her travel clothes for a light, flowing sundress that caught the sea breeze.

She stood before the vanity for a long moment, pressing her cool palms to her cheeks to steady the flutter in her chest.

When the knock finally sounded at the door, signaling the start of the welcome dinner, that familiar mix of anticipation and sharp anxiety surged through her.

The main deck had been transformed into an elegant, open-air gala. Strings of soft, amber lights draped overhead like low- hanging stars, casting a warm glow over tables set with crisp white linens and seasonal blooms.

A live band tucked into a corner played a slow, melodic set that drifted over the sound of the waves.

Waiters moved with practiced, silent grace between the clusters of guests, their silver trays laden with chilled flutes and bite- sized appetizers.

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Daphne found herself tucked into a lively circle with Jessica and the other female family members-Mika, Lena, and a few others whose names she was still trying to commit to memory.

The conversation flowed easily, a light-hearted mosaic of fashio trends, travel stories, and family anecdotes.

Jessica was a constant, stabilizing presence at her side, subtly weaving Daphne into the dialogue whenever the talk turned too internal, ensuring she never felt like an outsider looking in.

Across the deck, the atmosphere was different. David stood with the men, a drink in one hand and the other shoved casually into his trouser pocket.

He looked entirely in his element, his head tilted back as he laughed at a joke Chase, one of his cousins just cracked,

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12:13 Mon, Apr 13 @

Chapter 205

The evening was genuinely lively, the deck humming with the sound of laughter and the clinking of crystal.

Aaron stood at a corner, his eyes tracking the two of them with a predator’s patience.

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He saw the way Daphne’s gaze lingered on David across the deck and the way David’s eyes instinctively sought her out every few minutes, scanning the crowd until he found her.

“They’re too tense,” Aaron muttered to himself, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

He knew that look: the rigid shoulders, the careful distance. It was the look of two people playing a game they weren’t yet ready to admit was real.

He signaled to a waiter he had known for years, a man who understood that a full pocket was worth a closed mouth.

With a practiced, effortless flick of his wrist, Aaron produced a small amber vial from his jacket.

He emptied the tasteless, fast-acting liquid into two glasses of the house’s signature sparkling crimson cocktail.

It was a potent blend, designed to strip away the hesitation and heighten every sense until the logic of the “fake” relationship simply dissolved.

“You know what to do?” Aaron asked, his voice a low drawl that barely carried over the ambient hum of the party.

He kept his gaze fixed on the waiter, his eyebrows arched in a silent, commanding challenge.

The man didn’t flinch; he gave a single, firm nod of understanding.

“Good.”

Aaron didn’t say further than he had, he turned on his heel, his expression shifting from calculating to casually bored as he sauntered toward the bar.

David was sitting there alone, staring out at the dark expanse of the Mediterranean with a cup of water he hadn’t touched in ten minutes.

“Having a good time, Dave?” Aaron asked, leaning his elbow casually on the mahogany surface as he watched the crowd.

“Better than expected,” David admitted, adjusting his sleeves with a habitual tug. “Nonna didn’t go all detective on Daphne yet, so I’m calling it a win for the first hour.”

Aaron chuckled, his gaze shifting toward a waiter who was currently lingering near the edge of the bar.

The man was doing a passable job of pretending to reorganize his tray of crystal glasses, but his eyes were fixed on Aaron, waiting for the signal.

With a barely perceptible nod, the trap was set.

“You look like you need something more substantial than water, Here.” He reached out and snagged the spiked glass, handing it with an easy grin.

David snatched the glass, totally missing the split-second look Aaron cut toward the waiter.

“Cheers,” David muttered, giving his cousin a distracted nod before draining the whole thing in a single, thirsty go, the spiced crimson liquid burning a warm trail down his throat.

Across the deck, the waiter ghosted toward the huddle of wome his tray heavy with condensation.

“For the ladies,” he murmured, offering a polite, practiced smile.

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12:13 Mon, Apr 13

Chapter 205

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He made a point of sliding a specific glass toward Daphne, while the others just plucked flutes from the tray without looking up, too deep in their own cross-talk to notice him.

Daphne took the drink with a quick thank-you and a small sip. It was cold, syrupy, and hit her with a fruity sweetness that masked the bite of the alcohol.

A slow, pleasant heat began to bloom in her chest as she turned Back to the conversation.

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