Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 218

Chapter 218

Daphne’s POV

I stood at the balcony railing of our villa, staring out at the dark sea while the distant music from the upper deck drifted on the breeze.

The party, an informal gathering hosted by another wealthy family to bridge the gap between their circles-had been underway for hours.

It wasn’t anything wild; just the soft, amber glow of string lights, the muffled sound of laughter, and the constant clink of crystal glasses against the night air.

David had been trying to convince me to join for the last ten minutes.

“Come on. Daphne,” he said from behind me, his voice low and coaxing.

He stepped closer, his hand coming to rest on my arm, his thumb tracing the line of my skin.

“It’s just the family and a few others unwinding. You’ve been cooped up in here all day. You deserve to enjoy this, too.”

I turned to face him, instinctively crossing my arms over my chest.

“I’m not really in the mood for a crowd right now.”

He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before he reached out and gently uncrossed my arms.

He took my hands in his, pulling them toward him until there was no distance left between us.

“I know. But hiding won’t make any of this easier. Besides, Jessica and Aaron are already up there. Mika’s been asking about you. Just come for a little while. If it gets too much, we leave. Deal?”

The way he looked at me made it hard to say no. I let out a long breath and nodded. “Fine. But if it feels off, we’re gone.”

He smiled, a genuine tilt of his lips, and pressed a quick, lingering kiss to my mouth.

“That’s my girl.”

We made our way to the upper deck together.

The night air was thick and salty, the deck bathed in the golden, hazy glow of lanterns that turned the gathering into something calm and cozy.

The Tyrones and several other families were scattered across the deck; some reclined in deep, plush cushions, while others leaned against the railing, their silhouettes etched against the star-dusted horizon.

It was that specific kind of lazy after-party atmosphere where conversation with strangers drifted aimlessly and laughter bubbled up with effortless case.

We weren’t there for more than a minute before Julie appeared, moving through the crowd with the focus of a homing

missile.

She was wearing a sleek dress that clung to her frame, her hair loose and styled in a way that looked effortless

She beamed at David, closing the distance between them until she was well within his personal space.

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Chapter 218

Her hand reached out, her fingers brushing against the fabric of his sleeve as she spoke.

“David, there you are. I was hoping you’d come up.” Her fingers lingered a second too long on his arm.

“You look like you could use a drink. I saved you a seat next to me.”

I felt my stomach tighten into a hard knot.

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David’s expression remained carefully neutral, but his hand found mine, his fingers interlacing with mine in a firm, protective grip.

“Thanks, but I’m good right here with Daphne.”

Julie’s smile didn’t falter, though her eyes flicked to me for a brief, frigid moment.

“Of course. Daphne, you look lovely tonight.”

The compliment was honey-sweet, but the intent behind it was malicious. Knowing what I knew, every word she uttered felt like she was warning me.

I offered a tight, polite nod, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction, and turned my gaze toward the sea.

David and I stayed close as the evening unfolded, his arm never loosening from around my waist.

Julie hovered at the edge of our circle like a shadow that refused to stay in one place.

Every time David turned to speak with his cousins or even a stranger from another family, she found a way to slip back into his line of sight.

Her fingers would brush the air near his shoulder first, never quite touching, before she let her hand settle lightly against the sleeve of his shirt, just for a second, just long enough to look casual.

I watched it happen three times in a row. Each time David would politely shift a little closer to me, but Julie never took the hint. Or… she did but ignored it.

She waited until a lull in the conversation, then leaned in so her shoulder almost brushed his. Her voice dropped to a soft, intimate murmur that somehow still carried perfectly to his ear.

“You have been so good to me, David,” Julie murmured, tilting her head until a curtain of hair fell across her cheek. Her voice was thin, perfectly pitched to draw in anyone within earshot.

“I don’t know how I would have navigated these last few months without your protection. You have such a rare heart.”

David gave a small, sterile nod, his posture remaining rigid.

Julie took a slow sip of her wine, her eyes glossing over as she looked out at the dark water.

Her shoulders slumped, and the vivacious energy she’d been projecting vanished, replaced by a sudden, brittle fragility

“You know…I never thought I’d be able to breathe again after Fiona left us. They say time heals, but losing an only sibling leaves a hole that never fills.”

She paused, letting the silence stretch until people around us stopped their conversations to listen.

“I remember watching Fiona with Aaron,” she continued, her eyes glistening. “The way Aaron looked at her-he was so devoted. So fiercely protective.”

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Chapter 218

Across the deck, Aaron froze, his head snapping toward her at the mention of his name. Jessica, who had been laughing at something Mika said, went still.

If I hadn’t been watching Julie with such hyper-focused intensity, I would have missed the fleeting smirk that ghosted across her lips.

She’d brought that up intentionally.

She let out an awkward, empty laugh. “Too bad they didn’t end up together. I guess some love stories were never meant to

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