Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jessica’s POV

We finally settled into the silence of the long dinner table, completely encircled by the vast, intimidating presence of the Tyrone family.

The room was a tableau of dark wood, glittering silver, and hushed activity as maids glided around, placing dish after silver–domed dish before us.

Candles flickered in silver holders, casting a warm glow that almost softened the undercurrents of drama lingering from earlier.

Aaron and I were seated directly opposite Fiona and Eric. The seating arrangement was a cruel joke fate had played just for my detriment.

I discreetly fiddled with my fingers beneath the damask tablecloth, my knuckles white with the effort to appear calm.

I could practically taste the tension–a metallic, sharp tang in the air. Or perhaps, it was just me.

The other family members seemed perfectly normal: cousins cracking jokes across the way, aunts swapping gossip over wine, uncles debating some sports stat.

The true tension was internal, a coil winding tighter in my chest, fueled by the persistent, chilling thought that I was being watched.

The soft murmurs and clinks of silverware suddenly evaporated. Every head snapped toward the terrace door as it swung inward.

In stepped Kennedy Tyrone, a towering relic of a man. He must have been close to seventy, yet he carried himself with the posture of a monarch who had just conquered a new territory.

His silver hair was thin but meticulously slicked back, revealing a craggy, deeply lined face carved by decades. of authority.

He wore a perfectly tailored suit that seemed to fight the laws of gravity, defying his age. He leaned heavily on a cane–not a medical aid, but a scepter.

It was thick, dark wood, polished smooth, its silver head shaped like a ferocious eagle, looking like it had been held by generations and held countless legacies in its grip.

Power didn’t just ooze off him; it charged the very atmosphere.

The entire family went utterly silent, frozen mid–whisper, mid–sip. It was the silence you get when saying one wrong word could get you instantly exiled, or worse.

He took his seat at the head of the table. Only then did I notice the graceful, beautiful elderly lady trailing behind him. Her presence was a welcome burst of warmth.

Her silver–streaked hair was sculpted into an elegant, high bun, and her flawless olive skin was set off by an

impeccably applied, classic makeup look. The vibrant blue gown she wore was tailored to perfection.

A genuinely bright, kind smile lit her face, and immediately, the little children around the room broke ranks and gushed toward her, a joyous, uncontrolled swarm.

“Grandma!” one little girl screamed, running to her.

The elderly woman knelt down without hesitation, pulling the children into a soft, encompassing hug, pressing a gentle kiss on each chubby cheek.

“Oh, what a beautiful night to have my family here,” she cooed, her voice like warm honey.

She took her seat slightly adjacent to Kennedy, his imposing shadow barely touching her.

Kennedy’s presence had doubled my discomfort.

Then, as if the universe wanted to prove she hated the idea of me being in this world, she angled his gaze straight toward me.

From across the vast, glittering expanse of the table, Kennedy Tyrone’s mismatched eyes found mine. One, a penetrating slate–gray; the other, a shocking, arctic blue.

My body instantly went rigid, and I felt nailed to the chair, a startled creature frozen under a spotlight.

I tried to look away, tried desperately to break the connection, but his stare held me absolutely captive- intense, unyielding, and so profoundly unsettling it felt like he wasn’t just looking at me, but reading the blueprint of my soul.

The suffocating silence stretched. No one dared to make a sound, save for the innocent, cheerful chattering of the children still clustering around their grandmother.

Finally, Kennedy spoke, his voice rolling like thunder gathering force–deep, resonant, commanding like a king addressing his court.

“It is good,” he began, his eyes sweeping over the room, “that you all respected my wishes. That I have you all here. No one went against me. That is… very good.”

As he delivered the final, pointed sentence, his gaze locked onto Aaron. It didn’t take a genius to realize that out of everyone in this room, Aaron was likely the only one who dared challenge him, or diverge from his tyrannical path.

I saw Aaron’s jaw clench, a muscle twitching near his ear, but he didn’t utter a word. He simply kept his own dark eyes fixed on Eric, who was sitting opposite him, smirking like a well–fed jackal.

The table fell into another pregnant silence. Before Kennedy could continue whatever grand, intimidating pronouncement he had planned, he took a deep, theatrical breath.

“I called this dinner because it has been a long while since I had my family sit together and eat.” He paused again, letting the weight of his voice settle on us. “Ladies and gentlemen, my clock’s ticking down.”

A sharp gasp broke the tension.

“Dad, don’t say that!” It was Tabitha, her face folding almost instantly into an expression of genuine, if slightly dramatic, sadness. “It’s not a good thing to say. We don’t want you dead.”

Kennedy let out a dry, humorless chuckle.

“You’re right, daughter–I shouldn’t tempt fate. But death comes for us all, and soon it’ll knock for me. I do not want that to happen without leaving behind some precious memories for my children, grandchildren, and great–grandkids.”

Across from us, nestled beside Eric, was a stunningly handsome young man, perhaps my age or slightly older.

I couldn’t help the blush that scorched my checks, forcing me to look away from his honest, appreciative gaze. It felt like the first genuine compliment I’d received all night, maybe ever, and it gave my fragile confidence a much–needed flicker of light.

David scowled, rubbing the back of his head.

“Uhm, I never said you weren’t, Mika. I said ‘most.‘ What happened to English lessons?”

They immediately devolved into a loud, lively bickering match. I couldn’t help but watch, a small snicker escaping under my breath. It was genuinely funny, and even more surprising, no one–not even Kennedy- intervened.

“So, tell us, Aaron, how did you meet her?” one of the aunts interceded, her eyes shifting between us with a calculated intensity.

Aaron sighed, a deep, weary sound that confirmed my suspicion: he was not fond of his family.

“Aunt Linda, this isn’t why we’re here, is it? To get the ‘Aaron’s Love Story‘ recap. Let’s focus on the ‘get- together‘ Grandpa organized.”

Linda gave a thin, patronizing smirk, twirling a piece of pasta on her fork before shrugging casually.

“Well, I just wanted to know how you went from Fiona to this…” She let her eyes rake over me, lingering with open disdain.

“Linda,” Tabitha warned, her voice tight with disapproval.

Aaron’s control snapped. He leaned forward, his voice a low, hard hiss that only those in our immediate vicinity could hear.

“If Fiona was ‘all that, your son wouldn’t be across the table eye–fucking my girlfriend. And that makes me wonder, Aunt: is this how you raised Eric? To be a girlfriend snatcher? To feast on his cousin’s partner?” He scoffed, his anger palpable.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be worried about my nephew’s love interest. I’d focus on my parental skills.”

Linda’s face turned a horrifying shade of crimson by the time he finished.

“How dare you!” she bellowed, standing up so abruptly her chair scraped loudly across the floor. She lifted her hand, ready to strike, but Kennedy’s voice grounded her.

“Enough!”

It was calm, yet utterly authoritative.

“I did not call this dinner for you all to carry out your childish banter. After the meal, you can go to the garden–it is big enough for a brawl. Now sit your ass down, Linda.”

She glared, her nostrils flaring like an angry bull, but she obeyed, and sank back into her seat.

The rest of the dinner went on in simmering tension, with Eric, Linda, and Fiona all shooting laser–focused glares at me. But I didn’t care. I was, in fact, rejoicing.

Aaron had stood up for me. He meant it when he said he would protect me from them. It was a terrifying, stressful night, but knowing he was on my side was a victory I would savor.