Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Jessica’s POV

“Jess?” he repeated, his voice cracking like old leather.

I spun on my heel, ready to bolt out that door and never look back, but David was quicker.

His hand shot out, catching my arm in a firm but gentle grip.

“Please, don’t run away again,” he pleaded, the words tumbling out raw and desperate.

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I bit my bottom lip so hard it stung. I kept my gaze pinned to the floor, terrified that if I looked up and met his eyes, I’d lose my nerve entirely.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a chaotic rhythm that drowned out everything else.

“We’ve been searching everywhere for you,” he whispered next, and that “we” hung in the air like a loaded question.

Aaron? Was he part of this “we”? I resisted the urge to turn, to demand answers, because I knew if I did, I’d crumble into a sobbing mess right there.

Instead, he stepped around me, forcing himself into my line of sight. Those familiar blue eyes, once full of mischief, now held a storm of emotions I couldn’t decipher.

He grabbed my arms.

“You’re alive,” he whispered, like he was convincing himself.

Then, without warning, he crushed me into a hug. I won’t lie; in that moment, all my defenses shattered.

But I couldn’t bring myself to hug him back. My arms hung limp at my sides, fists clenched, as if returning the embrace would mean forgiving everything.

After what felt like an eternity, he pulled away, his hands lingering on my shoulders.

His eyes scanned me from head to toe, relief and excitement battling for dominance in his gaze.

“Do you

know how happy I am to find you, Jess? I was going crazy. Aaron…” He closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath that seemed to steady him.

“Every day I lived in guilt. There wasn’t a single day that went by without a search for you. Your absence… it really caused a lot of damage.”

He mumbled the last part, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, like admitting it hurt too much.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. Words lodged in my throat, a tangled mess of anger, hurt, and confusion.

I just stared, taking in the man before me.

“Wow,” he whispered, running a palm down his face, scrubbing at the stubble there. “I still can’t believe you’re here and breathing. It’s…”

His words trailed off, lost in the weight of the moment.

As if snapping back to reality, he grabbed my wrist, and led me to a guest chair facing his desk.

He sat down opposite me, then reached for the intercom on his desk.

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Chapter 70

“What would you like, Jess? Coffee? Tea? I’ll have them bring up some lunch.”

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I kept staring, trying to make sense of the situation. David looked… different. It wasn’t just his clothes; his whole energy had

shifted.

He was still handsome, obviously, but maturity had etched these new, hard lines around his eyes.

The playful guy I’d known six years ago; the one who could make one laugh until their ribs ached was gone, buried under this heavy, serious facade.

There was no goofy grin, no light in his expression. This version of David looked like he’d forgotten what it felt like to actually laugh.

“Hello?” He snapped his fingers in front of my face, pulling me back.

I blinked, heat creeping into my cheeks.

“Anything is fine,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded and spoke into the intercom, ordering what sounded like a full feast: sandwiches, salads, fresh juices, pastries.

My mouth fell open as he rattled off the list.

When he hung up, I glared at him.

“You didn’t have to do that, David. I’m here for a job, not a reunion. If I’d known you were the one behind this…..”

“You wouldn’t have shown up,” he finished for me. I looked away, unable to deny it.

A heavy, awkward silence settled between us. I started picking at a loose thread on my hem, my mind spinning.

How did I end up here? I’d come here out of desperation for a paycheck, only to walk straight into the one person who could blow

my Cover.

David broke the quiet first.

“How have you been, Jess?” It wasn’t casual chit-chat; I could hear the depth in it, the probing for the real story.

He wanted to know how I’d survived, how I’d spent six years scraping a life together from nothing.

I appreciated that he still cared, but I couldn’t open up.

He was Aaron’s cousin, his right hand, and probably the most loyal person Aaron had. They were a package deal.

And then there was Adrian, the one person who made those six years worth surviving.

Telling the truth would mean letting David in on everything, and I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

“I survived, David,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I know that’s what you want to hear, but hey, I’m breathing. That pretty much explains everything.”

He just watched me, his gaze searching my face for the cracks I was trying so hard to hide.

“I’m glad you’re alive, Jess. Truly. Every day you were gone… it haunted me. For six years, I haven’t even been able to look Aaron in the eye”

Hearing his name made my heart ache, but the memory of that night on the balcony acted like a shield, hardening my

chest.

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Chapter 70

“Even in my absence, he still pretend to care?” I asked, my voice thick with bitterness.

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“Hey,” he reached out, his hand covering mine. His palm was warm, and for a second, I didn’t have the strength to pull away.

“Aaron cares, alright? I saw how much it killed him. He searched for you-went as far as suing every security guard and control room staff on that ship because of your disappearance.”

I snapped my head up, my eyes wide. “What?”

He nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Yes, Jess, I mean it. You can check the internet; I’m pretty sure the news is still out there somewhere. He didn’t let you go, he spent millions trying to find you.”

“But why?” I stammered. “He had Fiona. They were… I saw them.”

David sighed, and shook his head.

“Jess, are you really sure about what you saw? I never confronted him or asked questions because I didn’t want him getting suspicious about me being involved in your disappearance. But I never saw him with Fiona. As a matter of fact, he became more hostile toward her.”

I leaned back into the chair, my head feeling heavy.

I knew what I saw, I’d replayed that moment a thousand times in my head, and I could still hear exactly what Kennedy told me concerning them.

But hearing David talk with so much certainty was shaking the very foundation of my anger.

Was it possible I’d spent all this time running from a version of the truth that wasn’t even real?

“David, I know my eyes didn’t deceive me,” I asserted, though my voice lacked its previous fire.

He didn’t argue. Instead, he just watched me with a heavy, thoughtful look that made me feel like he was solving a puzzle in his head.

Then, he took a breath and let it go. “I’m going to find out what really happened,” he said quietly.

Just like that, the mask was back on. He switched gears so fast it gave me whiplash, his fingers already dancing across the laptop keyboard as he settled into business mode.

“Now, let’s talk about why you’re actually here.”

A sudden wave of nerves hit me, and I wiped my clammy palms against my knees.

While he scrolled through his screen-my resume, I assumed-I forced myself to ask the questions burning in my head.

“David, why are there so many cameras and high-tech gadgets here?” I gestured around the room, the monitors casting a blue glow on his face.

He looked up, and for a fleeting second, that old playful spark returned to his eyes. He actually smirked.

“Apparently, I’m required to perform a thorough screening and on-ground investigation’ for every candidate.”

I raised a brow. “Since when did personal assistant interview require a full blown background check?”

“Because Aaron isn’t taking chances anymore,” David said, his voice dropping an octave.

“His last assistant was caught trying to sell his data and is currently sitting in a cell. My job is to make sure there are zero

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Chapter 70

loose ends. Aaron is the biggest name in the media right now-which means he’s also the biggest target. Athletes, politicians, the elite… they’re all looking for a way to pull him down, and every tabloid in the country is hungry for a hit piece

Immediately, my mind flashed back to Apex Media and their “shadow” assignment. It all made sense now.

They weren’t just looking for a journalist; they were looking for a spy to infiltrate this exact fortress.

Should I tell David? It could snag me the job on the spot, prove my worth. But spilling might drag me deeper into their world, the one I’d fled.

I stared at him for a long heartbeat, weighing it.

“Uhm, David?” I called softly.

He hummed in response, his eyes never leaving the screen as his fingers flew across the keys.

He was distracted, but I could tell he was tracking my every breath-his head was tilted just enough to catch whatever I said

next.

Yet, I hesitated, the words caught in my throat.

“You have the portfolio, Jess,” he mumbled, still typing. “Plus, you know us. You know how we move. You might be the only person I can actually trust in this role. Unless…” He paused and smirked.

“You’re just coming back to play the part of the vengeful ex?”

He let out a light, easy chuckle, but the sound died the second he looked up and saw my face.

The playfulness vanished, replaced by an immediate concern.

“Jess? Is there a problem?”

I nodded slowly, my heart thudding against my ribs. David leaned back, his chair greaking in the silent room.

He gave me a steady, encouraging nod.

“Go on. Talk to me.”

And I told him. Everything.

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By the time I stopped for air, David’s knuckles were white against the desk.

He was staring at the wall behind me, his jaw so tight I thought it might crack.

“Those absolute idiots,” he hissed, the words coming out low and dangerous.

The silence that followed was heavy, vibrating with his anger. I waited, my heart hammering, until he finally turned his gaze back to me.

The fury was still there, but his voice was calm and controlled.

“You’re hired, Jess.”