Noah pulled the car to a halt right in front of Jasmine's apartment. He got off the car directly and turned to open the back seat door. Seeing Jasmine lying on the seat, his eyes became redder and seemed to fill with chilling anger.
Sitting quietly in the passenger seat, tears had never stopped rolling down from Aurora's cheeks as she watched her father carry the sleeping Jasmine up in his arms and entered the house.
After climbing the small staircase, Noah raised his head to the door and hesitated whether to knock or not. Inadvertently, he looked down at Jasmine in his hands, and a flicker of irritation passed over his face. He bent and lowered Jasmine to the floor without another moment's hesitation and with a big mess inside his heart, he sauntered off.
Half an hour later, Noah sprinted into his house, parked carefully in the garage, and got off the car afterward.
Opening the passenger side door for Aurora, Noah felt his heart ache terribly at how pale his daughter's face had gone.
He bent, in an attempt to pick her up, but she ducked his hand away just in time and strode away fast.
“Are you mad at me now, Aurora? Jasmine was the one who blow things up, but you're mad at me instead,” Noah yowled as soon as they reached inside the house.
Aurora ceased her heavy pace on the staircase and then turned around to look at her father.
“And is that the reason you left her on the cold floor outside, Daddy?” her speech choked between sobs as another fresh wave of tears clouded her vision.
“What Jasmine did was wrong, I know, but keeping her on the floor outside her apartment is even worse, Daddy” she pointed out heatedly, pulled her red dress up a bit, and continued to ascend the rest of the stairs.
Noah froze right in that spot, his legs felt as if they were chained to iron shackles. Aurora's words had stabbed him right where it hurt the most.
He slowly withdrew his gaze to his feet and looked as if he was collecting his thought carefully. He pressed his lips into a tight line while his stomach churn in distaste.
It was late in the night when Xavier drove into the front yard of the villa and parked his car roughly. He slipped out of the car thereafter and locked his car.
When stumbling in the direction of his apartment, his drunken eyes were caught by something in the next flat, and his movement came to a sudden halt.
From where he was standing, he could see a lady in red lying at the angle of the staircase. Without any resistance, he lurched towards the flat and plunged right next to the person after ascending the few steps.
Xavier looked closely at the woman lying before him at that moment, her black hair was like a waterfall, her eyelashes were thick and curly as if butterflies staying on her eyelids, her cherry-like lips were slightly pursued and her berthing was steady.
Xavier smiled painfully. Shaking his head slowly, “Stop hurting me already, Jasmine, why do I keep seeing your face everywhere?”
“Is it because I'm drunk? But I'm drunk because of you, Jasmine. You made me drunk. Look, I'm now bearing the retribution, but you should stop hurting me the more, forgive me already”
All these words were uttered word by word in a slurring tone. Gazing at Jasmine's face, he inadvertently reached out one of his hands and touched her fair face. Feeling her skin against his hand, his eyes, and mouth widened in surprise.
He became sober directly and dipped his head forward to look at her intently. Just to be certain, he removed his hand from her face and touched her arm, fingers, and even her feet which were encased in a silvers heels.
So, it wasn't a hallucination? Jasmine is truly lying here? He mentally spoke. His heart was in a state of frenzy as he immediately got on his feet and carried her along. He barely needed any effort to lift her up.
“What happened to you, Jasmine? Why would you sleep outside?” he inquired frantically while hurrying into his apartment?
During this whole ordeal, Noah had been staying behind the driver's seat and watching the entire scene. He had arrived back in the place just when Xavier came down from his vehicle and went to Jasmine's side.
Now, seeing Jasmine in his hands as he strode into his own flat. Noah's felt like heavy rocks weighed on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. His heart was ablaze, and he had no way of dousing the fire, this feeling made him uncomfortable.
*I'm so ashamed of you, Mr. Cooper*
Noah shut his eyes tightly while he recalled Mr. Walker's words. Releasing a sharp breath, he didn't continue to stay there as he ignited the engine and sped into the murky night.
The following morning.
Jasmine's long, thin eyelashes trembled a few times before she was able to slowly open them. Gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling in a daze, Jasmine didn't know how long she had been asleep, but she knew it felt like a long, never-ending dream.
Yawning loudly and bracing herself up on the bed, she looked around the all-white room and could feel her heart starting to hammer in her chest. She as well glanced over at her body and seeing that she was still wearing the red dress from the party, she became highly strung up and suddenly jumped out of the bed.
Where was she? What happened last night?
She held her head with her two hands and tried to remember the rest of the event after she came out of the bathroom, but she could not.
She stared and thought inside her heart, could this place be Noah's apartment?
“You're awake,” Jasmine heard this voice and immediately lifted her head to the door, and there stood Xavier with a tray of coffee in his hand. His gaze was wrapping around hers and holding it.
Meanwhile, Jasmine's eyes had gone wide with horror and shock.
“What are you doing here, Xavier?” her teeth and fist clenched as she gave an expression of pure disgust.
Wearing his most charming smile, Xavier walked wholly into the room. Passed by Jasmine and went to keep the tray on the nightstand.
“Where did you go last night, Jasmine?” he turned to her and asked his question, putting away his smile.
“The last time I check, Xavier, you're my ex-boyfriend which means you have no right to question my whereabouts” her voice was bone-chilling cold as she glared right into his sharp eyes.
“Now, answer my question. What are you doing here, rather, what am I doing here?”
Xavier paused for a long time while he takes a good look at her, “What did you drink last night?” he pressed on. He was determined not to give up.
Jasmine scoffed in disdain and attempted to walk away. But just as she tried to react, her hands were caught and trapped her firmly.
“What are you doing, Xavier?” she scowled.
“Answer my question, Jasmine. What did you drink? You appeared to be very drunk that you slept on your doorstep, but there was no trace of alcohol in your breath or body” Xavier raised his voice a little this time.
Hearing this, her eyes slowly changed from anger to calm. “I slept on my doorstep?” she asked in an extremely low voice.
“Believe me, Jasmine. I saw you sleeping on your doorstep and that was why I brought you into my place” Xavier explained calmly, and then slowly let go of Jasmine's hands.
Jasmine's face tensed up like a bowstring being pulled behind, “Where's my phone?” she asked quickly, shoving her fingers into her hair.
Huh?
Xavier rubbed his forehead while darting his eyes around the room. He couldn't remember seeing Jasmine's phone last night.
Jasmine didn't continue to stand there. She gathered her dress in her hands, revealing her long legs, and then left Xavier's room.
She ran to her quarter and found her clutch on the floor in the small corridor, just before the door. Furthermore, she opened it hastily, retrieved her cell phone from it, and dialed Noah's number directly.
The phone rang and rang for a long time and then cut. Jasmine wasn't willing to give up, she called his phone again, but same result, he was not picking up.
Tears were now rolling down her cheeks as she climbed down the small staircase and ran to the gate, ignoring Xavier completely.
“Where are you going now, Jasmine?” he asked, running after her, but Jasmine didn't stop to answer him.
She saw a cab as soon as she got out. “Taxi” she stopped it and hopped inside, not after telling the driver her destination.
Thirty minutes later, the cab stopped in front of Noah's house. Jasmine paid the driver and came out immediately. Moving toward the gigantic gate, Jasmine's shoulders dropped as it just dawned on her that there was no way she could enter without the security code.
She dialed Noah's line again, “Please pick up your phone, sir. I'm really worried, please,”