“I love you,”
Noah whispered, and Jasmine felt like a stream of warmth was traveling through her heart while their gazes locked intensely.
Noah's rough hair basked in the sunlight and sun rays streamed across his face, looking crazily sexy. He was smiling, not knowing his teeth were in contact with the sun that almost stole Jasmine's heart away.
Her stomach churned and she bites her inner cheek. To save herself from further humiliation, she coughs out loudly and held her chest, “Please, excuse me. I need to get some water,” she notified while coughing, and immediately scuttled off without waiting for his next words.
Noah could only giggle as he watches her back view disappearing out the door. He knew that she was only looking for an excuse to get away from him.
“Daddy, have you forgiven, Jasmine?” Aurora asked out of the blues from behind him. He turned to his daughter and nodded sharply, his smile not peeling off his lips.
Aurora's smile grew even more as she slid off the bed, “Does that mean you both are friends again?”
“Of course, baby. But this time, Daddy wants something far more than just friendship,” Noah explained to his daughter with a beam and sauntered out of the room, knowing how curious his daughter would have become by now.
Noah arrived in the dining room and with what he saw, his smile could no longer continue.
Jasmine and Denis were both arranging the dishes on the table, and Noah didn't understand what exactly Denis was telling her that was making her smile so big.
“I love when a man knows how to prepare dishes,”
When Noah walked wholly into the place, those were the words Jasmine enunciated, and he felt his heart thumped wildly.
What?
Does this mean that Jasmine wouldn't like him at all?
A storm of emotion began to rage in his heart as he grumbled loudly in an attempt to notify his presence, and the both of them raised their heads from what they were doing to look at him immediately.
Jasmine pressed her lips to a tight line upon seeing this man again, was he stalking her now?
“Bonjour monsieur. I hope you had a good night's rest? Breakfast is served,” Denis greeted warmly with a slight bow.
Noah couldn't resist the urge to scoff. He thought in his opinion that, Denis was acting formally with him but wanted to get along with Jasmine? Was that it?
He looked straight. The outline of his side face and his temple were tightened into a line while he scooted a chair backward.
“I can see you and my wife are both getting along well, Mr. Denis,” he said solemnly, shocking Jasmine with his words.
She opened her mouth to protest, but soon recalled their purpose of being in Paris currently, and they were pretending to be a couple.
Denis chuckled out softly, quite oblivious of Noah's hidden meaning words,
"Yes, sir. I must commend you've got a pretty and well-mannered wife, sir. The two maître d' that came with me to serve you last night even complimented her. They were also pleased to meet such a well-behaved and pretty lady even in this century of ours,” as Denis spoke, he kept glancing at Jasmine's face from time to time.
Noah just stared at him holding his chin up, looking at him from head to toe then back up, and remained silent and simply looked at him coldly as he talked.
“Also, I can't wait to take you guys around the whole place. So, please, get ready sooner,” Denis concluded with a glint flashing on his face.
Noah leaned back in the chair, his fingers gently on the table rhythmically as if he were thinking about something.
Two hours later, they were prepared to tour the country.
Jasmine and Aurora were clad in the matching outfit gifted by the school. A pair of jeans and a mint large green shirt together with a black pair of shoes. On their hair was a matching butterfly clip as well.
They looked like a real mother and daughter, and they would definitely attract people's attention once they show up anywhere.
Hand in hand, they both descended the stairs, with Noah following behind them with an annoyed look and strong charisma that was based on all his life experiences. He was dressed in a formal black suit, mature and elegant, which could easily make women's hearts flutter.
All this time, Denis was standing at the end of the stairs, raising his head up and admiring this family with a friendly smile on his lips as they climbed down the stairs.
“Hi, Denis. How do we look?” asked Aurora, immediately they got off the last staircase,
Noah slow down, his gaze resting solely on Denis's face, and waited for his response.
“Both mother and daughter are looking so adorable, Je t’adore” Denis complimented, looking down at the little girl whose face had crumpled up already.
“Je t’adore? What does that mean?” Aurora asked with pouted lips, she doesn't like the French language at all.
“It means he adores you,” Jasmine answered for Denis, and Aurora's eyes opened wide in disbelief at once.
“How did you know that? You don't understand the French language either,”
Jasmine cackled, “Yes, baby, but Denis had told me the meaning this morning,”
Rapidly, Noah plummeted the rest of the stairs and came to stand in their midst, facing Jasmine, “Do you mean that he told you he adores you this morning?” anger rushed up in his heart and his words became harsh without restraint.
“No. He was referring to one of those women who brought our meal this morning and that was when I asked him the meaning of the word and which he answered,” Jasmine explained to him gently, looking at him bit by bit.
Even Aurora couldn't help but observe her father's attitude since this morning and just now, he had almost pushed her out of the way only because he wanted to stand in front of Jasmine.
“Oh. I see. So can we leave now?” he asked, with no sense of shame on his face.
“Yes, sir,” Denis responded with a smile and then turned away.
Jasmine shook her head and thought inside her heart that, Noah's jealousy was so bad.
Several hours later, Denis led them into a big aquarium (Acqualagon). It is the first and largest water-themed park in Paris, situated in the capital Paris.
Denis explained, “It can provide you family rides, areas for younger children, different water slides, the largest lazy river, in Europe, and also the biggest surf simulator in the world,”
Aurora beamed in her father's hand, “Can we go inside already?”
Noah looked at his daughter's face, “Aren't you tired? Do you know how many places we've been only today?”
“I can't just help it, Daddy. This place is so beautiful, isn't it, Jasmine?”
“Yes, dear. It's so beautiful. But we should head home after we leave here, right? We've visited many beautiful places already, including boutiques, isn't it?” Jasmine said persuasively, and Aurora nodded, discerning the tired look on Jasmine's face.
They've visited numerous fascinating places indeed. However, this place was more beautiful.

It was a big vivarium with different aquatic plants and animals.
Noah dropped Aurora to the floor as they all ambled closer.
“It's one of the biggest aquatic collections in Europe. It has over five hundred of fish and contains over two million of water,” Denis elucidated, standing beside them.
Both Jasmine and Aurora looked upward at the vivarium and smiled, seeing different beautiful sea creatures.
“It's so enthralling,” Jasmine muttered.
'Being with you is more enthralling,' Noah thought while staring at her face adoringly.
Jasmine quickly fetched her cellphone from her jean pocket and gave it to Denis, “Could you please give us some snapshots?” she requested, held Aurora's hand, and gave her best pose.
Denis stole a glance at Noah and noticed the silent warning through his domineering stare.
He gulped slowly but put on a bright smile, “I'm sure your husband would take the most satisfactory snapshot,
With that, he extended the phone to Noah, who almost applauded him with what he had just said as he collected the phone from him.
He began to take the shot and, at a point, he retrieved his phone and took several snapshots of both Jasmine and his daughter.
They walked around the aquarium and each time, he stopped to take them some pictures.
“Why don't you take a family picture too?” Denis suggested, walking over and collecting the phones from Noah before none of them could protest.
Jasmine scratched her cheek awkwardly and purposely made Aurora stand in their midst.
“No, it's not done like that. Can you please carry your daughter, ma'am?
Jasmine did as she was told reluctantly and Noah inched closer and then wrapped his hand around her waist.
Jasmine felt as if a current shot through her body, but she soon formulated herself and smiled widely at the camera.
In the night.
After the long and fun-filled day, they had dinner of steamed bun with pickled cabbage.
However, none of them couldn't enjoy their meal and only wanted to retire to bed and sleep. They've had enough during the day, though.
“I'll miss you, Denis,” Aurora said after she evacuated the dining room with Jasmine.
Denis smiled in adoration, “I'll miss you too, dear. Good night. See you in the morning,”
“Good night, Denis,” Jasmine waved at him with a feeble smile, and he reciprocated it.
“Thanks for today once again,” Noah said briefly and took the stairs, “Why don't you confess your love to her already, sir?” Denis's sudden question made his steps come to a sudden halt.
Noah turned to face him, his brows knotting in a deep frown.
“What do you mean?”
“It's pretty obvious that you're in love with her, sir. Why don't you want to tell her soon?” Denis pressed on, pronouncing his words calmly, as though he wouldn't like Noah to get angry or reprimand him for poking nosing in their privacy.
Noah withdrew his steps and came to stand right in front of him, "Are you trying to tell me that we both got married and had a daughter without me confessing my love to her?”
Denis smiled softly and then shook his head, “But you guys are not married, sir”
Upon hearing this, Noah's eyes widened in surprise, “How do you know that? We don't look compatible?” he asked calmly.
“No, sir, you both look great. I noticed that your daughter was only addressing you as a father but kept calling out her own name,” Denis blurted out his heart and Noah breathed out softly.
“Well, that's true. But I love her and want her to be mine,” Noah let out, darting his eyes at every angle of the living room.
“Then go ahead and proclaim your love to her, sir,”
“What makes you think I haven't done that? I already did that, but she hasn't gotten over her past and wouldn't reciprocate my love anytime soon,” Noah explained softly, and Denis puffed out a breath as if understanding the whole thing.
“I hope you won't give up on your love soon,”
Noah stared at his face, “That woman means a lot to me, more than you can ever imagine,”
Denis smiled and tapped Noah's shoulder twice, “Come on, let me share some tips with you,”