The whole penthouse went silent when Martin left. Feeling exhausted, Dana went back to her bedroom and went to the balcony to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, the lights on the balcony next door were open, indicating that the owner was home.
Just as she was contemplating, Alexei walked outside and glanced at her. despite being a rival in the business world, Dana, raised with etiquette and manners, greeted him politely.
"How are you faring?"
Alexei did not expect her greetings. Knowing that they were on an acquaintance level in terms of relations, Alexei thought that he would be ignored. Perhaps because of what happened at the abandoned café, things were a bit lighter that before.
"Quite well. And you? How are your injuries?" He replied with the same level of politeness.
"Everything is fine. My injuries are recovering well." Dana did not know what to say. Alexei on the other side of the balcony was also silent.
"You-" after a while, both of them spoke at the same time, trying to break the silence. They then smiled a little due to the interaction.
"Well… it is getting late. You should rest. You're still recovering after all." considerate to Dana's situation, Alexei suggested to her to rest.
"Uhm. Thanks." Dana did not rebut him. She gave a light smile and walked inside the bedroom. However, before she closed the door, she waved at Alexei.
"Good night to you." She did not wait for his reply and went inside. She couldn't understand why she said those words… feeling confused, she drank some water and decided to rest for the night.
The shine from the sun outside her balcony woke Dana up. When she looked at the clock beside her, she noticed that it was 7 o'clock in the morning, a bit early for a day off. However, since she will be sending martin off to the airport later, she decided to not go back to sleep, but prepare instead.
After taking a bath and changing clothing, Dana went to the kitchen downstairs to prepare a light breakfast. Despite being a daughter from an aristocratic family, Dana was passionate about cooking and had undergone some training in the basics.
After eating, Dana cleaned up the dishes and went outside. Just when she arrived at the lobby, she saw Martin, along with her three secretaries, just entering the building.
"Oh! Madame, you're up really early. You don't have work today." Marie expressed her surprise when they saw her.
"I woke up at the usual time. Couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to just go with the day." Dana replied, feeling refreshed.
"I see. you had breakfast yet?" Martin asked.
"Yep. I eat a bit. Guess we could eat something. Considered it as a farewell for you." Dana suggested. Selena then booked a place somewhere near the building.
"This place is actually famous for the Mont Blanc. You all would love it here."
"Then, shall we?" Martin assisted Dana on the side as they walked outside. All 4 of them were in a good mood, alighted the car and went to the café.
The ride only took a few minutes before arriving at a bustling café in the heart of Paris.
They went inside, a waiter waiting for them at the entrance. After confirming their reservation, they were led to a private room with a beautiful balcony and view of the Eiffel Tower.
After making all the 3 girls sit comfortably, Martin sat across the table. As considerate as ever, he also handed them some warm wet towels.
"Sir Martin, you've received all papers, right? Is everything set for your departure?" Hanna inquired after wiping her hands.
"Yes. My flight is schedule 10 o'clock in the morning. No worries. Everything is settled for." Martin replied warmly. He then turned to Dana and asked.
"What about you Young Miss? What will be your plans for the day?"
Dana took a sip of water before replying. "I'll probably tour some museums here and eat at a café. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just send word to my parents and my grandpa that I'll already recovered."
"Well, that's good to hear. Then I hope you enjoy your day. It's rare for you to take a day off. Knowing you, you would probably finish all your task before taking a break." Martin chucked.
"Sounds about right." Marie also chimed in.
The food arrived not long after and everyone had a great time talking reminiscing about mundane topics. They laughed and teased one another, having a happy breakfast. After that, they then went to the airport, just in time for Martin's flight back to London.
"Take care. That you for everything, Martin." Dana smiled as they sent him off.
"You too Young miss. See you in London in a few days." Martin bid his farewell to everyone and entered the boarding hall.
After making sure that Martin was settled, they all left the airport.
"Where will you go this time, Madame?" Marie inquires within the car as soon as they hit the national road. Dana was contemplating for a while, planning to randomly name a place but hesitates. She fell silent for a while before she replied.
"Why don't you take this time relax?"
"Madame?" all three secretaries looked at one another, not understanding her intention.
Dana smiled in return. "Take a day off and tour Paris. Afterall, we'll be leaving in 2 days' time."
"Then what about you?" Hanna asked in return.
"I'll be fine. I'll just walked around." Dana assured them.
The trio hesitated in accepting the offer especially with Dana's current situation. They gave each other a glance. Dana, who knew them very well, smiled.
"Don't worry about me and enjoy your day. I'll call you if anything happens."
"Okay. If you say so." Marie agreed. Both Selena and Hanna also followed suit.
After settling on a plan, they all went back to the penthouse. After they've arrived, Dana went upstairs first after taking the keys from Selena and parting in the lobby.
Dana arrived at her room, put down the keys on the table. She went to the kitchen and took a sip of an energy drink bottle that the staff prepared to her back then after her arrival in France. Afterwards, she sat down in the living room and turned on the Television but there was only little news that piques her interests. Bored, she turned off the TV and took a nap on the couch.
After a while, Dana woke up, feeling energized. She looked around the place with a bored face and decided to head out. She went to the bedroom, inside the bathroom and took a shower to freshen up. She then chooses simple and classy casual clothes and applies light make-up. After making sure everything was in order, Dana left the penthouse.
She drove her Ferrari out into the main highway, randomly going around. She went to a museum and arbitrarily joined a tour group around the main city. She joined them on the bus after securing her car in the parking lot of the museum. They went to the Eiffel Tower, where the tour guide explains the history of the tower. After listening, everyone went to take a picture of the tower before getting ready for the next location.
Dana went along with them, going from the Palace of Versailles, Seine River & Pont Alexandre III, and up to the Catacombs of Paris, enjoying the atmosphere, even the occasional chatters of the crowd.
As they've arrived at the Notre-Dame Cathedral for the last part of the tour, after the usual explanation of the tour guide, an elderly couple approached Dana and asked them for a photo. Dana agreed and took many pictures of them, and as she handed back the phone, the elderly couple chatted with her.
"Merci d'avoir pris nos photos. Êtes-vous seule?"
[Thank you for taking our pictures. Are you alone?]
"Oui. Je traîne juste."
[Yes. I'm just hanging around.]
"Ton français est plutôt bon. Tu es touriste ou native?"
[Your French is quite good. Are you a tourist or a native?]
"Non, mais je connais la langue."
[No, but I speak the language]
"Je vois."
[I see.]
After the tour, Dana felt a bit of hunger, so she went to a nearby restaurant to eat. As she sat down at a table, she unexpectedly saw Alexei up across the table, dining alone with a waiter taking his order.