—Bastien, why aren’t the lights on? —Kate asked, frowning.

Bastien pressed a remote control Lucca had secretly given him, and suddenly, a massive aquarium lit up beneath the staircase. A soft bluish glow flooded the room, revealing a stunning marine display. Kate covered her mouth in surprise.

—Bastien, this... this is beautiful.

She ran toward the aquarium like a child at a theme park. Inside, colorful fish of various sizes swam in harmony. And at the center, a majestic Oscar fish floated, like the guardian of that private ocean.

Bastien approached from behind, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her neck tenderly.

—Do you like it?

—Love, I adore it. It's wonderful. It’s huge! —Kate replied, unable to look away.

Suddenly, barking was heard. Kate turned and saw Shadow running toward her. She knelt and scooped him into her arms. Shadow licked her face enthusiastically, clearly thrilled to see her.

But when he saw Bastien, he growled.

—Grrrr —Bastien replied, narrowing his eyes—. Do