Emilie Agreste always loved flowers and Adrien always liked the way she smiled when he gave her a new bouquet. Even with her gone, he still brought her favorite flowers, Yellow Daffodils, and placed them next to her statue. Leaving flowers there became a habit of his because, in a way, it made him feel as if she was still with him. With a smile, he told her statue, "Today is going to be a big day. Marinette is coming over for dinner and I wish you were here with us to meet her."
Sadly, the blond didn't have much time to talk because his princess was waiting. Excited to go to her, he got up in one jump and ran to the limousine. The smile on his face filled with pure bliss.
Marinette was equally excited for her prince to arrive. Of course, a part of her was also nervous about having dinner with his dad. Despite her insecurities and her fears, when the famous Agreste limousine stopped in front of her street, the bluenette enthusiastically went to open the door only to be stopped by Adrien's bodyguard who insisted on opening the door himself.
After she entered the ride, she looked at Adrien. He looked perfect. He was perfect. With his golden hair and green eyes that always showed his intense love and passion. No wonder Alya sometimes called him sunshine because his proximity was definitely giving Marinette's cheek a sunburn. In what she could only assume was a great attempt to turn her into a complete nervous blushing mess, he offered a bouquet of beautiful red vibrant roses.
While she took them and enjoyed their beauty, Adrien laughed because his lady's cheeks perfectly matched the roses. "Ladybugs really like flowers, don't they?"
"They do when they are this beautiful." Marinette smiled and used the roses to hide her tremendous blush.
Looking at her with his big, dreamy eyes, he admitted, "You are the one that's beautiful. You took my breath away the moment I saw you in that dress."
She placed the flowers in the back seat, but still held onto her blush. Nervously, she asked, "Do you really like it?"
Like it? He loved it! Her clothes were as amazing, and looked as beautiful, as the girl that wore them. He couldn't wait to see how it would look with his gift. Filled of excitement, Adrien said, "There's just one thing missing."
Marinette watched with curiosity as he pulled a box out of his jacket. She wasn't expecting more gifts after the beautiful bouquet.
"Adrien you shouldn't...'' she tried to say, staring at the box as he opened it. Inside was a gorgeous and expensive heart shaped pendant That was simple but elegant, easily complementing any outfit. It certainly was not as elaborate or luxurious as something Chloe would wear, but it was something Marinette wasn't used to wearing on a normal basis. Part of her didn't want to think that it might be made of real gold, but as a fashion connoisseur, she knew better.
As he gently took the necklace out of the box to put it on her, he explained, "You already own my heart, so I thought why not make it official."
When he spoke like that Marinette really couldn't hide a smile as she gladly accepted his heart. After he put the necklace on her, she revealed, "I also have something for you. It isn't as luxurious as this necklace, but I'm sure you'll like it."
Adrien already had a guess on what it could be, but that didn't take away his joy as he watched her pull out a box of his favorite passion fruit macarons from her purse. Not even when he tried to bake them or buy them from her dad's store did they feel so sweet as when they were made by his Marinette.
Pulling her closer he admitted, "I love your sweets because they are as sweet as you." He finished his sentence by doing something he had been dying to do ever since Marinette entered the car. He gave her a very, long sweet kiss. The rest of the ride continued peaceful and happy, with the two lovebirds talking a lot less and cuddling and kissing a lot more.
However, as soon as the car stopped at the mansion, their joyful mood changed. Both took a deep breath, preparing for the dinner that was to come. To their relief, Natalie opened the door to the mansion without any sign of Gabriel.
"He's still working. Please wait here for a minute." She instructed them before leaving them waiting in the hall alone.
Marinette noticed Adrien was tense, so she took his hand and asked, "You're nervous about this aren't you?"
He admitted, "a little. And you?"
"Not at all," she lied. She was actually almost terrified. For her this was slightly more than dinner with Adrien's cold father. Gabriel, besides being her boyfriend's dad, was also her inspiration and the main reason she ever wanted to be a designer in the first place. It was safe to say that she had a lot of pressure to impress Adrien's father, the world's coldest, most talented man.
However, she knew that her nerves were nothing compared to Adrien's. For him she had to pretend she was calm. Knowing exactly how his father could be, Adrien decided to warn her, "Remember that my father isn't one of many affections or warmth. He takes a lot of time warming up to people. So, whatever he says or does... just... just know that I love you."
Marinette squeezed his hand and assured herself and him, "Whatever he does or says, we are in this together. Besides, we've faced scarier things than this... like Lila or even Hawkmoth. Compared to them, your dad isn't really that scary."
Adrien wasn't sure if he agreed. He thought to himself that Hawkmoth in a final battle, or Lila, might be equally scary. The only thing that made him feel better about dinner was that he and Marinette kind of had a plan. "Remember that we only tell him about Kitten."
"If it all goes well." She agreed, because although she had an idea of how controlling and cold Gabriel could be, she still had no idea how he would react. What if he hated her and forbade Adrien from ever seeing her or Kitten? What if he sent Adrien somewhere far away? Part of her knew he probably wouldn't do any of that, but her tendency to overreact always lead her to imagine the worst-case scenarios.
Meanwhile, during all this time, Gabriel was in his office confirming that every detail of his plan was ready and that there were no loose ends. However, it wasn't easy to concentrate when his office was invaded by his unwelcome guest.
"How dare you invite her here and prepare all of the best for her?" Lila hissed. Her blood was boiling with anger.
"Last time I checked this is still my house and she is my son's girlfriend." He continued reading Marinette's file, not bothering to look at Lila. How ironic was it that he invited Ladybug to his house? More ironic was the fact that she was going to be the one to save him later in the evening.
Lila warned him, "You are playing a dangerous game."
He ignored her and, although she was there, he was so confident that she was distracted that he even risked it and switched the folder with Marinette's information for another folder full of business reports. He even smirked, knowing that Lila was so mad over dinner that it led her to miss all the details of his plan.
Just as Lila was about to make another threat, Natalie walked in and announced, "Sir, they arrived."
"This won't stay this way," Lila warned before storming out of the office and into the security room.
Gabriel was happy that all this trouble would be over by the end of the night. In a way it was a dangerous plan, but he knew it's impossible to win without risk.
Natalie approached him and whispered, "Everything is ready for the plan, but may I say... and forgive me for saying it... but are you sure this will work? Isn't it too dangerous?"
He looked her in the eyes and confessed, "That's exactly why I need Mayura there. There's no one else I would trust for this mission." She looked at him in a way that made it hard to focus. Nevertheless, he continued, "Just remember to protect Adrien in case my plan fails."
"You can always count on me Gabriel." She assured him. And despite agreeing with his plan, she still thought her simpler plan of killing Lila was better.
He continued to look at Natalie, and almost like reading her mind, he reminded her, "We aren't killing Lila! No matter how tantalizing the idea might be."
After everything he went through, the last thing he wanted was more weight on his conscience. It had already been his fault for what happened to Emilie. Not to mention that he almost had made another huge mistake that nearly cost him his son. So, the one thing was certain, was that he wasn't going to risk any casualties in his fresh start. Besides, if it all went according to plan Lila, would get what she deserved.
After making sure everything was in order, he finally left his office. When he reached the hall, he noticed Marinette and Adrien were holding hands and that they seemed both equally nervous. He didn't understand why they seemed so afraid of him.
Adrien was the first to speak in an excited, yet nervous tone. "Hello father, this is my girlfriend."
"Hello son, and Miss Dupain-Cheng." he reached out his hand for the bluenette.
"Hi, please call me Marinette." She shook his hand and smiled.
"Very well, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. My son has mentioned so many, many wonderful things about you."
While Adrien was embarrassed, Gabriel smiled politely. If she wasn't Ladybug, he might've actually approved of this girl. At least, she seemed to make his son happy. So, who was he to try to stop them?
Marinette didn't know if it was a relief or a disappointment that Gabriel didn't seem to remember meeting her. She could think of many examples of when their paths had crossed. One of them was years ago when she won his derby hat competition. To this day, she still thought of that as one of her proudest achievements. Choosing to smile nevertheless, she said, "Thank you for inviting me. I'm really excited to be here."
Wanting desperately for his father to like her, Adrien pushed her forward and said, "Marinette loves all your designs. She wants to be a designer like you."
Gabriel didn't reply, but carefully began circling around her. She couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong? Did she mess up already? Did she say the wrong thing? Was there a problem with the dress? He hated it, didn't he? Could he tell she was pregnant?
Marinette seemed very different from what Gabriel read about her. This girl always seemed to surpass his expectations, and not just as Ladybug. Looking at the dress, it was clearly made by her and he was surprised by her talent. The fact the dress looked like something one of his models could walk on the stage during his next show proved to him that Marinette would make a great fashion designer. It was almost certain that with her talent she could easily make a name for herself in the industry. That gave him an idea that he hadn't considered. Perhaps she could be the perfect candidate to one day take on his designer role in the Agreste company.
He wasn't offering her a job just yet; however, he believed in giving credit where credit was due. "Nice work on the dress. It's quite astonishing that you were able to design and make such a complicated, yet elegant piece."
Marinette was blown away because Gabriel Agreste, the world's most amazing yet terrifying fashion designer, liked her dress. "It really wasn't that hard. I have been designing clothes for me and my friends for a really long time,'' she explained while trying her best to stay calm. So far, everything was going so much better than she could have hoped for.
"How would you feel about seeing my next official line?" He offered, knowing this could be a good way to test her talents.
"She would love it," Adrien spoke for Marinette, who just nodded. She didn't trust her words not to come all jumbly. For her, it was almost unbelievable that she got to see the next Agreste line before it was even out. She wondered what kind of patterns and fabrics he chose. Not to mention the accessories.
After checking that his unwelcomed guest had not returned to his office, Gabriel allowed his son and his son's girlfriend inside. Adrien couldn't believe that his father was allowing Marinette in there. He was always very strict on who was allowed in his office.
Marinette slowly walked in, amazed that some of her favorite pieces had been designed there. After Gabriel gave two or three clicks on his tablet, to her bliss, there was the first design. As soon as the design was displayed, he asked, "What do you think?"
"Amazing," Marinette struggled with what to say. The design wasn't bad. It was actually wonderful and outstanding in a way only Gabriel really could do. She could learn so much from him! However, her creative brain saw one or two alterations that really could make the design one of her favorites ever. Of course, that was her opinion, and she didn't want to insult Adrien's dad, Paris' most famous fashion designer.
Hoping for a more honest opinion, he tried again, "If it were your design what would you change?"
Her mouth betrayed her, letting out a few of her main suggestions. "I would turn this straight line skirt into an A-line. I would definitely add a little more color to it, something like a coral or even a peach tone would do the trick."
He remained silent as he looked at the design and considered her ideas. His face showed zero expression, and that scared her. How bad had she messed up? Was this the end of her dream working in fashion?
"Interesting. I agree." He complimented in his own way before proceeding to show the next design and the next. She gave suggestions and Gabriel took notes on each one. Overall, It took less than five minutes before he was allowing her to touch his personal tablet and actively change the designs. Before either could realize, they were openly talking fabrics, colors, techniques, and new trends.
Most of it went over Adrien's head, so he just nodded when they asked him opinions. At some point, they even forgot he was there. He didn't mind. He was just happy watching Marinette shine in all her glory. Even his father was starting to see how amazing she was.
For Marinette, time went by so fast that she didn't realize it was even moving until they reached the last design. "It's over?" She asked, the disappointment clear in her voice. That moment only made her want to be a designer even more.
"Unfortunately, yes." Gabriel said, amused at her enthusiasm. He didn't think he was ever that excited for a new line. With a smile, he looked at the clock and was surprised by how long they had been there. "Well, it seems it's almost dinner time. You two can go ahead. I still have a few things to do."
Both teens walked to the door, but before they left, Gabriel showed his appreciation. "Thank you, Marinette. Not everyone would be brave enough, or talented enough, to try to improve my designs."
She smiled. "It was a pleasure to help. I hope people love the new line as much as I do."
He grinned. "After your advice, I have no doubt they will... and I'll also make sure you will be there to see it."
The man smiled as his son and Marinette left. She certainly wouldn't be the worst daughter-in-law in the world. Despite being Ladybug and being in his way too many times, he had to admit that his son had chosen a great girl. The smile didn't last long as he remembered his plan. With guilt, he opened the safe containing his miraculous.
Marinette, considering how well things were going. was a lot calmer. Adrien felt exactly the same. Clearly, Gabriel wasn't the villain they had painted him out to be.
Super excited, Adrien whispered to Marinette, "This is rare, but I think my father really likes you."
"Are you sure?" she asked. He didn't seem to hate her, but she didn't want to be cocky to the point of saying he liked her. Maybe he just admired her talent?
Adrien seemed more sure than her. "Trust me. In this house, that was the warmest welcoming possible. If you want proof, just wait until you see how he greets my cousin Felix and my aunt Amilie."
"Well, at least he liked me, now we just need to see how he reacts to our news."
"We'll see," Adrien replied, unsure. Part of him hoped that maybe he would react well. Another part refused to get his hopes too high.
For Marinette, the actual dinner turned out very differently from her family dinners. It started with everyone being seated very far from each other, then came the servants that brought food made by the finest chefs. Although everything was wonderful and gloriously fancy, the truth was that it was also very shallow and silent. Instead of smiles and laughter she was used too, all she heard was the sound of cutlery on silver plates. She finally understood why Adrien always loved the loud and love-filled dinners with her family.
Eventually after finishing the Hors d'oeuvres, Adrien had gathered some courage. "Father, there's something we wanted to tell you." Unfortunately, he lost that courage just as quickly after looking at his father.
Noticing Adrien's struggle, Marinette took a breath and, while not even daring to look Gabriel in the eyes, whispered, "I'm pregnant and Adrien's the father."
Luckily, he heard her and responded with a mere, "Oh," before returning his attention back to his plate as if nothing new had been said. Deafening silence echoed once again in the mansion.
Adrien was disheartened that his father's reaction was less than two syllables. Although disappointed, part of him also wasn't surprised. It seemed his father really hadn't changed at all.
Gabriel was the first to break the chilling silence. "Shall we start discussing the many details that need to be sorted out?"
"What kind of details?" Marinette and Adrien both asked.
Gabriel explained, "Well for starters, we can start working on a plan for how we'll break the news to the media."
"So, you're just worried about how this will look?" Adrien asked and Marinette wanted to grab his hand in support but he was too far away. It was hard to believe that for a moment Adrien assumed his father actually cared.
"I'm worried about many things.'' In reality Gabriel was trying to be helpful and organized for the good of Marinette, Adrien, and the baby. However, his way of showing he cared still needed a little refinement. Without blinking he turned to Marinette and directly asked. "How soon can you move here?"
"I'm moving here?" She questioned.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "It makes more sense, doesn't it? Everyone from the Agreste family lives here, and besides, this mansion has plenty of space... not to mention that infants require lots of help, which won't be lacking here. At least for the first few months of the newborn life, it's the rational thing to do. In fact, I'll have Natalie prepare a room for you and a nursery first thing tomorrow."
Lila hissed in the security room watching the cameras. Didn't Gabriel know she would be there watching and listening? If he did, then how could he invite Marinette to live here?
Just when she didn't think her anger could be any worse, he continued, "Marinette, as my future daughter-in-law, I also think it's best to start planning the wedding."
"But we aren't even engaged sir," the bluenette explained.
Gabriel turned to Adrien and openly asked, "Son, what are you waiting for?"
The blond almost choked on his food for two reasons: first, he wasn't expecting his father to say that; and second, because he couldn't admit that it was just a matter of days.
"Are you okay?" Marinette asked, looking at Adrien struggle.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled.
Gabriel looked relieved that his son was okay, and to help him, he let go of the marriage issue and continued, "That reminds me that we still haven't talked about medical care for Marinette and the baby. Natalie already has the contacts for the best pediatricians and obstetricians in Europe."
"Why would Natalie..." Adrien began to ask, but his father continued.
"I almost forgot to mention we need to start interviewing bodyguards for Marinette... and nannies and tutors for the baby. Natalie also kept some contacts from your homeschooling time, so that's one less thing for us to worry about. We also have to ensure Marinette has access to the Agreste financial funds..."
His father was going so fast that the blond barely registered anything else his father continued saying. His mind got stuck in one of his worst nightmares: Kitten being home-schooled. In his mind, his kid deserved the opportunity to experience the outside world and make friends. Confused and speechless, Adrien turned his eyes to Marinette as if asking her for help.
Unfortunately, Marinette was too busy trying to keep up and imagining how everything was going to change. Moving in? Wedding? Bodyguards? Homeschooling? Media attention? Financial funds? Her head was spinning.
"Excuse me," she apologized as her body almost on its own lifted from the chair and slowly began walking somewhere so she could clear her mind.
It was at that moment that Lila, now transformed by the butterfly miraculous, showed up. Not even quantum masking was enough to hide her true identity.
"Hope I'm not late for the family dinner." She smirked as she calmly entered the room.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting. In the last chapter, I loved all your ideas on how to kill Lila. Also, I'm really sorry that it took me this long to finish this chapter. Writing for me takes a lot of time and the first draft of this chapter was over 6K. The good news is that I also have been working on the next chapter so you didn't have to wait long. I will publish it as soon as it's ready. See you all very soon.