Oops, sorry this is quite late! The past week has been a bit hectic and all over the place and I've also been scrambling with another fan fiction idea. I'm really happy with the idea and concept, but I'm struggling to find the inspiration to get the words out on the document. It got somewhere with a few of the pivotal scenes, but then I'm stuck on the filler scenes that are to do with character development and moving the story along. But I'll get there, hopefully before I lose the writing bug!

Anyway, this is the second to last chapter - the classic blow up before the happy ending (sorry if that's a slight spoiler, but that's just something with the romance/rom com genre, there's pretty much always a blow up before the happy ending. The only thing I can think of at the top of my head that didn't do that was 'The Hating Game', but the movie that literally just came onto Amazon prime in the UK of that book changed it so there was a blow up before the happy ending)

I'll let you read now! Enjoy!

Chapter 8

"I see you are wearing one of Emilie's dresses," Gabriel said when Marinette joined him in the service corridor, a place she would never have thought he'd set foot in.

"Yes, Adrien gave it to me. But I did have to make some adjustments so it would fit and suit me and the event," she replied, starting to get a little wary.

"I can see that. It was better before." Marinette started to feel her fury start to rise again but it quickly turned to utter shock when she heard his next words. "I know your relationship is fake."

"What?!"

"It's obvious. The two of you could never be more than friends, if that. What I want to know is why you're doing this. Are you after something? Money? Companionship? A job after graduation with my company?"

"Wait. You think I'm faking a relationship with your son because I want a job with you?! I've seen first hand how you treat Adrien which has made me never want to seek a job in your company, let alone with you. And I don't want your money. I've been doing well on my own since starting university and I am not a gold digger. If I was, I would have made a move on Adrien a long time ago, not waited 10 years!"

"Well then explain the need for the fake relationship."

Marinettte was stumped. She couldn't tell him the true reason why they'd started this, she'd promised Adrien she wouldn't. But then Adrien's words from the red carpet rang through her ears.

It was always real between us.

"With respect Mr Agreste, our relationship is not fake. I care about your son so deeply, and nothing you can say about my character or his will ever change that because we know each other. I know the Adrien that he is afraid to show you because of the way you have treated him growing up."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put a stop to this ridiculous 'deep caring'. You are a baker's daughter and absolutely not good enough for the Agreste brand. I will not accept a commoner into my family."

"I'm not good enough for the Agreste brand?! Adrien and I have brought more good press to your brand this past week than you ever have since you started it. You absolutely do not get to say that to me."

"Yes I do. You are a bad influence on my son. Without you he would have followed the path destined for him; taking over the company."

"Without me, he would have been miserable. We both would have been. Adrien has brought so much light and happiness into my life and I don't think I would have gotten through secondary school without him. He is my best friend which is why our relationship works and why we have so much support."

"I don't care about the support your mislead relationship has. But you've left me with no choice. If you don't leave Adrien, with you as the bad guy in the eyes of the press and my fragile son, I will pull him out of university. I have the power as a very influential man to donate a lot of money to that school to make it ok that he leaves. And he will have no choice."

Marinette reeled at his words, shocked that he would be so cruel to do this. But she felt the power of his will and her anger turned into an intense feeling of being stuck in a corner. How could she let her best friend, the man she was in love with, be forced into a life that he'd hate, only so she could have him? It would be selfish on her part.

Tears started to fall down her face, making Gabriel laugh.

"I knew that would get to you. You really do care about him," he said. Marinette looked up and glared at him, her anger coming back in full force, but even stronger to mask the sadness building in her stomach.

"How. Dare. You." She seethed. "You back me into a corner, knowing that I'd put Adrien's well being above my own, only to acknowledge how much I care about him and laugh about it. Of course I'm not going to let you take him out of school, he's the happiest he's ever been because he's away from you, his evil overbearing father. So, even if it means I never get to see him again, I will do everything in my power to make sure he graduates and continues to do what he loves, as far away from you as humanly possible."

"You think you're threatening me, Miss Dupain Cheng. In reality, you have just given me what I want. You, out of the picture," he said, glee threading through his normal monotone. He leant closer to Marinette until he was right in her personal space. "And, you should know, if I ever hear that the two of you have had contact after the break up, I will not hesitate to put a stop to whatever frivolous thing he's doing with his life and bring him back into the company."

Marinette held her hand over her mouth, choking back a sob before rushing out of the service corridor, ending up back in the ballroom. The noise and the cheer was all too much, leading to Marinette elbowing her way around talking guests to make it to the main entrance, ignoring someone calling her name. She soon found the entrance, letting the cool air of the now desolate red carpet area wash over her.

"Marinette!" she heard, spinning round to see Adrien coming out the door. He had a worried look on his face which only got more worried when she burst into tears. He rushed up to her, going to place his hands on her arms, but she pulled away, leaving a very confused Adrien to drop his hands, putting them awkwardly in his pockets.

"What did he say to you?" he asked, his own anger boiling.

"He didn't say anything."

"He did Marinette. Otherwise you wouldn't be crying. You were having fun, and don't deny that because I know you like the back of my hand, and I saw the joy and excitement."

Marinette just shook her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she had to do.

"We can't see each other, Adrien," she said matter of factly, her voice wobbling at the end.

"What? Why?"

"I'm not good enough for you. We just got caught up in the moment this week. It's not real between us and last night, and all the times today, should never have happened."

Adrien took a step towards her, her words hammering holes in his heart, but she only stepped back, shaking her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I'm not from this world. I'm too common."

"What the hell Marinette! Is this what he was saying to you?"

"No it wasn't. I need to go. My parents are expecting me."

She started to walk away, but stopped and turned back to Adrien, reaching up and kissing him full on the lips. Sparks fizzled through her and a warm feeling melted her belly, but she still pulled away, tears streaming once again.

"I'm sorry. I had to. One last time." And then she was gone, running down the red carpet toward the exit, leaving a dumbfounded Adrien staring after her.

—-

"Can we have a word," Adrien said to his father. He had stalked back into the ball, heartbroken but so angry. He analysed every word she had said to him, hearing his father in each sentence. And he was fuming.

"This is not the time," Gabriel said back to him, turning back to the person he was talking to.

"Oh it's very much the time. You are going to tell me why my best friend ran out of here in tears after breaking up with me."

Gabriel's head spun around to face Adrien, glee crossing his face for a second before flattening out.

"It was about time she left. She was not good enough. And who did she think she was wearing that dress and making you wear this get up instead of what I gave you this morning."

"You really are going to want to talk somewhere private. I don't think you want everybody in here hearing me scream at you."

Gabriel laughed, a laugh that sent shivers down the spines of the few people around. "Give me your worst."

Natalie flinched and Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"Well you asked for it," he seethed. Gabriel's face then dropped as he watched Adrien get more furious. "You should never have said she wasn't good enough for me. You don't know what's good and what's bad for me because you don't know me. I'm an adult now and have lived long enough under your thumb. This is now my time to enjoy my life and find out what I want for my future. And you know who's at the top of that list. Marinette. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I love her so much."

Gabriel just gaped at his son, surprised that he had this backbone.

"I can't believe I just told you that I love Marinette before I told her, but nothing has ever been more true. She was the only one who was there for me when mum died, which is why I showed her and asked her to pick one of mum's dresses to wear tonight. I even said that she could adapt it how she wanted and she did an amazing job, as evidenced by the compliments she got tonight from some very high up people. And as for my outfit, the one you gave would have washed me out and I would never have forced Marinette to wear that monstrosity of a dress instead of the drop dead gorgeous one she made. So maybe you should stop worrying about the well-being of your brand and focus on real people for once." Adrien continued, finished with a flourish. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He should have done that years ago. He shot Natalie an apologetic look, noticing that she had her head buried in her hands. But she just looked up at him and laughed, pulling him in for a hug.

"That was brilliant! I'm so glad you finally said that. Taking your relationship with Marinette to the next level was your best decision. I've been shipping the two of you together for years!" she said, glaring at a now cowering Gabriel.

"It was the best decision. But now I have to figure out how to convince her that she doesn't need to protect me from my father." Adrien responded.

"Well, why don't we figure it out on the way home. I don't think you should go after her now and she took the car the two of you were supposed to take back to her parents. So I'll give you a ride home while your father wraps up the ball."

"Thanks Nat."

Natalie then turned to Gabriel, a steely expression that made Gabriel cower even more.

"Please don't say you threatened her with what I think you threatened her with," she said.

"What do you think he threatened her with?" Adrien chimed in.

"He threatened to pull you out of school if she didn't leave your life."

A collective gasp went through the room and Adrien's anger came to the surface again, but he bit back his need to make another scene and took a deep breath.

"I'm going to walk home Natalie. I could do with the fresh air."

Natalie just nodded and reminded him to grab his coat from the cloakroom on the other side of the red carpet.

He enjoyed the feel of the now chilly air on his face, the long walk back to the mansion giving him the time to reflect over the night. It felt so good to yell at him and finally get some stuff off his chest, but there was still more that he was annoyed about. His mind then wandered to Marinette, an intense happiness spreading through him, but it was quickly replaced by something that he thought must be heartbreak. She'd broken up with him because she wanted the best for him. He knew none of what she said was true. He knew it when she kissed him like that ,the taste of salty tears on her lips. He really did love her so much and he had to find a way to tell her in a way that would convince her that it didn't matter what his father thought, only that they were happy.

He looked down at the little black clutch in his hands, the one she had forgotten, his finger running over the embroidered Marinette on the side, when he had an idea. He felt excitement course through his veins, then legged it the rest of the way home to go find what he was looking for.