Lila slapped her. Mari wanted to attack her but to avoid making a big scene, she just slapsed Lila too just when Sabine and Isabella walked in the room.
"What's going on here?!" Sabine asked surprised.
"She slapped me!" Lila yelled.
"Tell them what you did to me first!" Mari yelled back.
"I didn't do anything to you!" Lila grabbed the picture of Adrien. "I came and asked her nicely to give this to me see mom, she took the picture of Adrien."
"All this for a single picture? We could've just gotten another one. Look I don't want this to be mentioned to Tom understood?" Sabine asked. Lila Isabella and Plagg agreed. Mari just stayed quiet but Sabine decided to leave her be. Lila dropped the picture on the bed as she walked out with everyone else.
Mari picked up the picture and smiled. "I won't let anyone take this picture Teddy."
"Yes Ruby everything is good here I have an understanding that there is an article on Paris newspapers about me in this conference?" Adrien was on the phone with Ruby while being in the gym doing the Treadmill.
Ruby smiled holding the newspaper on her lap. "I saw it; they don't just talk about you, there's a picture of you, and you came out handsome."
"And how is Maya?" He asked.
"Missing you a lot." Ruby replied softly.
Adrien smiled sweetly. "I also miss her a lot and Audrey?"
Ruby sighs. "With her same attitude. Protesting for everything normal."
Adrien sighs. "Audrey will never change but she should be calmer now since Mari isn't in the house anymore...by the way. How is Mari? Have you seen her?" Edward who was on the treadmill next to him laughed softly and hitted him with a towel.
Ruby smiled. "Yes I have seen her twice now."
"Is she happy?" Adrien asked curiously.
"She seems to enjoy herself around me." Ruby stated playfully.
"How are they treating her in Judge Dupain's house?" Adrien asked concern.
"I would guess okay." Ruby stated softly. "Will you call her by phone? Or you can leave her a message with me."
"No Ruby just keep an eye on her still please." Adrien said with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry about that blondie. When will you return?" Ruby asked curiously.
"I still don't know it depends on how the conference goes but don't worry I'll let you know." Adrien replied.
"Alright." Ruby smiled.
Adrien smiled. "Many kisses to my beautiful daughter love you take care."
"You too big brother." Ruby hangs up not knowing Audrey was walking behind her.
"What did your brother want? To know about that street rat?" Audrey asked sarcastically.
Ruby stood up from the couch. "To ask about her Maya me and even you." Ruby said playfully.
"He doesn't need to worry about me; I don't need him. Did you tell him that Natalie received a call from my daughter Chloe?" Audrey once again asked sarcastically.
Ruby shook her head. "No Audrey."
Audrey nodded. "Of course, it wasn't necessary he's part of it too."
Ruby crosses her arms. "I didn't tell him, to not worry him." With that she walks away.
"You were desperate to know about Mari." Edward teased as him and Adrien walked around the gym pool.
Adrien shakes his head. "Edward you know that every time I travel, I call home."
Edward smiles. "But this time you had a certain motive don't deny it Adrien."
Adrien sighs with a soft smile. "You're right Edward why deny it; I think about Mari all the time. I see her eyes in front of me. I hear her voice. I dream with her; I dream of Mari."
"Did you forget that you said you would forget about her?" Edward asked playfully. "It doesn't make sense that you keep traumatizing yourself Adrien. You will have to make a decision based on Mari."
"The decision is already made I need to get her out of my mind in whatever it takes." Adrien replied softly.
"That seems impossible to me." Edward replied.
"I need to do it." Adrien sadly replied.
Later that day Lila walked into the Agreste household. "What a beautiful house it has great style."
Ruby smiled. "Thank you c'mon let's go to the living room-"
Maya walks down the stairs. "Ruby can you help me with my homework?"
Ruby smiled. "Of course princess."
Maya noticed Lila. "But you're not alone."
Lila smiled. "Hi it's Maya right?"
Ruby nodded picking Maya up in her arms. "Princess this young lady wanted to meet her."
"Hi." Maya waved shyly.
"Hi." Lila waved back with a smile. "My name is Lila. You're so cute Maya and guess what I got you a gift." She hands her chocolates, and Maya smiled grabbing them thanking her. "You know I would like it if we were great friends."
Audrey walked down the stairs. "Good afternoon."
Ruby put Maya down. "Audrey this is the daughter of the Dupain."
Audrey extended her hand to her. "Audrey Bourgeois."
Lila shook her hand. "Lila Dupain-Cheng it's lovely to meet you."
"Lila got me chocolate grandma." Maya said happily.
"That's fine go on do your homework." Audrey said emotionless.
"C'mon princess let's go do your homework. Lila I leave you with Audrey. This is your house." Ruby and Maya walked away.
"Let's go to the living room." Audrey led Lila to the living room.
Lila looked around. "I'm admitting your house such a great taste."
Audrey sat on a couch, and Lila sat on the other one. "My daughter Chloe decorated it. It's exactly how she left it."
Lila faked a sad smile. "They told me what happened. It's terrible and...and what do you know about Adrien?"
"He's still in a conference." She said blankly.
"I'm waiting for him to return so I can set a date for my party to represent myself to society." Lila said with a soft smile.
"And what does Adrien have to do with you Miss. Dupain-Cheng?" Audrey asked curiously.
Ruby was helping Maya with her homework when her phone rang. She answered it and it was Mari, she sounded sad and asked her if she could come because she needed someone to talk to and everyone in the house, including Sabine seems to be mad at her. Ruby nodded and said she would be there as soon as she can.
Lila grabbed the coffee cup that a maid was giving her. "There's nothing except for the part that my dad praises Adrien a lot, who is the head of the male guests list. Since you are the head of the female guests list. I want to clear with you that I never did a party here because I lived out of French for a long time. One of the reasons of my visit is to personally invite you, and I also want to ask you something else that is very important for me. To give me your blessing for Adrien to be my companion that night. Like a chaperone." She smiled
"I'm glad you considered me Lila. No one else would keep me in mind." Audrey said blankly.
"But I did, plus I'm interested in knowing you." Lila said sweetly.
"I have nothing to object." Audrey replied.
Lila put her coffee cup down and bended in front of her. "Thank you Mrs. you don't know how much I'm grateful to you because you're probably sacrificing your morals and maybe even the remembrance of your daughter. You don't know how glad I am to have met you Mrs. I'm sure we will be great friends.
Ruby parks the car next to a sidewalk and turns to Mari. "Now tell me why did she slap you?"
Mari sighs. "Well...I saw a picture of your brother in the newspaper, and I cut it out then Lila comes and tells me to give her the picture, but I didn't want to and didn't give it to her that's when she slapped me. I wanted to attack her, but I just slapped her back that's when Mrs. Sabine the aunt and Plagg walked in."
Ruby nodded. "And you told them that she slapped you first."
Mari shook her head. "I didn't tell them. I just couldn't."
"So what happened to the picture of my brother?" Ruby asked with a teasing smile.
Mari smiled. "I have it safed in my room."
"Mari do you care a lot for Adrien?" Ruby asked curiously.
Lila and Isabella were at a saloon having their hair and nails done. "Everything went how I hoped Aunt Isabella, I have both Adrien's daughter and his mother in law wrapped around my finger."
"Hay what's that woman like?" Isabella asked curiously.
Lila smiled. "She's elegant a diva. I almost had her as an enemy at first. You should have seen the look she had when I told her that I was waiting for her son in law to return to set a date for my party."
Isabella laughed. "I can imagine."
Lila nodded. "She didn't like it at all, but soon I got her on my side. She even gave me permission for Adrien to be my official companion that night."
Isabella looked at her with a smile. "You're terrible I'm starting to think that you're worse than me."
"That woman will love me so much that when I tell her I'll get married to her son in law, she'll be happy. " Lila smiled.
"I do care for him a lot he has been a good person for me. He has never been mean to me or pushed me aside heck he saved me from going to prison. How can I not be grateful to him? How could I not care for him?" Mari smiled.
"Do you want to call him? I have the number of his hotel room, and my cell phone is right here." Ruby lifts her cellphone up.
Mari shook her head. "No I don't want to bother him."
Ruby smiled. "I know what we will do we will send him an email." Mari looked at her confused not knowing what that is. "You'll see I'll show you." She takes out her laptop and sets everything up before handing it to Mari. Mari just looked at it a bit worried. "C'mon it won't bite you. It's only an email what you write to him here he'll get it in his computer. Put whatever you want."
Mari starts panicking. "No Ru...what do you want me to put? I don't know what to write here. Why don't you do it? You know more than me how to use it." Mari hands the laptop back.
"Let's do this." She hands Mari a piece of paper. "Write it down and I'll scan it."
Mari freaks out. "I have ugly handwriting and I don't know anything about grammar."
"That doesn't matter it's the detail that counts. Write whatever you want and I'll just scan it." Ruby smiled.
Mari sighs and starts to write something.
Adrien was working in his room when he got an email. He opened it and saw a scan image and read it. "Adrien I miss you a lot. Don't forget me Mari." He smiled at the message and saw that she also drew a heart. "Mari do you also love me?"
Ruby decided to teach Mari how to use a laptop, but it wasn't easy because Mari freaked out the whole time. The most she could teach Mari was how to type her name.
"What are you reading so intensely." Edward asked walking into the room. Adrien starts to close his laptop, but Edward stops him and sees the screen. "What's that?"
Adrien sighs. "Read the signature."
"Mari?" Edward asked surprised.
Adrien smiled. "She says that she misses me a lot."
"Yea and not to forget about her." Edward pats his shoulder teasing him.
Adrien shakes his head with a smile. "And here I am trying to forget her."
Edward shrugged. "Maybe it's not worth you forgetting her. This shows that Mari is sensitive. Her handwriting is terrible and she has no grammar, but it's the thought that counts. How did she even send this?"
"I don't know Ruby might have helped her." Adrien replied. "This is worth a million words for me Edward."
"What do you think the real intention is behind this?" Edward asked curiously.
"What do you think Edward? Could Mari be in love with me like how I am in love with her?" Adrien had a big smile.
'Why do I miss the crazy cue doctor so much? I never thought of a guy like this, I always hated them. Adrien is different though but why?'
"Or maybe it's just that she admires me." Adrien said softly.
Edward nodded. "Maybe but that could turn into love."
Adrien sighs. "We are so different Edward. She would suffer by my side. She would feel out of place in the environment I'm from...forgot it."
"Can you?" Edward asked seriously.
Plagg walked over to Judge Dupain that night. "Sir there's a young man here wanting to see Mari."
"Tell him to wait in the entrance I'll be right there." Plagg nodded and walked away. Tom finishes what he was doing before walking out from his study and when he sees the young man, he recognizes him immediately. "Oh it's you the so-called boyfriend of Mari. What do you want?"
Nino looked at him. "Dr Agreste permitted me to visit Mari at his house, and if you also permit me-"
"If Dr. Agreste had no problem with it, I have nothing to object to you can also visit her here." Tom replied interrupting him. Sabine walked up to them. "The young man is Mari's boyfriend. Adrien knows it, and he authorized that he can visit her."
Sabine smiled. "A pleasure young man."
Nino smiled. "The pleasure is mine Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. Nino Lahiffe at your service."
At that moment, Mari walks through the doors and was surprised to see Nino there. "Here you have her young man. You can go to the garden to talk. Plagg." Plagg walked over to them. "Please walk with them to the garden please."
Plagg nodded and led the two to the garden. Mari sat on a swing as Nino hands her a lollipop, she thanked him as she took it. "How are you Mari?" Nino sat on the grass as she starts swinging. "Do you feel okay here? That man seems strick to me. You can see that he is a Judge."
Mari nodded continue to swing. "Yea I'm okay don't worry about me."
He smiled. "He asked what I am to you, and I said your boyfriend."
Mari stops swinging and for some reason, Adrien flashes through her mind. "Don't you think we should say that we aren't anything?"
He shook his head. "They wouldn't let me see you if we do." She started to say something but couldn't find the words for it. "You're okay here right? Dr. Agreste brought you here so he would be calm and without problems. To get rid of you."
"That's not true he brought me here because I'll be happier here than in his house!" Mari replied defensive. "And I won't let you talk badly about Adrien." Mari stood up.
Nino stood up. "Adrien? You have so much trust with him who pushed you aside?"
"That's not true Nino, he worries about me and when he returns from his trip, he'll keep on eye on me." Mari put her hands in her pockets. "He didn't abandon me."
Nino looks at her as she continues to swing. "What do you feel for that man Mari? Tell me what you feel. What do you feel for Dr. Agreste?"
Mari stands up. "What do you want me to feel Nino?! Admiration care." She runs back inside the house. She almost bumps into Lila in the hallway.
Lila put her hands up. "Woah careful where you're walking." Mari just ignores her and walks to her room. Then Lila hears a male voice calling Mari's name and suddenly there's a young man in front of her. "Good evening."
"Good evening." He replied.
"Who as you?" Lila asked as she crosses her arms and leans on a wall.
"Nino Lahiffe I'm Mari's boyfriend." He replied.
"Boyfriend? That's a surprise, I didn't know that Mari had a boyfriend. You know you are very handsome it seems that your girlfriend hasn't noticed yet." Lila said with a soft smirk.
"Well excuse me I have to go." He said before heading to the front door.
"Of course, hay come back soon." Lila called out to him.
"Okay I don't like Miss. Llla...well I never did...BUT I dislike her more. I saw her slapping Mari just because Mari took the newspaper...which she doesn't read she just read the article about Dr. Agreste. It's obvious that Mari wanted to attack her, but she contained herself and just slapped her back. Though if I was her, I would not just have slapped her." Plagg went inside Tikki's room ramping.
Tiki looked at him. "If it was Miss. Lila who started it. Why don't you tell the sir and Mrs.?
"I don't have proof. Miss. Lila...you know what in front of everyone else I'll call her that, but in private I'll call her the wannabe because she wishes she could be as kind and sweet and caring as Mari. If only Mari was the actual daughter...anyway like I was saying the wannabe would have called me a lier and of course her aunt would be on her side, they seem to be in something together. Plus Mrs. Sabine would most likely believe in her daughter. You know what I'll do I'll go undercover and join them as if I was their ally, and I'll get proof, that either they aren't who they say they are or that Mari isn't the blame of bad things that happens or both. BRILLIANT." He leaves the room with determination.
Tikki smiled shaking her head to herself. "You will never change Plaggy."
Now a few days later, Lila and Sabine are eating breakfast in the garden. "Mom I'm crazy for Adrien to come back.
Sabine looked at her. "You are very enthusiastic with him Lila."
Lila smiled. "I'm not enthusiastic I'm in love."
Sabine holds her hand. "And if he doesn't fall in love with you? I mean have you thought about that possibility dear?" Lila shook her head no. "It could happen you are very pretty but not everything depends on beauty. Love forms in many ways. There needs to be a big connection between the two. Something that goes beyond the material stuff and the surface."
Lila smiled softly. "Don't worry mom, I'm sure I'll be able to conquer Adrien."
Sabine smiled back. "I admire how sure you are. You must have gotten that from your father. I am a different characteristic shyness. That's why I gave you up."
Lila gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think about that mom."
Sabine put a hand over hers. "Did you really forgive me?"
Lila nodded. "Of course."
Sabine looked down. "It wouldn't be the same if instead you being my daughter it would've been Mari."
Lila frowns. "Why do you mention Mari?"
Sabine continues to eat. "Because Mari hasn't forgiven her mother from abandoning her. She told me that a mother who abandons their child is worse than an animal. At that moment, I felt terror thinking about what I have done."
"Don't listen to her. She probably knows what you did to me and is trying to hurt you." Lila spoke softly.
Sabine shook her head. "She doesn't know and I don't want her to."
"Excuse me." Mari walked beside Sabine.
Sabine looked at her. "Do you want something Mari?"
"I just wanted to talk with you but without." Mari glances at Lila.
Sabine smiled. "You can talk in front of my daughter Mari."
"I just want to ask your permission to decorate my room." She said softly.
Sabine nodded. "You have it decorate it however you want."
Mari smiled and started to walk away. "Mari." Lila called out. Mari went back to her spot. "I wanted to go see you to make peace with you. I think that what happened between us doesn't matter." Lila stands and walks over to her and tries to hug her, but Mari moves away.
"Don't hold a grudge Mari." Sabine spoke softly.
Mari sighs and lets Lila hug her.
Ruby and Mari come out from a store with a lot of bags. Suddenly, Mari heard someone call her name and saw Mathew on his motorcycle.
"Hi Mathew!" Mari called out.
"Who is that?" Ruby asked curiously.
"He's painter hands a friend who I modeled for." Mari replied as they walked up to him.
Mathew took his helmet off. "How are you?"
Mari smiled. "Good."
"Well, you don't let yourself seen anymore are you kidnapped or what? How much do we need to pay the psychiatrist for the rescue?" Mathew asked playfully.
Mari glares at him playfully. "Stop saying things this is Dr. Adrien Agreste sister."
Ruby shook his hand. "Ruby Agreste nice to meet you."
Mathew smiled. "I'm Mathew so when well you come to my house, I can't finish the last portrait of you and last night we had a great party, we missed you. You should go whenever you want you know that's a home for you, and we are your friends and you should bring your friend with you." He put his helmet on and drove away.
"Tikki did Mari return?" Sabine asked Tikki as Tikki was mopping.
Tikki nodded. "Yes Mrs. a while ago, she was carrying so many bags that I had to help her. She's in her room."
"Thank you." Sabine walked to Mari's room and knocked. She heard Mari say to come in so she opens the door and sees the once white room all pink with butterflies and flowers all around. It seemed cute but a bit childish for an adult woman still it was beautiful Mari had such talent.
"Mrs. I'm so glad you're here I wanted to know if you had picture frames since my walls are so empty." Mari asked with a smile.
"Sure I'll ask for them to bring them over here I might have some based on your theme." Sabine said softly.
"Thank you." Mari said softly. "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful." Sabine said softly.
