"Come in, Adrien." His father's cold voice beckoned him towards his desk. He was seated staring at the papers in front of him. His brows were knit. They rarely weren't nowadays.

"Is everything alright, Father?"

"No. Everything is not alright." He looked up from the papers and into his son's green eyes. They now had matching knit brows.

"What…?" His Father abruptly cut him off. "I'm dying."

Silence.

The silence was deafening. Adrien felt like he was underwater, his ears ringing. Neither one talked for a minute, although Adrien's mouth opened and closed ineffectually. "What do you mean you're dying? What's wrong? What happened?"

"I have pancreatic cancer. It's…advanced." He pulled his glasses down his nose, pinching the bridge with his other hand. He looked exhausted. Gabriel Agreste never looked exhausted. He was a cold man who showed no weakness.

"How… how is this possible. You're healthy! You're strong! What…"

"The doctors say I only have a year. Perhaps a year and a half if I'm lucky. They said it's rare to catch it early. At this point my only options are chemo or radiation, and those will only prolong my prognosis at the expense of my work." He looked into his son's eyes. "Nothing must come between me and my work. So, I need to make sure that it is taken care of when I am gone.I must make sure you are taken care of when I am gone."

Adrien stared at his father. He looked fine. Tired but fine.

"As such, I will see you married before I am gone…It is what your mother would have wanted."

His father's gaze had dropped to his desk, not looking at his work, simply resigned. His voice was not cold as it usually was. It was tinged with weariness and sorrow.

"How long do you…w-we have?"

"A year at most. Maybe eighteen months, but at that time I will not be fit to run the company. Or be seen in public." He looked up. "In nine months, I will retire and appoint you as my official successor. In that time, I expect you to learn more of the official practices beyond the informal education I have provided thus far. As of this moment, you will work as my assistant. Natalie will obviously continue her normal work, but you shall accompany me to all of my meetings and work engagements as they do not interfere with your modeling tasks."

"And where does my marriage fit into this plan?"

"I will see you wed before I retire. I will see you married and taken care of before I am gone."

"So, I have until March?"

"You have until March to find a suitable partner. Now I will let you choose who to court, but I will need to approve of them." His eyes cut to his son's and his mouth tightened, cutting down Adrien's attempt to intercede. "I must approve. Given that, I plan to announce your eligibility at the summer collection after party. It will give you a few days to come to terms with this knowledge and alert the eligible women of our industry. That is important. You will need someone by your side who understands the demands of this job, who appreciates it."

Adrien couldn't nod. He couldn't do anything. His father was dying. He was getting married. He was taking over the family business. What was he to do?

"Ladies and gentlemen," Gabriel's cold voice rang out from atop the grand staircase of the foyer, "the Agreste brand has been a pillar of the Parisian fashion scene for more than two decades. I started this brand as a young man fresh out of school, and I am pleased to have witnessed so many talented and young artists' work at tonight's runway show."

His father was clad in a pure black suit, his silver blond hair slicked back severely. He looked down upon the crowd of party goers, each clad in a black domino mask. They were a mandatory item for all Agreste afterparties—a way to heighten the sense of security and anonymity in a room full of rich and famous guests. Rumors and tabloid stories could not be allowed to fester. There'll be no stopping the tabloids from picking up father's story. Masks do little when you make announcements.

"Our label has taken so many impressive up and coming artists under our wing in the last few years…that I feel safe in leaving my legacy in other's hands."

The room had been focused upon the host since his speech began, but his matter-of-fact statement quieted every ounce of side conversation. Adrien took a sip from his champagne flute.

"My son has been officially training under me for the past seven years and doing so unofficially for even longer. This March I plan to pass my active duties onto Adrien." The whispers began erupting. Adrien had known that this speech was coming. He had been rather nervous about it, running his hands through the perfectly coiffed hair that his father had pre-approved. He was thankful that the uncharacteristic hair and the mask kept the people around him from immediately looking at him. Directing their whispers around him. "However…" Gabriel's voice boomed out over the chatter, "I understand as so many of you that such high responsibilities are impossible to carry on one's own. My son deserves only the best in the world, so I plan to see him married and supported before I pass on my legacy."

There was the sound of shattering glass. Adrien glanced up from his drink to see that some girl, presumably a socialite, had dropped her champagne at the news of his eligibility.

Gabriel cleared his throat. "Please, enjoy the rest of the evening. My assistant Nathalie and I will be making the rounds to discuss…suitable candidates shall I say." With a flick of finger on a tablet, said assistant restarted the music, signaling the end of the speech.

Pockets of guests began resuming their activities. Most people began discussing the announcement. Groups with young women in them seemed particularly nervous and excited. Some of them were even walking towards his father and Nathalie, presumably to find out how they could file an official application of interest.

Adrien slowly walked towards the French doors which lined the back of the room. Two of them were propped open to allow guests to flow out onto the terrace area, so he did just that. He could hear the music and chatter at his back. He needed some silence. He walked until he could no longer hear the conversation of the other people outside, found a bench, and sat.

I'm not ready.

He sat there for some time. He wasn't sure how long. He was brought out of his silent reverie by the sensation of smooth fabric brushing against his hand as someone sat next to him on the bench.

As they talked, he realized that she thought he was upset about his father's announcement.

"Don't worry, I have cat like reflexes." He looked into her eyes, dark as the air around them. I don't really care about what my father said. I care that he's only saying those things because he's about to die. I'm not ready. They sat in silence for a moment.

"So… if I have a good reason to be out here, what excuse do you have? Are you here to try your hand at winning my father's prize?" It makes no sense. How am I supposed to focus on romance and love at a time when my father is slipping away?

"I have no interest in playing your father's games." Her bangs fell forward as she answered. "I just felt pulled out here. Guess it was Fate telling me you needed some company. It's a miracle I found you at all. You blend right in with your black suit and all of these shadows." Her answer startled him. It felt genuine, and her small quip at the end stirred his natural urge to respond in kind. She was making him feel…normal.

"You're far less inconspicuous if I do say so myself."

She smiled back showing a dimple. Cute. "Well of course I'm inconspicuous! After all, I have this lovely mask concealing my identity."

He huffed out a breath, the start of a laugh. "Well, what should I call the mystery lady in front of me?"

"Hmm…how about for now I simply remain your lady?"

"Alright my lady. Care to go for a walk with me?" I need some normalcy. I need to feel something real. Something other than my father's death. "I find myself in need of further escape."