"Well? I'm waiting." Audrey Bourgeois crossed her arms whilst staring sternly at her oldest daughter. "I'm just dying to know why you couldn't have waited until you got to university, at least. Then you wouldn't be living with us, so your abnormal behavior would be easier to explain away. But whilst you're under our roof? Disgraceful, utterly disgraceful. You should be ashamed of yourself, knowing what's at stake here. I know I am."
"But, Mom. T-They're n-not…" Chloe tried her hardest to issue a firm denial, but it was like she had ice cubes in her mouth.
"...It makes me think what else you're hiding from me. Do you have a drinking problem? Have you got any illegal drugs stashed underneath your bed? Wait… gasp y-you're not pregnant are you? Darling, take it from me… it doesn't matter how good your figure is, bearing a child at such a young age is not a good idea. Take it from someone who's been through the regrettable process twice already…"
"Mom! I'm not having a baby!" Chloe finally found her voice at last, blurting out in utter shock at what was being alleged.
"Well, that's something at least. For everything else though, we'll need some sort of damage control. This kind of salacious tattle always find its way into the media eventually, despite our best efforts. You're going to have to tell me every potential scandal you're involved in, Dear, and I do mean everything. I wonder: do they still do convent schools in the capital? Maybe we could send you away to one of them for a while, until this whole mess blows over…"
"Will you listen to me for once? I never once touched alcohol, the strongest thing I've ever taken is aspirin, and if you think I'm walking around all day with one of those dorky black-and-white headdresses on, you know me even less than I thought you did!" Chloe was not used to talking back to her irrepressible mother like this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. "As for those blasted pills… let me spell it out for you, since you clearly don't understand. I. AM. A. VIRGIN. Happy now? Or should I change my name to 'Mary', and go live in a stable? Was there anything else, 'Mother'?"
Audrey recoiled in abject horror at being subjected to an unexpected tirade, especially by her usually compliant daughter. "Well, I never, Claudette! Clearly the situation regarding your rampant delinquency is even worse than I thought! I didn't want to have to do this, but I shall be speaking to your father about this later. At least there's one member of our family I can rely on in times of crisis. Well two, if we count your sister. Maybe keeping her from returning from New York wasn't such a bad notion after all, if her confession about you ends up saving this family, and by extension the mayorship and my many businesses…"
"Get out! I said… OUT!" Clearly Mr Cuddly was useful as more than just a bear of comfort, as Chloe threw the toy at maximum velocity towards her mother's head. "Not a single word of it is true! And until you're prepared to believe that, don't ever speak to me again!"
"Well I never!" Audrey humphed in disgust at her daughter's uncouth demeanour, the fashionista reluctantly obeyed her request. "Don't think this is over though, Darling. It isn't: not by a long shot. We'll get the best psychiatrists and medical doctors money can buy to set you straight, you just see if we don't. Honestly, if it isn't bad enough you're responsible for over half the akumatizations in Paris alone, now we have this nonsense to deal with. Sometimes I wonder what we did to deserve such an unruly…"
"Goodbye, Mom." Chloe had heard quite enough of Audrey's brand of hysterical lecturing for one day, and swiftly slammed the door in her face while she still rambled on. "Now, let's take a closer look at these pills… wow. Zoe even got my name and address printed on them. And she knows that they could never be traced back to her, because of privacy laws. Damn, she's good. I can see I'll have to bring my A-game to this brewing feud between us…"
But whilst Chloe fretted about what horrors lay in store as long as her vengeful sister had it out for her, Zoe had already moved onto the next stage of her plan.
It would heavily involve Ladybug, Cat Noir, Shadow Hawk…
With a little help from an old friend, too.
….
"Hello, this is the Rossi household. Sorry we can't come to the phone right now, but we are currently vacationing in Buckingham Palace…"
"Ha ha, Lila you can knock it off. You think I can't tell the difference between your voice and a fake answering-machine message?"
Click "Zoe! When did you get back from America? Things have been so dreary here! Even lying seems to have lost its appeal. I was starting to think of turning over a new leaf..."
"Forget about that, Lila. You're just a bit out of practice, that's all. I have a doozie of an idea that'll put you right back in the game, as well as take revenge on those you've wronged you since your move to France."
"There's only one person I don't see eye-to-eye with, and that's Marinette Dupain-Chen. Everyone else believes everything I tell them, but she's the fly in the ointment I'd love to drown. If you can help me square things with her, then I'm all ears."
"Her? Piece of cake! Or bread, as the case may be. I already have her twisted around my little finger since our 'fake' meet-up in the bakery. You just leave it to me, I'll see that in just a few short days you'll have her exactly where you want her, Lila."
"You can count me in then, Zoe. After all, there's no girl as devious or cunning in the whole of the country as you. Apart from yours truly, of course."
"...We can get into a debate about that later. In the meantime, just listen. It'll all begin tomorrow morning, when…"
…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here it is then. Part III. Enjoy! Or don't, as the case may be. Either way, Part IV is quickly on its way. Bye for now! :)
