CHAPTER 1 – THE RING

Gabriel Agreste looked at his hand in shock.

It was … gone. The ring his beloved Emilie had placed on his fingers all those years ago when they married … gone.

He blinked, hoping his eyes were deceiving him. He looked around his private apartment. It must be here somewhere. Under the newspaper perhaps? Or maybe at the bathroom sink. He rapidly moved around the room, picking up items, peering under furniture, shaking books in case it was nestled between the pages.

The more he looked the more desperate he became, the small wings of panic in his chest threatening to engulf him when he realised the ring was nowhere to be found. Despair overcame him as he sunk to his knees. He knew it was hopeless, he never took it off and the search was always going to be a long shot. It wasn't there.

A single tear ran down his cheek and a sob escaped his lips. How could he have lost it? How could he ever forgive himself?

As he knelt on the ground his mind desperately flashed back, trying to remember when last he had seen the ring. He remembered toying with it behind his back when Amelie and Félix had arrived for a short visit a few days ago. Wait a minute …

FÉLIX.

The feeling of despair disappeared only to be replaced by rage. FÉLIX. It had to be him.

Félix's mother had asked for the ring when they arrived, it was clear they wanted it. Indeed, for months there had been an ongoing dispute about the ring's ownership which had found its way in the gutter press. Félix had demonstrated a remarkable talent for deception and underhandedness whilst he had been visiting, pretending to be his cousin Adrien and twisting the situation to his advantage. Félix had even tried to bargain with Hawk Moth, demanding the ring in exchange for Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses. Félix was a talented amateur magician, in better days he had often entertained the family by making items DISAPPEAR. Félix had insisted on shaking hands with him when he had left for London. It would have been simple for him to pilfer the ring during the handshake.

Gabriel's hands clenched in rage. Félix had gone too far this time.

-000-

Gabriel strode out of his apartment into the main part of the house. His assistant, Nathalie, fell into place behind him as he strode towards the portrait of his beloved Emilie.

"Sir, is everything all right?"

"Sir, are you ok?"

"Sir?"

Ignoring Nathalie he plunged his fingers into the hidden recesses in the portrait. A secret door opened up and he and Nathalie descended into the hidden bowels of the house.

"Mr Agreste?"

Finally hearing his assistant he turned to her: "Mayura, you and I have work to do. A certain nephew of mine needs to be brought to heel."

"Sir?"

"My ring Nathalie. He's taken my ring." Gabriel held up his hand, the untanned section of his finger held in front of her face.

"I … see. How can I help?"

"They will be back in London by now, far out of range of my akumas. I need my sentimonster to get there. Hawk Moth needs his sentimonster. I'll have it back by this evening … I …"

Nathalie interrupted him. "Sir, are you sure that is the wisest course of action?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well sir, if Hawk Moth arrives in London demanding an heirloom from a family, people are going to ask WHY. Why would Hawk Moth, who has only ever sought Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses, suddenly be after an old heirloom in a city far from Paris?

Félix and Amelie know you aren't stupid. By now they know that you will have figured out that Félix took the ring. If suddenly Hawk Moth arrives on a sentimonster demanding a ring that nobody else knows is even missing it will be fairly obvious to them that either you are Hawk Moth or that you are working with Hawk Moth.

Come to think of it, it will be fairly obvious to anyone who knows the history of the Graham De Vanily rings and the ongoing dispute between you and your sister-in-law which has been in every gossip magazine in Paris. Adrien will probably work it out too, and he's bound to chat to his friends at school. Your secret will be the talk of the town."

"So what do you suggest I do? Call the police?"

Nathalie waved her hand in dismissal. "We have no proof. They'll be working across international borders and the ring will be very easy for Félix to hide. No, the police will never get the ring back. And a complaint might even invite an unwanted search of this house for the ring.

No, we need to be a little more … subtle."

Natalie's thin lips curled up in a smirk as she looked up at her employer.

"I have an idea …"