It was nearly seven in the evening, and the lobby at the Grand Paris hotel looked exactly as Chloe had planned. Everything was in place. Everything was perfect.

Except Chloe.

Chloe felt that something was wrong. She didn't feel the excitement typical in waiting for something nice. She didn't feel nervousness typical in waiting for something unpleasant as well. In fact, she didn't feel anything…

How was that possible? What had changed? Was it possible that she was still affected by her mother's letter? But what was there? Impatiently, she took the paper from her pocket and read it again. She felt irritation at the same moments as in the morning! Suddenly… She found something interesting in the content. Wait a minute… Her mother and Adrien's mother wanted them to be together? That their families would become one family? They wanted to get them engaged in cradles? Oh, that was wonderful news, indeed! The best gift ever!

Chloe immediately brightened up and she already could see in her mind's eyes the scene when she would inform Adrien about the letter!

As soon as she saw him that evening, she came running to him and flung her arms around his neck. She didn't care about his company – he came with Nino, Alya and Marinette, all of them always connected like a chain. She didn't care, because she had news for Adrien!

"Adriekiins! You won't believe it!"

"I'm sure I won't…" he laughed in reply.

"I couldn't wait for you to come! I must tell you that! You won't believe it!"

"You've already said that. What happened?"

"My mother sent me a letter!"

"Your mom's back?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"No. She wrote that letter some time ago and it was to be delivered on my fifteenth birthday. And today I received it! You can't guess what was in it!"

"I'm not even going to try!" Adrien laughed, and Nino and Alya exchanged quick glances.

"It turns out that our mothers were friends!" she informed him happily.

"Oh, that's surprising, indeed…" he muttered carefully, having no idea what Chloe was up to.

"And they were really close friends! Soulmates. They even had a plan to…" she stopped for a better effect and finished with a wide smile: "No, not a plan… Even better! They got us engaged in cradles!"

"Wh-what?!" Adrien exclaimed in shock.

"They got us engaged in cradles." Chloe repeated happily.

She didn't mention that she added a few details to this story and concealed the other ones – like that mothers only had had a naïve dream of their children's marriage.

"Women lose their heads over cradles." Nino commented. "I won't let you buy such a thing, remember Alya!"

Alya glanced at him in surprise, then suddenly burst out laughing. Chloe looked at them disgusted. Why did they cut in the conversation with Adrien?!

x x x

Marinette stood in the corner with Alya and watched Chloe flirting with Adrien. She felt growing frustration. She couldn't compete with the will of Chloe's mother. From the very beginning she had known that there was no chance to win Adrien's heart – he was always out of her league. But now, with that support given by her mother, Chloe left Marinette far behind in the race for Adrien's love.

"Don't give up, girl!" Alya tried to comfort her friend. "He won't be suddenly attracted to her!"

"I'm not sure…" Marinette sighed hopeless. "You know that his mother has been very important to him. And now he found out that she had planned who should be his wife. Don't you get it? His mom gave Chloe her blessing!"

"It's ridiculous!" Alya snorted. "Remember Pride and prejudice?"

"What?" Marinette asked in astonishment.

"Pride and prejudice." Alya repeated patiently. "Darcy's mother also got her son engaged in a cradle with her cousin's or sister's daughter… You know… That crazy Lady Catherine de Bourgh…"

"Maybe…" Marinette shrugged.

"And he chose Elisabeth Bennet anyway."

"Because he loved her?"

"Yeah! So? What are you waiting for? Do your job, Lizzie!"

Marinette only shook her head. No way, not after everything that had happened… However, Alya looked like she wasn't kidding. She rolled her eyes at Marinette's reaction. Then she sighed and said:

"Your charming personality has to beat Chloe's points for origin. Girl, don't you see that you have a chance? All you have to do is to believe in yourself! You've already achieved so much! You can talk to Adrien almost without that stuttering. Now just enchant him! Believe me, you have everything you need."

"I don't know, Alya…" Marinette whispered still staring at Adrien talking to Chloe.

"You're looking at them and you don't see the obvious!"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on! He's not attracted to her, and she's not in love with him. She wants him because he's someone like… you know… top of the top. Crème de la crème. Got it?"

"Do you know expressions in the other languages?"

"Leave your spiteful remarks for Chloe, OK?" Alya admonished her. "Take my hints and draw the correct conclusions! And get to work, because your Darcy is waiting. And time is running out…"

"But… What should I do?" Marinette asked hopelessly.

"Pull yourself together!" Alya replied irritably. "Don't you remember when you were dancing here last time? Just go there and ask him to dance with you."

"Have you lost your mind?! Not after what happened!"

"Oh, he's coming!" Alya whispered wildly and Marinette became nervous immediately.

"Please, help me!" Adrien said approaching.

"What happened? Chloe already bought you a wedding suit?" Alya joked.

He blushed. Marinette glanced at him quickly and immediately cast eyes down.

"It's not funny, Alya." He replied seriously. "I have no idea what happened to her."

"It's obvious!" Alya snorted. "It looks like she decided that you'd be her husband."

"But she's not even in love with me!" he was surprised.

"How do you know that?" Marinette asked quietly.

"Who's talking about love?" Alya laughed.

Adrien looked from Alya to Marinette and back, surprised. As if he didn't know to whom he should answer first. Finally, he concluded that Alya's question was more intriguing.

"You know, I'd prefer to marry a girl I love. And who loves me back."

"Thank God, half of the Paris female population is in love with you, so you won't have a problem to find such a wife…" Alya summed up.

"They're in love with a popular model." He muttered reluctantly.

"That one you are, by the way…"

"It's just a façade." He winced.

"I'm trying to explain you that for most of girls this is not a problem, that's all. And it can be enough for the beginning. All you have to do is to choose."

"Alya, Alya… Love is not about appearances! And Chloe acts like only they count…"

"But how do you know she doesn't really love you?" Alya repeated Marinette's question that was still unanswered.

"Chloe is like a sister to me." He confessed. "Besides, when she looks at me she doesn't have in her eyes that something…" he hesitated and finished awkwardly, after a glance at Marinette: "… she should have."

"Yhm…" Alya murmured with understanding. She understood more than Adrien wanted to say.

"I think you should talk to her." Marinette said suddenly, still staring at her feet.

"You think I haven't tried?" he sighed. "She doesn't listen…"

"Right. Today it's hopeless." Marinette replied, glanced at him briefly. "She's too excited about the letter from her mother. I think she might be deaf to any arguments."

"You're right." Adrien nodded. "But she's not blind. Come on, let's dance!"

And before Marinette realised what was happening, he took her to the dancefloor.