"Are you sure?" Chat Noir asked, his hand gripping the back of his neck.
"A hundred percent. Hawkmoth himself made an appearance. He was on the Eiffel Tower one second, and then gone the next. It's Minotaurox that saw him, but he didn't reach him in time. And I wasn't transformed at the moment, so…" Luka's voice said through the phone, his voice surprisingly calm.
Rena Rouge and Chat Noir exchanged a glance, both faces reflecting identical disbelief. Hawkmoth was usually a pretty straightforward man who stuck to the same routine. Nowadays, it was about two terrible akumas a month and then, once every few months, he would send a couple of akumas at the same time and come out of hiding. While the other heroes were preoccupied with the akumas, Hawkmoth would directly challenge Chat Noir to a duel. They would fight, Hawkmoth would lose, and the circle would start all over again. It was a tiring game, but one they knew well. So why would Hawkmoth suddenly change that?
"Have you asked Bunnyx about it yet?" Rena Rouge wondered, hoping for more insight.
"Yeah," Luka responded with a humourless laugh. "But you know her, she's as cryptic as ever. She claimed that the timeline was on the right path, and that was pretty much all I could get out of her."
Chat Noir sighed. "Alright, I'll come to check it out myself."
"I'll tell Pegasus to meet you at your location."
Chat Noir thanked him before ending the call, shoulders tensed.
"I don't get it," Rena whispered, her voice filled with bewilderment. "He never shows himself."
"I don't know, but I'll fill you in as soon as I have some information. I should be back tomorrow afternoon if everything's fine," Chat Noir assured her as a portal materialized before them.
"Be careful."
"I always am."
What a lie, Alya thought as she watched him disappear into the portal.
As soon as he was gone, Alya released her transformation, her exhaustion weighing heavily on her. Just as she collapsed onto the couch, Nino walked through the front door.
"Honey and Honey number 2, I'm home!" Nino exclaimed, clearly in a good mood until he noticed Alya's weary face. "Wait, what's going on?"
"Hawkmoth made an appearance. Adrien went to check it out."
Nino's eyes widened in shock. "Oh shit, really?"
"No," Alya admitted, her guilt seeping into her words.
Confusion washed over Nino's face as he stared at his girlfriend. "Uh, what do you mean, no?"
Alya took a deep breath, mustering the courage to explain her actions. "I've asked Luka to lie to Adrien. We need him away tomorrow, just for a couple of hours."
"I'm not sure I understand."
"Look, I've done some research, and the car accident did happen, but I can't find anything about a daughter being in the car with them. They only talk about the couple and their son. I didn't want to lie to Adrien, but…"
"I understand," Nino said, interrupting her. "He's not really cooperative over this whole thing."
"Exactly, and I understand why. But I need to figure out what's going on here. So, I looked around, and I found a relative. She's old but alive. She lives only about thirty minutes from here. We should go and ask her a couple of questions, don't you think?"
"I love the way your brain works, woman," Nino praised, leaning down to give her a tender kiss. "I knew you'd get to the bottom of this. Oh, by the way, Reid invited us to go clubbing tomorrow night. Apparently, there's this nice place in town he wants to show us. He says it's private, Adrien and him won't be bothered."
"Will Victoria, Lila, and Dylan be there?"
Nino smirked. "What do you think? Of course. That's why I said yes."
"I love you, you know that? You complete me."
"I love you more. But really, this is unbelievable," Nino replied, shaking his head in disbelief as he sat down next to her.
Alya nodded in agreement, her mind spinning with thoughts and possibilities. "You tell me. If Victoria is truly Marinette… What happened?"
Nino remained silent for a moment, causing Alya's unease to grow. She turned her head to look at him, only to find him staring at the void, his brows furrowed.
"What?"
Nino's eyes remained fixed on an invisible point, his mind deep in thought. "Well, don't you think it's a bit weird that Lila, the girl who hated Marinette and Ladybug, is the one person to find her, or her doppelgänger, on another continent and never told anyone about it?"
He can't be saying what I think he's saying.
"What are you suggesting?"
Nino's gaze met hers, his eyes filled with a mixture of pity and sadness. "I don't believe Lila's innocent in all of this, babe. If Victoria is Marinette, she knows. And so does Dylan, obviously."
"What about Reid?"
"Nah, I don't think so. He's actually really nice, and we're having a lot of fun. He's the one who's been suggesting that we hang out with Victoria. Twice now. But think about it," he paused, leaning closer to Alya. "Dylan practically dragged Vee out the second we arrived at Reid's place. Maybe he wouldn't have reacted so strongly if we hadn't. And Lila even kicked you out of her apartment!"
Alya's brows furrowed as she tried to find a counterargument. "But they agreed to come to the dinner. Why would they do that if they knew Victoria was Marinette and they didn't want her to see us? Or the other way around, I don't even know at this point..."
"Well, what would be more suspicious? Completely ignoring us and running away, or trying to at least make it seem like everything's fine? And babe, Dylan said he's been with Victoria for ten years now. We both know that's a lie if she's Marinette. He knows, and so does Lila."
Alya's mind reeled, the implications sinking in with each passing second. "I just don't understand why Lila would do something like that," she whispered, her voice filled with confusion and disbelief. "It doesn't make any sense."
Nino paused, hesitating as he chose his words carefully. "Maybe she's working with Hawkmoth."
"No!" Alya immediately screamed out instinctively. "No, no, this is too much. She might not be innocent in all of this, but she wouldn't do that … right?
"I don't know," Nino said, although it was pretty obvious that his mind was already made. "But we might have to confront her to find out the truth. C'mon, let's go to bed. We have a big day tomorrow."
Alya merely nodded, following him into their bedroom. She walked through the motion; she took off her clothes, put on her pyjamas, removed her makeup and brushed her teeth in a daze. She couldn't stop thinking about their conversation. Could Lila truly be working with Hawkmoth? The idea sent shivers down her spine, and she found herself questioning everything she had once believed about Lila. Had Marinette's instincts been right all along?
She ended up tossing and turning in bed, her mind consumed by thoughts and images. She couldn't stop picturing the broken body of Marinette being paraded and manipulated like a puppet by Lila. The concept that this girl, whom she once called a friend, could be involved in such a sinister plot was both horrifying and surreal. Yet, she couldn't deny that the pieces of the puzzle were slowly but surely falling into place.
—
"It's here?" Nino asked the next morning as they parked the car in front of a small house in the suburbs.
"Yeah, I think so," Alya confirmed, glancing at her phone. "It says here that this house belongs to Miss Margaret Lynch. I think she's Victoria's mother's aunt."
Nino furrowed his brow. "So Victoria had her mother's last name?" he mused as they stepped out of the car.
"I guess."
Alya's heart seemed to beat faster with each step towards the front door. Her palms grew moist. This visit, no matter the outcome, would bring them closer to the truth. She lifted her hand to knock, but hesitated in mid-air, frozen by a mixture of fear and hope. Noticing Alya's apprehension, Nino stepped forward and, without a second thought, knocked on the door.
"We can do this, babe," Nino whispered, his voice barely audible as the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears.
"Yeah, you're right," she replied in the same hushed tone. "We can."
The door swung open, revealing an elderly woman with kind blue eyes. Despite her short stature-she could barely reach Alya's chin—, she exuded a warm presence.
"Hi, can I help you?"
Alya straightened her posture, mustering her confidence. This was just like any other assignment. She could handle it. After all, she was the ladyblogger.
"Hi, we're looking for Margaret Lynch," Alya responded, her voice steady and professional.
"This is me."
"We're journalists for a web magazine," Alya lied smoothly. "We've been tasked with doing an article about car accidents. We're aiming to raise awareness and promote road safety. Do you have a couple of minutes to spare for an interview?"
"Oh, of course, of course," Margaret replied with a gentle smile as she led them inside. "This is such a wonderful idea. Would you like something to drink? Tea or coffee, perhaps?"
"Sure, tea sounds amazing," Nino accepted gratefully, feeling sighlty guilty to be lying to such a sweet old lady. But it was for the greater good. At least, that's why he tried to convince himself of.
As Margaret disappeared into the kitchen, they took the opportunity to discreetly observe their surroundings. The living room was adorned with numerous photographs scattered across the shelves, tabletops and even on the chimney. Alya's attention was immediately drawn to one particular photo—a couple with their teenage son. It was the exact same photograph she had seen in Victoria's room. And beside it, there was a baby girl—an image Victoria also possessed.
"Nino," Alya whispered, beckoning him to join her. "Look, Victoria had the same ones in her room."
Nino's eyes widened. "Seriously? Uh, I guess we know we're at the right house, I guess."
Margaret returned with the tea, startling them both as she spoke. "There you go, kids. Oh, I see you've found my pictures! I like to keep them close to me so I remember my family. Especially those I've lost too soon. Please, please, sit."
Alya and Nino thanked her as they settled side by side onto a comfortable pink couch. "When you said 'those I've lost too soon,' you were talking about your great-niece, right?" Alya asked.
"Ah, yes. Erin, her husband and their children. Shouldn't you be taking notes?"
Alya's heart raced as she realized her slip-up. Shit, she thought. How could I forget about that? She desperately searched for an explanation, but thankfully, Nino came to her rescue.
"No, we have great memories," Nino lied smoothly, saving the situation. "That's actually why we make such a good team. We're here together to make sure we don't discard any important details."
"That's wonderful to hear. Two hardworking young individuals like yourselves. Keep up the good work."
Alya breathed out a sigh of relief, grateful for Nino's quick thinking. "Thank you. Miss Lynch, can we…"
"Margaret, please."
"Margaret, then. Can you tell us a bit more about the accident that claimed the life of your grandniece and her family?"
Margaret's eyes filled with memories as she began to share. "Yes. I remember it was raining that day, because I had called Erin in the afternoon. I knew they had plans for dinner, and I asked her to postpone it. I said, 'Darling, can't you go another night?', but she just laughed and said a little rain never killed anyone." Margaret trailed off for a second, lost in the past, before continuing. "My sweet girl had already lost both her parents when she was a child. Her father left before she was even born, and her mother, my niece, tragically took her own life when Erin was only five years old. I didn't have a choice but to take her in. I raised her as my own. My brother, Erin's grandfather… Gosh, what a terrible man he was. My husband and I, rest his soul, we've never been able to have children, but Erin was our baby. Oh, and what a good girl she was! She always had her head buried in a book, she had good grades, and perfect manners. And then she met Ailun—an absolute ray of sunshine." Margaret's eyes sparkled as she reminisced. "What a match these two were. Erin and Ailun were soulmates, I'm telling you. I was so overjoyed when she gave birth to Victoria."
"Victoria?" Nino repeated, his eyes wide.
Alya nudged him gently, silently urging him to remain composed.
"Yes, Victoria," Margaret affirmed, not noticing her visitors' reaction. "And later on, they had Rian. Look," she said, rising from her seat.
She retrieved a photograph from the mantle and passed it to Alya, who accepted it with trembling hands. The image depicted Erin and Ailun in a hospital room. Erin was cradling a newborn baby, while Ailun held a giggling toddler. Nino and Alya exchanged a stunned glance, their flabbergasted expressions mirroring the same thought echoing in their minds.
We messed up. Victoria truly is who she claims to be.
"They were both such happy children. The four of them were the perfect family. You know, they gave them Erin's last name to honour me," Margaret beamed with pride.
"That's very kind," Alya managed to reply, her voice quivering with emotion.
"I was so proud. I think I did a pretty great job," Margaret mused.
A profound silence settled between them before Alya cautiously broached the subject they had come to uncover. "And then, they had the accident."
Margaret let out a heavy sigh, tears glistening in her eyes. "Ah, yes," she whispered, her voice filled with sorrow. "It was pouring outside, and another driver lost control. It was no one's fault—a senseless accident. But it claimed their lives."
"The four of them?" Nino probed, acting as if he didn't know Victoria.
"Oh, no, no," Margaret corrected gently. "Erin, Ailun, and Rian. But everything went downhill years before the accident. They've had moments of happiness, sure, but it was never the same after that."
"What do you mean?"
Margaret's gaze turned distant as she recalled the painful memories. "Well, sweet Victoria got ill when she was just seven years old. She fought bravely for a few years, but…"
"She got sick," Nino repeated, his voice betraying a mixture of surprise and concern.
"Yes, leukemia. Oh, it devastated Erin and Ailun. They tried everything to save their baby girl. And she was so strong this little one, stronger than any adult I've ever met. She barely ever complained, even when… Anyway." She cleared her throat. "Erin and Ailun travelled across the whole country to find a cure. They gave everything they had to save her."
Alya hadn't noticed that she was shaking until Nino gently touched her arms in a reassuring gesture. She knew he was silently asking her to stay calm, just like she had done previously, but she didn't know how. Because while some elements were still missing, the dots had finally started to connect. The whole world could've exploded and Alya wouldn't have cared because somehow, she had a good idea of what Victoria Lynch's fate was.
"And did they find one? Did they save her?"
"No," Margaret confirmed, teary-eyed, and Alya's and Nino's world was permanently changed. "Victoria passed away when she was ten years old."
—
"Alya," Nino repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time since they had gotten back into the car. The weight of their discovery hung heavily in the air, and it took all of his strength to remain calm. "Babe, you need to get yourself together."
Alya turned to face him, her eyes filled with anger and tears streaming down her cheeks. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion. "How the fuck am I supposed to do that? Victoria Lynch is dead. She is not living with Lila, Marinette is. My best friend has been alive for seven damn years, Nino! She's been alive this whole time without any memories. I don't need Max's confirmation. It's her, I know it."
"I know," Nino said, his voice softening as he reached out to squeeze her hand. "But we need to be logical about this. Marinette doesn't remember us. She's been building a life and making memories with other people for seven years. They're her family now. Bringing her back won't be easy."
"But they're manipulating her!"
"She doesn't know that. For Marinette, we will be the liars, Alya. Do you understand?"
"But we still got to do something! We can't just go back home and pretend that everything's fine. Think about Tom and Sabine, and… Oh, my God," she gasped, her eyes widening in realization. "What are we going to say to Adrien?"
Nino brought the car to a stop and turned to look at her, his expression serious. "For now, we say nothing. We need a plan first."
"Yeah, okay, a plan… Babe, I don't know what to do."
"I do. Tonight, we will go out with Reid, Lila, Dylan, and Victoria," he claimed, putting an emphasis on the wrong name. "We're going to act like everything's fine. If we want to bring Marinette back, we need to earn her trust first. Do you understand me?"
Alya nodded. "So, we need to become her friends, that's what you're saying?"
"Exactly," Nino affirmed. "It shouldn't be too hard for you, is it? Now, I need you to act like everything's perfectly normal. Adrien texted me, he's back. You and I, we just went out for brunch. You can do this, Alya."
"Of course, I can. But it doesn't make this whole situation any less painful."
"I know babe. Trust me, I know."
"This is gonna wrecked Adrien."
"And that's why we can't tell him today. We need him to be normal tonight. We can tell him tomorrow, when we will be ready to pick him up."
Alya sniffled. "Pick him up? I don't know, I think he's gonna go full Chat Noir mode and cataclysm everyone's ass."
"Yeah," Nino laughed. "That's a possibilty. But it would be well deserved." He took a deep breath. "We will bring her back to us, one step at a time." "Promise?" "Promise. You're ready?"
She hummed. "Let's go this."
—
"We could stay in and watch a movie instead."
Reid gave his girlfriend a side-eye, a perplexed expression crossing his face. "You always want to go clubbing. Why the sudden change of heart?"
Lila hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm just not feeling it, I guess?"
"What are you not feeling?" Victoria chimed in as she stopped at the door.
Lila's breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on Victoria. She looked absolutely stunning in a strapless pink dress that clung to every curve, showing off her body. The midriff was see-through, while the rest of the fabric sparkled, shimmering with every subtle movement. The matching butterfly-adorned heels added the final touch, making her legs look impossibly long, even though she was much shorter than Lila. With her brown hair flowing freely in elegant waves down her back and the makeup that simply highlighted her natural beauty, Victoria looked ethereal.
For a second, Lila was impressed. Victoria's choice to wear such a revealing outfit—one that showed off her faint scars for the whole world to see—was bold. But then, the feeling gave place to something else; something she was much more familiar with.
"What are you wearing?"
Victoria paused, looking down at her outfit. "A dress?"
"That's not your usual style. When did you buy it?"
Victoria shifted her weight from one foot to another before responding, "A while ago. I never dared to wear it, but I don't know… I felt like it tonight. You don't like it?"
Before Lila could answer, Reid quickly reassured Victoria, "No, you look stunning, Vee. Pink's really your colour, you should wear it more often!"
"Thanks," Victoria replied, still visibly uncertain, before walking out of the room.
Reid turned back to Lila, frowning. "What's up with you tonight?"
"Nothing!" Lila snapped back before sighing. "I'm sorry. Give me two minutes, OK? Vee, wait up!"
Lila hurriedly stood up from her bed and caught up with her best friend outside of the bathroom.
"Everything okay?" Victoria asked, her voice filled with genuine care.
Lila took a deep breath and managed a smile, attempting to brush off her momentary outburst. She had been tired and stressed out lately, but she couldn't take it out on Victoria.
"Yeah, of course. Where's Dylan?"
"He will meet us later at the club."
"Hmm…" Lila paused, grabbing a lock of Victoria's hair and twirling it. "Have you done your hair mask recently?"
"No, I should've done it last week, but I forgot. Why?"
"It's getting dry again," Lila stated matter-of-factly, dropping the hair.
"You think so? I thought they actually looked better."
Victoria's hand unconsciously reached for her earlobe, a hint of insecurity creeping into her expression.
"No, definitely not," Lila insisted. After a brief pause, she continued, "Are you sure you want to go out tonight?"
"Yeah, I think I need it. I've been feeling relentless lately. A bit of dancing and drinking could be fun."
Lila sighed. "Okay, then. Let's go out. And I'm sorry about earlier, I'm just tired. You do look nice in this dress. I was just … surprised. As I said, it's not your usual style."
"I know. I was actually planning on wearing my black dress, you know, the one with one sleeve? But I don't know, I saw this one in the back of my closet and I just felt the need to put it on."
"The need, really?" Lila asked with one eyebrow raised.
Victoria averted her gaze. "Yeah," she so clearly lied.
"Vee, we both know it wasn't a need. Don't lie to me."
"It's just embarrassing."
"No, not at all. I just don't think you should listen to this voice, you know. Remember what Doctor Duchaine told you? It's the trauma, the guilt and the pain talking to you. It doesn't want you to be better. The more you listen to it, the deeper you are."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Victoria mumbled, playing with the aim of her dress. "But it's just a dress, and I love it. I just want to wear it for one night. Is that so bad?"
"I guess not," Lila said through her teeth, faking a smile.
Victoria nodded. "Good. Are you gonna get ready?"
"Yeah, sure. Give me thirty minutes."
"Perfect!"
Victoria smiled at Lila as she walked past her towards her bedroom. Once Lila was sure the door was closed, she swiftly retrieved her cellphone from her pocket and composed a short message, feeling a growing sense of urgency.
We need to talk. Code M.
Anxiously, she pressed the send button and waited, her anticipation growing with each passing second. Then, after a long minute, the familiar chime broke the silence.
Tomorrow, 10 a.m.
Relief washed over Lila as she read the text. Tomorrow, everything would be set back on track, allowing her to reclaim the life she had constructed. The plan, meticulously crafted and diligently executed, would once again be set in motion.
Their goal was within reach, so close Lila could almost taste the victory. She could see it more clearly every day in the way Victoria trusted her, leaned on her, loved her. They were so close. Lila wouldn't allow Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, or Adrien Agreste—especially not him—destroy all the hard work they had done.
With renewed determination, Lila squared her shoulders. She could do it. She would go out and pretend that everything was perfectly normal. She was prepared to protect her secrets at all cost, fiercely guarding the intricate web of lies she had spun. No one would be allowed to jeopardize the life she had crafted for herself.
Tomorrow, she thought with a smile. Tomorrow, everything would fall back into place, and her world would once again become a stage for her masterful performance.