Lila jumped back, a small yell escaping her lips. Her heart raced, and she struggled to regain control of her breathing, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape.

"A-Adrien," she managed to say with a small, nervous laugh as she put her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. "Gosh, you scared me. I didn't hear… Oh, Alya, Nino, hi! I thought you guys were out. Nino, Reid is looking—"

"Enough of your games, Lila," Adrien interrupted her, his voice edged with frustration.

He took a step closer to her, his eyes locked onto hers. Lila's eyes flickered between the three of them, a shadow of insecurity in them. "My games? What do you mean?"

"We know it's her," Alya explained, walking calmly toward Lila.

"Know it's who? I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

Adrien let out a humourless laugh. "C'mon, Lila. You're a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"I—" she began, her wide eyes scanning the room for an escape, a clever comeback, an explanation—anything to deflect from the impending confrontation. Adrien was right; she wasn't dumb. Lila knew perfectly well what was currently happening. She just needed a good idea, an opportunity to run away. But after a moment, the mask of false concern she wore faded away, replaced by a chilling, calculated smirk. "Okay, fine. What do you want?"

Before Adrien could respond, Alya stepped in. Her voice quivered with a sense of betrayal, and the hurt and anger in her eyes were palpable. "Why? We," she stopped before correcting herself, "I trusted you."

"I got an opportunity I couldn't refuse," Lila responded with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders, an unsettling calmness in her demeanour. She seemed strangely unperturbed by the fact that she was now surrounded by three furious young adults, their anger barely restrained.

"An opportunity?" Adrien repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief. "That's what you'd call this?"

Lila, her head tilted to the side, regarded him with an assessing look, as if trying to decipher how much they truly knew. "Yes," she admitted with a raised eyebrow, "Wouldn't you agree?"

Adrien could feel Nino's hand on his shoulder, a silent reminder to keep his composure, not to do something he might later regret. For now, he was convinced that Lila remained unaware of the secret identities of those standing before her. She had given them no reason to suspect that she—or her accomplices—knew their secret. So, even though Adrien desperately wanted to transform and cataclysm her ass, he had to retain himself. For now.

"You kidnapped my best friend," Alya hissed, gripping Lila's shoulders and forcefully turning her around. "You've abused her for years. You won't get away with this."

Lila let out a cold laugh. "But I already did, didn't I? My best friend wants nothing to do with you. She doesn't trust you. Victoria believes everything I say. She would never believe that I could lie to her."

"Is that why you did this?" Nino demanded incredulously. "Because Marinette never believed you? Seriously?"

"No," Lila snorted. "I told you, I had an opportunity."

"What was that opportunity?" Adrien inquired, his voice dripping with thinly veiled menace.

Lila turned to him, smirking provocatively. "Please, pretty boy, you didn't really think I was gonna tell you, did you?"

Adrien's patience finally snapped. His hand clenched into a tight fist, ready to strike, but Alya beat him to it. Lila gasped in pain as Alya's punch landed squarely in her stomach.

"That's all you can do?" Lila taunted, clutching her abdomen, her face reddening. "Seriously, Alya? Damn, and here I was, thinking you were all strong and—" She was cut off by another punch, this time to the face.

"Was that strong enough for you, bitch?"

Nino whistled. "Damn, babe, that was hot."

"Well, well, well," Lila said, wiping the blood from beneath her nose. "That was slightly better, I'll give you that."

Adrien seized both of Lila's hands, forcefully pinning them behind her back. She gasped under the pressure but tried to mask it with a forced laugh.

"Oh, kinky," she teased.

"Shut up," Adrien spat, his revulsion evident as he held her tighter.

"Did you really think I would pass up the chance to destroy both Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug?" she sneered, her tone venomous. "It was a dream come true, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Plus, your dad—" She cut herself off, her eyes widening. "Shit."

The trio shared a quick, apprehensive glance as Lila's demeanour shifted dramatically. Her complexion paled, and she seemed on the verge of fainting or retching. For the first time, she seemed genuinely afraid of something.

"What's…," Alya began to question before her eyes widened in realization. "She had her phone."

"Yeah, so?" Nino inquired, perplexed, but Alya was already in motion, swiftly retrieving the phone from Lila's back pocket. Surprisingly, the girl didn't offer any resistance. Instead, she watched her phone with mounting concern as it indicated a five-minute-long call with Dr. Duchaine.

"Damn it," Adrien cursed under his breath. "End the call, now!"

Alya terminated the call, but not before they all heard a woman's voice on the other end calling out Adrien's name.

"She's going to call your dad, dude."

Adrien's grip on Lila's hands tightened. "I know."

"Oh, so you've figured out her identity too, huh?" Lila asked, finally emerging from her temporary frozen state. "Let me guess. Dylan isn't with his dad?"

Adrien leaned in closer, his voice a chilling whisper in her ear. "Oh, don't worry about your little friend. He's completely safe with Ladybug's friends. Ever heard of Chat Noir?"

There was a pause and then, Lila retorted, "I'm not scared of that damn cat."

Despite the claim, there was a wavering note in her voice which betrayed her real feelings. Lila wasn't scared of Chat Noir. She was terrified. Adrien couldn't help but smirk as he realized it.

"You should be," Nino chimed in.

There was a pause, and then, Lila exclaimed, "You won't get away with this!", as she struggled fruitlessly against Adrien's restraint.

"We won't get away with this?" Alya echoed incredulously. "You can't be serious, do you even hear yourself? Nino, look around to see if there's something we can use to tie her up until we call the heroes."

"On it, boss."

As Nino exited the room, Adrien's phone suddenly started ringing. Alya grabbed it from his pocket, her brows knitting in confusion.

"It's an unknown number," she said, showing the screen to Adrien.

"Probably my dad. Just turn it off," Adrien muttered, watching with a growing sense of unease as the ringing stopped briefly before resuming. "Nathalie didn't waste any time."

"Of course, she didn't. You're not going to destroy everything we've worked for!"

Adrien regarded her with a mix of frustration and resignation. "Really? It's funny because, I think we already did," he shot back. "We know about you, Dylan, Nathalie, and Gabriel. We know what you've done, and now, so do the heroes of Paris."

Lila's frown gradually transformed into a malevolent smile. "Right. You know about the four of us." She laughed. "Well, you still can't prove anything."

"I think we can, actually. The moment Marinette regains her memory, she'll tell the truth to everyone."

"No one is going to believe Victoria. She's a known psychotic. Do you have any idea how many times she tried to escape the first couple of years?" Lila's laughter rang out bitterly. "She even succeeded a couple of times. We weren't as experienced, I'll admit. Dylan was … well, he got better, and that's all that matters."

Adrien and Alya exchanged a worried glance. "We saw her regain her memories before Dylan drugged her," Alya stated.

"Oh, so that's what happened? Meh," Lila shrugged dismissively, her voice dripping with condescension. "She does that sometimes. Some memories come back when she forgets her pills, but it's always … fuzzy and it rarely makes any sense. Not enough to have any credibility."

"I—," Alya began, but her words were abruptly cut off by Nino, who reentered the room, brandishing a pair of handcuffs and a length of rope.

"I found this in Lila's closet. I don't want to know what she uses them for."

Lila winked suggestively at Nino, but within moments, she was seated in a chair, her hands handcuffed behind her back, and her legs securely tied together. She stared at the trio with a mix of anger and defiance.

"Seriously?" she asked.

Adrien crouched in front of her. "Alright, enough playing around. Where are her earrings, Lila?"

Lila, however, remained frustratingly silent, her lips sealed in stubborn defiance.

"Fine, have it your way," Adrien declared, his jaw set with determination, steeling himself for what he was about to do.

He glanced at Nino and Alya, who silently nodded, signalling their approval of his decision. He took a deep breath and then, without hesitation, swung his fist, landing a solid and powerful punch to Lila's face. Her nose immediately broke under the assault and she yelled out in pain.

"Where are the earrings?" Adrien demanded, gripping her by the hair and tugging, hard. "Don't make me ask you again."

Lila spat out some blood. "Go to hell."

"I guess I'll see you there, then," he said, ready to punch her again, this time with enough force to either break some other bones, knock her out, or worse, when a new voice suddenly pierced the tense atmosphere.

"What the hell is going on here?"

All three heroes spun around to find Reid standing in the doorway. They hadn't heard him come in, hadn't even heard the front door opening, and yet there he stood, his face contorted in shock and horror as he took in the scene before him.

"Oh, baby!" Lila exclaimed, her voice shifting abruptly to a higher, more distressed pitch as tears welled up in her eyes. "Help me, please!"

Reid didn't hesitate for a moment, a fierce determination to protect Lila welling up within him. He took a step forward, his eyes flashing with anger, ready to launch himself at Adrien, but Nino stepped into his path, intercepting him. Reid was muscular and strong, but he was no match for a superhero in disguise. He struggled against Nino's hold, his desperation to reach Lila evident in his futile attempts.

"Dude, calm down, we can explain everything!" Nino urged, his grip unyielding.

"I trusted you!" Reid yelled, his voice laced with betrayal and fury. "What have you done to my girl? I'm gonna kill you all!"

"Dude—"

"Shut up!"

"Lila's lying about everything," Adrien calmly stated, raising his bloody hands in a gesture of surrender. "She's not who you think she is."

Reid snorted derisively. "Oh, because you know her better than I do, huh?"

"I know she kidnapped a girl seven years ago. She faked her death before moving her across the world."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Just listen to him, dude, please."

"No, baby, don't, he's lying! You know I would never do something like that!"

"She abducted a girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Adrien continued, carefully choosing his words so as to not reveal anyone's superhero identity.

"Wait, that's what this is about? Damn," Reid said, shaking his head in disbelief. "She told me you guys were … mourning your friend's death, but Vee just looks like her, she's not—"

"Victoria Lynch died from leukemia when she was ten years old," Alya explained. "The rest of her family died in a car crash a couple of years later. But she had one surviving family member." Alya turned her gaze toward Lila, who glared back at her with venom. "I guess you never thought the old lady could be a danger to your little plan, huh?"

"That's ridiculous," Reid muttered, tears welling up in his eyes. He stopped resisting Nino's hold but continued to stare at them with a mixture of disbelief, fear and anger. "There are probably a lot of Victoria Lynchs out there. It doesn't prove anything."

"We stole her hairbrush and had the DNA analyzed," Nino informed him. "It matches our friend."

Reid shook his head, still denying the truth. Adrien couldn't really blame him; after all, he himself had taken a long while to accept it all.

"It's impossible," Reid said. "Lila would never do something like that. You're lying. She can be a bit … protective of Vee, but that's it."

"The only person she's trying to protect is herself."

"You're lying," Reid repeated, crying, before turning toward Lila, who sat with her gaze fixed on the ground. "Baby, please, say something!"

Lila sighed, her eyes rolling as she raised them to look at her boyfriend. "Ugh, don't cry, you look pathetic."

Reid's mouth hung open in shock. "What?" he stammered.

"I said you look pathetic when you cry. Stop it."

"Pathetic?" Reid repeated, his eyes wide. Nino released his hold on him, but Reid remained rooted in place, staring at his girlfriend with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Reid, we need to know where Marinette could be," Adrien urged, his patience wearing thin.

"It won't change anything," Lila sighed, her tone oozing with indifference. "I told you, no one's going to believe you or her."

"Yeah, yeah, we know, you think she's psychotic," Alya interjected, her disgust for Lila palpable in her voice. "We heard you the first time."

"What? Vee's not psychotic. What the hell is wrong with you, baby?"

"I don't care what you think, Lila," Adrien snapped, his frustration mounting. "Someone will believe us."

"If you say so."

"Wait, Dylan wasn't afraid of the police either. Why?" Nino wondered, his brow furrowing as he tried to figure out the missing pieces of the puzzle. Surprisingly, it was Reid, who looked as though he couldn't quite believe what he was saying either, who offered the missing fragment;

"Probably because of his dad. He's one of the most powerful lawyers in the world."

"Oh, my God, that's true," Alya whispered, her gaze locked on Lila, who screamed out in frustration at her boyfriend's betrayal.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Wait, Dylan's dad?" Nino pondered aloud. "What the hell, why is he involved in this?"

"Honestly, I don't really care," Adrien said, seizing Reid by the shoulders. "Reid, please, do you have any idea where Marinette could be? I need to talk to her, and I don't want her to come home to this."

"Where she…" Reid began, but stopped himself, his eyes darting between Adrien and Lila. "Uh, she sometimes goes to Kenneth Hahn Park to relax. Says it calms her down or something."

"Thank you," Adrien whispered, retrieving his phone and slipping it into his back pocket.

"I don't know how to feel or what to believe, but can you just … not punch her anymore?" Reid's plaintive voice reached Adrien as he closed the door behind him.

I'm coming, m'lady.

—

Adrien's heart raced as he scoured every corner of Kenneth Hahn Park. The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the sprawling green landscape. It was a serene place, with families enjoying picnics, children playing, and joggers winding through the scenic trails. The vibrant beauty of the park contrasted sharply with the darkness of his heart. It was as though the brightness, the joy, had been created only to mock him and his pain.

Please, Marinette, be here, his silent plea echoed in his mind.

As he ventured deeper into the park, Adrien's mind raced with anxiety. The park's picturesque scenery blurred into a backdrop as he frantically searched for any sign of Marinette. He had to find her before she decided to go back home, only to find her best friend tied in their living room. He needed to explain everything to her, needed her to understand, to believe him. Perhaps, with Tikki whispering in her ears, they could find the earrings much more easily. They could repair everything, make everything good again... And this was probably the dumbest thing Adrien had ever thought. Nothing would ever be fine again. No matter what, Marinette would always be traumatized by what she had endured. Hell, he would always be traumatized by it. Neither one of them would ever be able to escape this nightmare. But maybe, just maybe, things could be... alright. Not fine. Not perfect. But alright, with moments of darkness and moments of light. With pain and tears, but also with smiles and laughter. And love. Lots of love.

"Over there," Plagg whispered from within Adrien's shirt, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Under the oak tree."

A quick scan and he spotted her, lying beneath the massive tree. Marinette had her eyes closed, one hand cushioning her head and the other resting on her belly as she listened to music. He approached with cautious steps, not wanting to startle her.

"What on earth should I say to her?"

"Wait, don't you have a plan?"

Adrien hesitated for a moment. "I mean…"

"So we rushed here without a plan? For heaven's sake, kid. Just…tell her the truth."

"Including everything about the heroes?" he asked, forcing a smile as a family strolled by, casting wary glances at him, probably thinking Adrien was speaking with himself.

"Better hold off on that," Plagg advised. "It might be a bit too much to handle. Share everything else, but save that for later."

Adrien nodded, coming to a halt near Marinette, who still remained oblivious to his presence. He shook his head, frustration growing within him as he silently chastised her for not being more aware of her surroundings.

Seriously, m'lady? I could steal your bag and you wouldn't even notice.

He sat down beside her, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in the fresh air. She looked so peaceful. He found himself captivated by the way her features shone under the rays of sunlight. She had always been gorgeous, but nowadays, she was simply … breathtaking. There was something about her. And it wasn't just his love—obsession—that made him think that. She truly was a piece of art. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, from the delicate freckles gracing her cheeks to the vivid hue of her lips and the rich, cascading brown of her hair.

She's probably dyeing it, he thought. Wait, am I being creepy, just watching her like this? Shit, I am. What should I do? Maybe I should just wave over her face? No, that's weird.

Marinette's eyelids fluttered open, as if she'd finally felt that someone was watching her. Her blue eyes looked around for a second before landing on him. She was startled as she abruptly sat, removing her earbuds, her heart pounding.

"Adrien?" Victoria asked, incredulous. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you. We need to talk."

She was about to tell him that no, they definitely did not need to talk, when the voice inside of her woke up and whispered, Listen to him.

What? No, why? He's an asshole!

Just listen to what he has to say.

But...

Listen.

Victoria's internal struggle was a familiar one. She usually tried to fight back against the voice when she didn't have her medications on her. They would argue back and forth until one of them eventually won. The voice would sometimes get tired and at other times, Victoria would have a panic attack. She could vividly recall the time she had scratched her own face in a desperate attempt to silence it—anything to rid herself of that torment.

Dr. Duchaine had labelled this episode as a psychotic outbreak, and when Dylan and Lila discussed them, they did so in hushed tones, making Victoria feel even more alienated. It was for this reason that Victoria has always tried to have her medications on her, although she more than often forgot them. She couldn't have another psychosis, especially not in public. She could already envision the headlines, reading something like Local artist loses her mind in the middle of a park, yelling that a voice is arguing with her in her mind. Oh yeah, that would be great.

The thought of becoming a spectacle, especially in the eyes of Dylan's ever-disapproving family, was unsettling. However, today, Victoria found herself without her medication, and it was clear that surrendering to the relentless voice was inevitable. With a resigned sigh, she conceded to its demands, knowing that today, it would win.

Fine.

"About what?" Victoria asked, a guarded expression on her face.

Adrien sighed. "I understand you're not exactly my biggest fan."

"That's an understatement."

Be nice.

Shut up.

Adrien snorted, attempting to veil the pain that her blunt remark stirred within him. "Alright, that stung."

"You said you knew," she remarked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Maybe, but... May I ask why?"

"Well," Victoria began, visibly taken aback by the question, "I mean, I've heard things about your past with Lila."

"My past with Lila?" Adrien repeated, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Victoria nodded. "She told me you were … not very nice during your school days. And then, when the two of you ended up here for a photo shoot a couple of years ago, she claimed that you charmed her, slept with her, and then promptly acted as if it had never happened," she asserted, folding her arms defensively across her chest.

There was a moment of silence, and then, "You're serious?" Adrien exclaimed, his response a mixture of astonishment, humour, and revulsion.

"What, you're going to say she's lying now?"

"Uh, yeah! I never had sex with Lila, and I certainly never would," he retorted, scrunching his face in disgust. "I'll admit, Lila and I weren't exactly friends in school, and trust me, I had good reasons. But that photo shoots you're talking about… My god, I was nothing but polite and professional during the shoot."

Victoria's brow furrowed. "But she confronted you about it."

Adrien gritted his teeth in frustration. "She didn't confront me about anything. We completed the shoot, and that was the end of it. As far as I can recall, she quit shortly afterward." He paused, his voice dropping to a low mutter. "I know why now."

"You're lying," Victoria decided, dismissing the claim with a wave of her hand.

"I'm not. Lila is. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

She was about to say something, but he raised his hand. "Please, just … hear me out," he implored, drawing a deep breath to steady himself. "You know how shocked we were when we saw you for the first time."

She nodded, encouraging him to continue, although her wariness was still evident.

"It was … painful, honestly. The girl Lila claimed you looked like, Marinette, she was someone truly special to me. To all of us. At first, I admit, I resented you a little for looking so much like her, but I got past that. Until…"

Victoria tried to hide her interest. She'd spent so much time asking Lila for more information concerning her doppelganger, but her friend never told her much. She trusted Lila, of course, she did, but... well, she couldn't deny that she was curious. Where was Adrien going with all of this?

"Until what?" she asked.

"Until I saw your scars at the club."

Victoria's eyebrow arched in surprise. "My scars?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "Seriously, it was like I was hit by a bold of lightning."

"Why?"

"Because they matched Marinette's injuries perfectly."

"I'm not sure I follow," she admitted after a pause.

"I'm getting there," Adrien assured her. "Seeing those scars, everything suddenly fell into place. Pieces of information, things we knew, and even what people had said. After that, Alya and Nino found me and confessed that they already knew the truth. They'd done some research, you see."

"Okay, but they knew the truth about what?"

He paused for a moment, sadness clouding his eyes as he uttered quietly, "About you."

"I don't get it, what about me?"

Adrien took another deep breath, and then whispered, "Your real name isn't Victoria."

Finally.

"Excuse me?"

"Your name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Seven years ago, Lila and … others, abducted you. You've been manipulated, abused and drugged to forget your real name, your memories, everything and everyone you've ever known."

"Oh, my God," she whispered, her eyes widening in shock as she looked at him. "You're fucking crazy."

"I'm not," Adrien insisted with conviction, shaking his head. "Victoria Lynch passed away from leukemia. Your father and mother are alive in Paris."

"Alright, that's enough," Victoria scoffed without a trace of humour, rapidly gathering her belongings and stuffing them into her bag. "You're telling me that my best friend kidnapped me and did awful things to me? That's … honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Please, just...

I said shut up!

"We've done DNA tests. You are Marinette, not Victoria."

She stood up, distancing herself from him, her arms wrapped tightly folded over her chest as if to protect herself. "I can't believe any of this. You sound insane."

Adrien rose as well, his voice gentle yet urgent. "Marinette, think about it—"

"My name is Victoria," she suddenly spat, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss, but now, please, just leave me alone."

She turned away, her body stiff with anger as she walked away. Adrien followed her, leaving enough space between them so she wouldn't feel more threatened.

"Fine. Victoria, please, just consider it," he urged. "Think about your drawings. They're not simple sketches. They're memories."

Wait, what?

I've been trying to tell you.

Victoria stopped dead in her tracks, though she didn't turn around. At least he knew he had her attention.

"You've always been talented, but your drawings have a lot of significance. Just like your dreams," he calmly said, though his heart pounded in his chest. He advanced slowly, cautiously, as if approaching an injured animal. She remained rooted in place as he positioned himself just behind her. "I know you also hear a voice and that there are some things you can't seem to remember, as if they're always slightly out of reach. But listen to me, you are not crazy. It's your family, your friends, your memories fighting to come back to you. The only thing stopping them is the drugs you're taking."

She slowly turned to face him, fixing her gaze on him, a complex mix of surprise, shock and fear in her eyes. She wanted to deny it all, but his words and the voice were mixing together, and it all began to make a twisted sort of sense.

"Wanna know how I know it all? Because you forgot your pills yesterday and you remembered. You called out my name last night. Deep down, you know I'm not lying, Marinette," he said, insisting on her name.

"It still doesn't make any sense," she admitted after a moment of silence, her voice small, nothing more than a whisper, one he could've easily missed in the wind.

Adrien's tone softened even more. "I have an idea. Don't take your medicine tonight. Allow us to watch over you. If your memories don't resurface, if nothing happens, we'll leave you alone forever. I promise."

It was the most important gamble of his life, and there was still a chance that her memories wouldn't immediately return, a chance he might lose this bet. But he had to take it. Had to risk it because otherwise... Well, he couldn't think about that.

Victoria hesitated for a moment, her eyes filled with uncertainty as her thoughts raced. In the end, she nodded. "Okay, it's a deal."