Adrien clenched his fists as he watched Plagg walk away.

Is he still worried about me and Marinette being together? Is he mad about what the people are saying online? Is he mad at me? But I’ve already told him, why doesn’t he believe me? Why isn’t he convinced?

Adrien, with a lot on his mind, stood up took off after Plagg. He didn’t realize that Marinette had followed him as well.

“Plagg, wait!” Adrien stopped him, feeling a little frustrated. “What is it this time? You’re not mad at me or anything, right?”

“No, of course not,” Plagg quickly spoke. “I’m just. . . I don’t know. It’s not you, Adrien. It’s her, and everyone else. People all think you two make a great couple. What if Marinette feels that way as well? What if she like you?”

Adrien bit his lower lip as he looked down. “L’île i said, me and Marinette  are nothing, okay? Who cares what she thinks? If she doesn’t l’île you, then I don’t think you should continue to like her. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“I would, but. . .”

“Right, I get it.”

“I just planned on trying to get closer to her, but look at me; I’m not even doing a single thing,” Plagg sighed.

“It’s okay. I. . . I can help you get closer to her if you want…”

“Than- wait! Is that what you’ve been doing?” Plagg had a huge grin on his face. “You’ve only been around Marinette to try to get us closer?”

“Uh. . .” Adrien looked down, then back up again. “Yes?. . . Maybe. . .”

“So is that all I’ve been to you?!” Both boys turned around to find Marinette there, looking pissed off. “We weren’t friends? You were just trying to. . . I can’t believe you!”

“Marinette, I. . . I can explain.” I just wanted Plagg to be happy with my answer because I felt like a bad friend.

“No, no, you don’t need to explain!” I heard everything!” Marinette gritted her teeth. “Pfft, it is true what they say; boys are such disappointments! And you know what? You can forget about trying to get closer to me, plagg!”

She walked past them in anger. “I’ll never like you no matter how much you try! In my eyes, you’re just like every other boys!”

The words stung, but Plagg pretended it don’t hurt him at all. He muttered an apology, before he walking back to the cafeteria, feeling like everything was over now. Actually, he  felt that everything was over when he saw Marinette pop out of nowhere and suddenly get angry.

“What happened?” Kim looked up. “Where’s Adrien and Marinette?”

Plagg looked behind him to see that Adrien hadn’t followed. Did he run after Marinette? He sighed, not wanting to think about it. He felt like everything was his fault anyway.

“Um, I don’t know,” He shrugged his head, not really answering Kim’s questions. He then looked back at the table Tiki had been sitting in, but his stomach seemed to do a somersault once he saw that Tiki nor Nathaniel were there.

What could they be possibly doing?

He had the urge to around and go look for them, but then he’d just ruin everything, right? He would ruin another friendship, or relationship, or whatever they were in.

Pff. I shouldn’t have tried so hard in the first place!

                                                                                ❣️❣️❣️

“And this is the new design they made,” Emilie Dawson held up what she was holding. Ever sine Gabriel had agreed for her to become one of the two assistants, she had started working in his company too.

“It looks amazing, Emilie. So what about the designing competition? Have you gathered the list of people that are joining?” Gabriel looked up from his paper.

“I asked Marinette to do that,” Emilie answered. “She said she would be back with it by probably tomorrow.”

“Alright, hope it’s not too much for her, seeing that she’s got school and everything else,” But Gabriel didn’t seem the tiniest bit worried after his words. “Oh well, I believe in her anyway.”

“Sir, a woman came over, saying that she wants to see you,” A man walked up to Gabriel informed.

Gabriel nodded at the new information. “Okay. Let her in.”

The man nodded and stared walking away. Gabriel looked back at his work. “Alright, have you decided on the date we’re holding the competition?”

Emilie shook her head. “Still thinking, Sir.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Emilie, I told you. You don’t have to call me Sir.”

“But they do it.”

“You know what, nevermind.” Gabriel logged into his account on his computer. “I want to go home early today. I don’t know why, but but I just do.”

Before Emilie could reply, they footsteps walking up to them Gabriel looked up and Emilie turned around to see who it was.

“Na-“

“It’s you!” Emilie widened her eyes. “What was you name again?”

The woman walking up to her. “Nathalie. You better remember it!”

Gabriel stood up from his seat. “N- Nathalie, what are you doing here?!”

“Gabriel, calm down, geez,” Nathalie giggled. “I just wanted to ask you something. Lately I haven’t really been getting too many jobs, so I asked myself, you know what, why not come to Gabriel?”

Seeing the sight of Nathalie made him angry; maybe the fact that she moved on so quickly to another man with children, or maybe it was because he still loved her. Heck, he couldn’t even take a look at her without cleaning his fists as if he was about to get into a fight.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Emilie seemed to suddenly hate Nathalie as well. “You came here to get a job?”

“Precisely,” Nathalie nodded. “Heard that you become his assistant.

Any chance that I can have that job as well?”

Before Gabriel could say anything, Emilie answered for him. “Sorry, there can only be two assistants, and other assistant job is already taken.”

“Oh, I don’t mean that kind assistant. Not the kind where I help you with the competition or with your work,” Nathalie chuckled. “I meant your personal assistant, Gabriel. Where I help you with housework and all that at home. I heard you had a kid. I could help look after him.”

Gabriel gritted his teeth. Don’t tell me you forget you gave birth to my kid! “Aren’t you married?! Why do you even consider becoming another man’s personal assistant?!”

“Oh Gabriel, don’t tell me you read what they said online. Those words are bogus,” Nathalie rooted her eyes. “I’m not married, but I am engaged.”

“That’s basically the same thing,” Gabriel suddenly didn’t care about the word the fell out his moth. “You two already have kids anyway.”

“Gabriel, the kids are not even mine. They were adopted long before I got engaged to him.”

“So you would move on to a man with kids, but you wouldn’t even consider being with Adrien?!“ Gabriel snapped.

“Is that you named him?” Nathaniel looked surprised calm. “Adrien?”

Gabriel kept his mouth shut, while Emilie stood by the corner, listening without meaning to and being uncomfortable.

“What about you, Gabriel?” Nathalie changed the subject. “How have you been doing? Have you moved on?”

Emilie clenched her fists, having an idea of what Nathalie was trying to do. Is she trying to get Gabriel to admit that he still loves her, so she can make fun of him for it? Emilie took a step forward. “Yes, he’s moved on!”

“To who?”

“To me!” Emilie blurted out without thinking. “I’m his girlfriend, Nathalie!”

Gabriel and Nathalie both looked surprised, but instantly Gabriel washed off his surprised look and nodded, realizing that Emilie was only trying to help him.

“It’s true. I had moved on. Besides, did you actually believe that I would still love a woman like you?!”

Nathalie seemed to look at him a hurt look oh her face, and Gabriel could almost see it her eyes: jealousy. She was quick to replace that face with a smirk though.

“Alright then, let’s not about this. I only came here to get a job. What do you say?”

Gabriel clenched his fists harder looking down at his desk. “Sure, you can get a job here, but there’s no way you’re becoming my personal assistant!”

“Alright fine, as long as I have a job.” Nathalie shrugged. “I would have to get home now, but perhaps you give me a call and we can meet up somewhere to talk about it?”

“No, we don’t meet up. We’ll talk over the phone,” Gabriel instantly replied. “The phone number is still the same.”

“Oh, you haven’t changed it?” Nathalie turned around. “I’ve changed mine. Should I give it to you?”

“Give it to me,” Emilie walked up in front in of her with pen and paper. “I’m his assistant after all. I take care of all these things.”

Nathalie took the pen from her. “Or maybe you’re just jealous that he might still like me,” She muttered.

“Oh please,” Emilie rolled her eyes. “How could he anyway? We’ve been dating for. . . 3years, and he’s never mentioned your name besides the time he told me that you left him! He says he has nothing to do with you!”

“3 years?” Nathalie looked a bit surprised. “I only dated Austin for 2 years before he proposed to me.”

“Wait what ?! A-Austin!” Emilie widened her eyes at the mention of the name, but Nathalie didn’t say anything else as she walked away.

“Is everything okay, Emilie?”

Emilie turned back to Gabriel. “No. . . Nothing’s wrong, sir. Can just. . . Have a little break.”

“Thank you,” Emilie quickly handed him the paper with Nathalie’s phone number on it, before she headed to the bathroom.

                                                                                    ~~~