Hidden in the sand

Broken glass

"Yes father, I'll be home soon."

Gabriel looked at Marinette who was adorned in his son's sweatpants and hoodie. "And tell your friend to go home, you know you can't be seen with other female companions, it hurts the brand."

Adrien turned off the T.V without saying goodbye and apologized to Marinette. "You can stay, he's just sour like that, it's nothing personal I promise."

The gorilla stopped the car and signed to Adrien that it would be wise for Marinette to stay out of sight for the moment.

Adrien agreed and asked him to drive her around to the garden.

Adrien kissed her on the hand and quickly left the car to the lobby of the mansion, Plagg flew out of his pocket not a moment later. He didn't say anything, but Adrien did.

"Things are different between me and Marinette."

Plagg did a full body eye roll.
"What? Things changed after you two slept together? I could have never guessed."

Adrien stiffened and protested. "We didn't sleep together! We took a nap next to each other in my bed!"

"So you had her in your bed?"

"You know it's not like that you stink ball," he sighed, slightly slumping over.
"It's just that, things are hard now that she's-I-we are so close and I don't know what to do now."

"If certain things are becoming hard because of your lady friend, do know that it is completely normal-"

"Plagg! No not like that please never say anything like that ever again."

"It's nothing to be ashamed about! It only means that you are a young and healthy-look never mind, what's important is the fact that she makes you happy, every time I hear you speak I hear the smile in your voice and you know that it's there. I haven't seen you this happy to live in a while, even with the extra nights of patrolling, you still manage to look at her like she hung the stars in the sky! You should talk to her Adrien, and I think you know what you need to talk about."

Adrien sighed.
"I'm scared Plagg, I'm so scared. And I don't think it would work out anyway, she likes someone else."

Plagg didn't have time to answer as Gabriel appeared from a strange elevator contraption that was rooted in the floor.

"Adrien, I need to talk to you."

"I"

"Now Adrien."

"Yes father."

As unexpected as it was, it wasn't out of the ordinary to get that type of order, but maybe a little heads up would be nice because right now he was not in a good place emotionally.

Well his emotional state only got worse when his father instructed him to follow him down into a secret room with the same elevator he appeared from.

"You will be 18 in a few months Adrien, and I'll need you to join me by my side to keep our family legacy alive."

"I'm already a part of the company father, I'm not dropping out of it."

"No Adrien not that, you know of the heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir, they have miraculouses that can grant one a wish."

"Are we doing a miraculous themed line or something?" He asked impatiently before noticing the large mass of butterflies in the room.

"No Adrien be mature please, I'm trying to show you my masterpiece, I've been working on it for a few years now" He moved his tie to reveal a broach.

A butterfly broach.

"I've been working on something that is regrettable, sick and twisted even, but I've done it for too long and there's no going back."