Nathalie walked briskly down the corridor, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Anticipation coursed through her veins as she approached Gabriel's studio. She had spent countless hours there when he was away, observing the intricate details of his work, dwelling in the bittersweet memories of the life she yearned for but knew could never be.
Upon reaching the studio door, she hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath, her chest rising . Slowly, she pushed the door open, and her eyes immediately locked onto the portrait of Emilie Agreste gracefully displayed on the far wall. "This feels illegal." Nathalie thought. The painting depicted Emilie in her prime, with her radiant smile and the very same eyes that she had passed down to her son. It was a masterpiece that held a secret, one Nathalie knew she had to reveal. "Reveal your secrets my Gabriel."
She stepped across the room, her gaze never wavering, her fingers trailing along the textured walls. Reaching the portrait, Nathalie carefully examined its frame, her touch as light as a feather. With a soft click, she loosened the secret latch hidden within, and the frame swung open like a door, revealing a hidden safe behind it.
The safe held the Agreste family fortune - a staggering 10 million .. Gabriel had kept it hidden here, knowing that only those closest to him were aware of its location. Nathalie punched in the combination, the numbers ingrained in her mind from repeated use. As the safe door swung open, she felt a mix of guilt and satisfaction clawing at her chest. "Oh..my..Gabriel has been hiding all of this money from me." She hesitated for a moment before reaching in and grabbing half of the fortune - five million - a sum that could change her life forever.
Without a trace of noise, Nathalie closed the safe and the portrait, her heart pounding as she clutched the stash of money. With Gabriel away on his trip, there was no one to witness her actions, no one to question her intentions. "I hope Adrien doesn't come out of his room.." She panted.
Nathalie returned to her room, the money hidden carefully beneath her neat pile of clothes. She sat down at her desk, her tablet now at the ready. With a few swift taps, she searched for plane tickets to London. Her heart raced as she found a ticket and booked her trip - a one-way journey to the city that held Amelie and the life she had been craving for so long.
As she turned off her tablet and stared at the suitcase waiting to be packed, Nathalie knew that her life was about to change. She could only hope that the path she chose would lead her closer to what her heart desired so desperately - a chance to be a part of the life that she had glimpsed in that photograph that night.
Nathalie stood by the dresser, staring at the photograph of Felix, Amelie, and their son one last time before turning her attention to the stacks of cash lying on her clothing. Her heart still throbbed with a heavy ache that weighed her down, but it was a sensation she had grown accustomed to over time. A feeling she could no longer avoid nor hold in her chest. The time had finally come to confront her past, and the future she had so desperately craved.
As she neatly folded and packed her clothes into her suitcase, careful to keep the cash hidden from view, Adrien, her young charge, walked into the room. His face was painted with curiosity and confusion as he took in the scene before him.
"Nathalie? What's going on? Why is there money on your clothes and your bags packed?" Adrien asked, a tinge of worry in his voice.
"Oh, Adrien dear," Nathalie replied, smiling softly at him. "I'm just going to visit your father in London for a few days. I'll be back soon, I promise." She knelt down to his level, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "Would you be okay with staying at Marinette's place for a couple of days while I'm away?"
A bright smile of excitement lit up Adrien's face as he nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to stay with Marinette! She's a lot of fun!"
Nathalie couldn't help but share his enthusiasm, her heart swelling at the sight of his happiness. She had always admired Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and she knew that Adrien was in good hands if he stayed with her. "Alright, then. I'll make sure to arrange everything for you before I leave."
Adrien gave her a quick, tight hug before running off to his room to pack his own bags. Meanwhile, Nathalie turned her attention back to the computer screen, where she had been browsing through the available flight options. She had just enough money to buy a round-trip ticket to London, but she knew that it would be a tight budget for the rest of her journey. Regardless, it was a risk she was willing to take.
Her hands trembled slightly as they hovered over the keyboard, ready to finalize her decision. With a deep breath, she clicked the 'confirm' button and booked her flight. The die had been cast, and all that was left was to face whatever awaited her in London.
Nathalie looked back at the photograph one more time, her resolve steadying like a pillar of iron. She had waited long enough, and nothing would stand in her way now-not even her own fears and insecurities. She closed her suitcase, her mind racing with thoughts of the confrontation that loomed ahead.
As her journey began, she could only hope that the ghosts of her past would finally be laid to rest, and that she could find a semblance of the happiness that had eluded her for so long.
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I Waited For You In The Rain | Amenath
FanfictionAMINATH She got in the car and drove back home. Once she got there; she had the urge to break down into pieces. Her heart aches and she still had the left over money. "No .. who could possibly stop me from visiting a friend?! Who would be behind th...
