A Lady's Choice

10

HOLY SMOKES! I did not mean for this chapter to be so long but it looks like you guys are being fed tonight...this morning? A midnight snack? Wherever you are and whatever time it is, bon appétit!

I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter and that's why I'm posting a day early!

Enjoy!!

{+}{+}{+}

"This is delicious, Mr. Dupain," Adrien complimented Tom.

They all had sat down and dug into their meals. Not many words were being spoken, so Adrien was attempting to start a conversation to fill in the gaps.

Yet, the air was thicker than the sauce on their spaghetti. Everyone seemed to sit on the edge of their seats and think carefully about what they said before saying a word.

Tom gave the teen an appreciative smile, "Thank you...Mister Agreste. That is very kind of you."

"It is decent for commoner food, I suppose," Mrs. Cheng commented. Tom supposed he would take it as a compliment being the closest one he will ever receive from his mother-in-law.

"I do agree with Mister Agreste. You have outdone yourself once again, father," Marinette added, earning a side-eye glance from Mrs. Cheng. Marinette tried to hold steady in her seat instead of squirming under the watchful eye of her grandmother.

   "Let us not focus on such trivial matters anymore and continue with our conversation," Mrs. Cheng sharply stated, eyeing Gabriel, "Would you please answer my question? Why have I never heard of you?"

   Adrien didn't know how his father didn't falter under the pressuring gaze of Mrs. Cheng.

"The reason you probably have never heard of me is because I am only a well-known designer in Paris. I am still working to be world-renowned at the moment," Gabriel answered. His voice was steady and his face showed no sign of emotion. It was really hard to tell if he was lying or not.

Mrs. Cheng hummed in acknowledgment before turning to Marinette. The teen stiffened in her seat.

"It slipped my mind to ask. How long have you been with your suitor and when did you meet both meet?" Mrs. Cheng questioned.

"We met at the park a year after I arrived in Paris and have been close ever since," Marinette lied through her teeth. She had thought over the sorts of questions her grandmother might ask and made up answers for them. The only hard part was to tell the lies. Marinette hated liars and knew she wasn't a very good one. Many people could see straight through her.

Mrs. Cheng narrowed her eyes at her granddaughter, who was slowly breaking into a sweat.

"Curse my fight-or-flight response," Marinette thought, placing an off smile on her face.

"Why do you look like that?" Mrs. Cheng asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Whatever do you mean?" Marinette questioned, nervously.

"Who wants dessert?" Tom suddenly said, earning everyone's attention. He scurried to the kitchen to grab the sweets. Marinette was relieved for the change in topic. She looked over at Adrien, who was giving Mrs. Cheng a certain raised finger while she wasn't looking.

Marinette gave him an exasperated glare, making Adrien immediately stop. Marinette let out a shaky sigh, feeling like she was being rolled up into a ball of anxiety.

While the dinner wasn't going horribly bad, it could be going a lot better. She suspected that her grandmother was trying to find all the marks left on the Agreste family, searching for any weaknesses they may have.