Understand love

Chapter 5

The judgment day had arrived. The qualified HR staff was set to arrive today to assess Gabriel's Brand's newest acquisition. Nathalie had been anxious since early morning—she wanted everything to go perfectly and for their deception to remain undiscovered. She feared that, despite his changed appearance, Gabriel, being such a recognizable figure, might still be identified.

Nathalie sent Adrien off to school, then went to Gabriel's room, waiting for him to emerge from the bathroom. After a few minutes, Gabriel appeared, dressed in a white shirt, a light purple bow tie, and gray trousers. His hair was combed to the right, and he wore oval glasses in thick, black frames. To further alter his appearance, Nathalie had suggested growing a beard, but she quickly abandoned the idea, knowing how much Gabriel disliked facial hair. As Gabriel stood before her, Nathalie examined him closely, ensuring everything looked perfect. Although he was still recognizable to her, she hoped he would appear as a completely new person to strangers. Still nervous, she stepped closer and gently adjusted his bow tie—a small gesture that helped her calm her nerves, even if just a bit.

Noticing Nathalie's nervousness, Gabriel gently took her hands, which were resting on his bow tie, holding them firmly yet subtly. This gesture prompted her to look up at him. Though no words were spoken, Nathalie saw reassurance in his eyes. They stood close, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, finding a sense of calm in the shared moment and losing themselves, forgetting the rest of the world. Their trance was broken by the sound of the doorbell, announcing the arrival of their awaited guest. Nathalie quickly pulled her hands back from Gabriel's grasp and hurried out of his room. Gabriel glanced at his hands and then at the spot where Nathalie had just been standing. Hearing voices coming from downstairs, he exited the room and made his way to the atelier.

A few minutes later, Nathalie joined Gabriel along with a tall brunette man dressed in a gray suit. The man began scrutinizing Gabriel closely, assessing his appearance. He didn't say a word, merely muttering something under his breath. He then asked to see the designs. Gabriel approached the monitor and presented two projects. They had been quite difficult for him, as he couldn't break away from the style he had developed over the years. He had deleted them multiple times, starting from scratch. However, he was satisfied with these two. He applied the technique he had used before his work began to gain recognition. His early designs had many mistakes, but with experience, he had managed to turn them into something truly good. The HR representative carefully examined both designs and then wrote something in his notebook. After a few minutes, he finally spoke.

Representative: Your dignity?

G: Richard Sphinks.

It was a name he had chosen for himself. He and Nathalie spent the night pondering the perfect name and surname that would not raise suspicion. They thoroughly searched the entire Internet to ensure that such a person didn't exist. Thanks to this, Gabriel could adopt a new identity for an indefinite period. Using Nathalie's connections, they managed to illegally obtain information about Richard Sphinx, creating his CV. Gabriel also altered his voice to make sure he wouldn't be recognized. His voice had now become much lower, resembling that of Hawk Moth.

Representative: Even though you are a new addition, you have very good skills. Your work is close to the work of the famous Gabriel Agreste. I think Mrs. Sanceour made a very good choice. Please continue to develop and perhaps in the near future you will surpass the founder of Gabriel's Brand.

G: I would be honored.

The HR representative nodded and left, leaving them alone. Gabriel and Nathalie sighed in relief, knowing their ruse had been successful. As the tension left their bodies and their minds freed themselves from worries, an unexpected figure appeared in the doorway.