Love by Design - Adrienette

For Better or for Worse

Gabriel's office door loomed in front of Adrien. Knocking was a daunting prospect. The older Agreste didn't exactly make himself an approachable man, even to his own son. Adrien had tried to circumvent this moment by approaching his father's assistant instead; he had grown used to communicating with his father through Nathalie anyway. Unfortunately, the conversation had yielded no satisfactory answers, and had made the overall situation far more suspicious.

"Nathalie?" Adrien cracked open the door to the office of the woman who practically served as his parent while his actual family was in such a defunct state.

"Yes?" Her tone was flat. She cared for the boy she looked after as though he were her own son, but she had no real ability to improve his situation - so she tried not to get too involved.

"I'm worried about how my father's business might affect... my relationships with the people I go to school with." Adrien carefully worded the prelude to his inquiry. He wanted to trust Nathalie, but she wasn't beyond making reports to his father for fear of  losing her job should he find out she had kept something from him. "Has he made any recent deals with Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng?" A/n - I've seen many fanfictions make mention of "Mr. Dupain-Cheng and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng", this bothers me. Despite the fact that they are married (20 years as of "Timebreaker"), they choose to have separate last names. Marinette is the only character to have the last name Dupain-Cheng.

The question put Nathalie immediately on edge. Gabriel had only mentioned his plans to her the once, directly after having seen that girl's sketchbook. She had hoped it a passing whim that would not be acted upon, but it seemed her boss was serious. He'd made an uncharacteristic trip out of the house the next day; that was probably when he made a proposition to Tom and Sabine. That would explain the two recent house visits, once when the entire family came for dinner, and once with just the girl for an afternoon. Adrien didn't even know he and Marinette were betrothed? Her employer really was horrible about communicating with his son! "You don't know?"

Adrien shook his head.

Nathalie sighed. "I assumed he would have told you already. I don't believe it is my place to give you such monumental news. I suggest you go speak with your father immediately." Not waiting for an answer, she pressed a speaker on her desk. "Sir, I am sending Adrien up to your office. He has a rather urgent question."

Nathalie's reaction had told Adrien one thing: whatever his father was planning would gravely affect his life as well as Marinette's - for better or worse. His girlfriend's parents seemed to expect the worst. They were both such kind people whom he admired greatly. He couldn't stand the idea of his father hurting them. For their sakes, he knocked.

"Come in." The regal lord of his office bid his son enter. "What do you need?"

"What have you been trying to get out of Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng?" Adrien was surprised by the sharpness of his own voice. Normally, he would never address his father in such a tone.

"You're finally catching on? Good. I have an important matter to discuss with you, but I'd rather Marinette found out at the same time. Would you let her know she is to come over for a formal business discussion with us tomorrow afternoon?"

What business could his father possibly have with Marinette? Was this still about the sketchbook? That wouldn't be so bad if it were, but it also wouldn't be likely to elicit the response her parents had given. Surely they wouldn't have a problem with her getting an apprenticeship or something like that through his father. He did not trust what was afoot; luckily, he had an easy out. "I won't. You see... today she told me that her parents have forbidden her to come over here ever again. I'd like to know what that's about."

"They did?! Here I'd already arranged your schedule intending for you to have her over. I suppose that means you could go to that show you asked about. Take a few friends, my treat." That wasn't a pure act of kindness on Gabriel's part. He knew that his son would certainly include Marinette, thus making sure Gabriel knew where both teens would be the following afternoon. All he had to do then was arrange his own appearance and make his declaration. What did it matter if that other boy and girl were witnesses? They would find out soon enough anyway.

Adrien, not knowing his father's true motives, was pleasantly shocked by the kind gesture. "Really, Father? Thank you so much! Would three people be okay?" He'd begrudgingly accepted the fact that he wasn't going to get an answer out of his father just yet. Questioning him more would only serve to anger him, and right now, he didn't want to risk the generous offer of time off being retracted.

"Three is fine. Is that all?"

"Yes, thank you, Father." Adrien let himself out, sighing in defeat as soon as he was out of earshot.

Gabriel felt a vein in his head begin to pulse. Those people were just being stubborn! He was offering them far more than they could ever hope to attain for themselves or their daughter. They didn't have near enough money to possibly win against him; they were just playing hard to get! His offer was practical. At first, it was about a skilled designer who could assure the future of his company. Now, it was about his pride. Once he started a venture he could not give it up, or else he would seem weak. He was done being nice. He could ruin their lives if they didn't play by his rules. Why, he just might have to buy them out of house and home, but he was prepared to do so.

A/n - That line that I named the chapter after? Yeah, that wasn't on purpose. When my mom was editing she pointed out that is part of marriage vows, I think I subconsciously knew that. Half of my brain is proud of that line, the other half is mortified, but she encouraged me to leave it. Enjoy!