Cinnamon and Vanilla

Chapter 22

A/N - I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter. I didn't mean to leave you all hanging. I hope you will find the wait was worth it

Marinette stood in the kitchen and boiled a jug of water in the apartment she now shared with Adrien. There were still boxes of her sewing around that hadn't been sorted and unpacked yet. She looked across the counter divider at Gabriel who had his face buried in his hands at the dining room table. Nathalie sat next to him, rubbing his back. Marinette looked back at the kettle as the steam rose up wondering what had gone so wrong. The had exited the venue quite quickly after the phone call, citing Gabriel's health as the reason. Adrien walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder. They still had not yet changed from the clothes they were in at the show.

"Want me to help?" He asked. Marinette nodded her head, looking back to see Nathalie wipe a tear from her face. She looked confused and Marinette wondered how much she knew about any of this. Adrien brought the tea cups over and Marinette could see his hand shaking as he placed the tea bags in them. She stopped what she was doing and placed her hand on his, wrapping her fingers around and squeezing reassuringly. He tried to  smile at her, but it was weak.

"Are you okay?" She whispered. He bit his bottom lip and nodded.

"I don't think I've ever seen him this upset before. At least, not since mother." He whispered back. She cupped his face and ran her thumb across his cheek. Adrien placed his hand over hers, pulling her hand around to kiss her palm. "Let's go in and see what he says."

After making the tea, Marinette placed the cups on a tray, taking them to the table. Nathalie grabbed Gabriel's, sitting it in front of him and encouraging him to take a sip while Adrien and Marientte sat down opposite them. Gabriel pulled his hands away from his face, his features drawn and worn. He didn't look at them, but focused his eyes into the cup of tea in his hands.

"Years ago, I made a bad investment and lost a substantial amount of money. It was completely disastrous and without an immediate cash injection, everything would have been lost." He finally said looking at Adrien. "I was...distracted after your mother died and wasn't thinking clearly." Nathalie placed her hand on his arm.

"But we got past all that Gabriel. Your partnership with the Tsurugi company helped restore most of that financial damage."

"Yes it did, but the deal I made with her is now the issue." Gabriel lamented. "I made Tomoe Tsurugi a silent partner in the company by signing over Emilie's share to her and she is using that collateral against me now." Nathalie stared at him with wide eyes. She had no idea he had gone that far. Gabriel was supposed to look after that share until it could be signed over to Adrien.

"What was she supposed to get in return?" Adrien asked. Gabriel turned his head away, closing his eyes.

"A substantial financial return on her investment." He said. "Profits have slowly been gaining ground recently and I was hopeful that would have been sustainable enough." Then he looked away from them. "She... in the fine print she had also added that she hoped that you would marry Kagami and create a bonded partnership between the Tsurugis and Agrestes." He spoke with heavy regret in his voice, but that didn't soften the blow.

"What!" Adrien gasped.

"I wouldn't agree to an arranged marriage, which she had wanted, but I allowed them the opportunity to have Kagami spend time with you by seeing she was enrolled in the same fencing school and accompanied you to various official events." Nathalie sat back in her seat glaring at him and Gabriel could feel the burn, but it was the betrayed look in Adrien's face that hurt him the most. "I wasn't thinking, Adrien. You were 15 at the time, I thought it would be fine and had you taken an interest in Kagami, no one would have been none the wiser."