Marrying The Wrong Woman

0.5

(A/N) Okay, but this coronavirus though

He felt the cool, sharp edge of the blade press faintly into his skin. It dared to cut deeper, skin hesitant to break into flesh. Holding his breath against his tightening chest, she gripped the handle tighter.

"Curious, are we?" she had moved as if she were a bolt of lightning cracking across the sky. "Snooping around in possessions that do not belong to you."

Luka's mind was racing a mile a minute, sweat beading around his hairline. Any sharp movement and she would slit his throat clean.

"How's your grandmother by the way? I just know that she would not appreciate her only grandson stealing what does not belong to him." her words were dripping with poison.

"Don't you dare." he bit out.

"Oh no, I would not dare touch her. Her heartbreak alone would kill her after finding out what happened to you." Lila pressed the blade further into his skin, drawing blood.

Reluctantly he reached into his jacket, removing the gun and placing it in her awaiting hand.

"Good boy," she crooned. "If you ever poke around my desk again, don't expect my mercy."

Lila straightened, pushing him down onto his back. Her heels dug into his chest as she stepped down hard.

"Looks like your blood will stain my carpet."

Barely holding his shaking form together in one piece, Luka focused his attention out at the shimmering rain slipping down the window panes. He could not move, only laying down on the floor dazed and confused.

He had watched as Lila left the room, slamming the door behind her. Choking on his own words, he clutched a hand above his chest, bending and reaching out towards his phone laying across the carpet.

"Call Marinette," he gasped. "Hurry."

—

Marinette had just finished up picking out bundles of crimson roses and ivory camellias when she excused herself outside to take a call. Alya said she would take care of the rest, urging her best friend just to relax before the big day came.

"Hello?" Marinette lost her smile almost instantly, hearing his ragged breaths.

"You are not safe," Luka urged. "Lila has a gun and is not afraid to use it."

"Luka, slow down." Marinette grit her teeth.

"She has photographs of you, your entire schedule planned out right here." Luka rustled around something on the other side of the phone. "I found a gun in her safe."

"Luka—"

"Please, Marinette." Luka cried. "It is not safe for you to get married right now."

"I can call the police—"

"No!" Luka interrupted. "She has people in high places. I have little to no hope of smuggling anything out of here because of the security cameras she installed outside her office."

"I don't—"

"Stay safe," Luka pressed. "We will find a way out of this."

He hung up shortly after, leaving Marinette a stumbling mess outside in the pouring rain, umbrella long dropped beside her on the slick sidewalk. Alya hurried outside, urging her to come back inside where it was warm and explain what had shaken her up so badly.

Looking her straight in the eye, Marinette's voice was hoarse. "She's trying to kill me."

—

Realistically, she knew that telling Adrien would only send him into a panic. He was already stressed about the merge of his and Lila's company and if something like this got out to the press and their sticky, grabby hands desperately clawing for more celebrity drama, both him and his company would suffer tenfold.

Ivan and Mylène had a safe house due to the former's job as a detective, allowing Marinette to safely stay in while Adrien was away. The three of them paced the floor inside the small and cramped apartment, waiting for Luka.

Instead, Alya came bursting through the door holding a box of donuts with her normally tamed curls a mess.

"Stress donuts." she explained, holding out Marinette's favorite.

Luka stopped by half an hour later, unfolding papers he managed to smuggle out of the death chamber as he called their shared office space.

"If Lila finds out I took these, I might be her next victim." Luka wiped at his brow, spreading out the documents on the dining table.

Marinette's face was on ever photograph, glimpses of Adrien in he corners as well. Times, dates and locations were found scrawled on the back in messy pen.

"Our safest bet would be to take her down from the inside when she is most vulnerable." Ivan said with a tight grimace. "Which means telling Adrien."

Marinette urged him to continue.

Ivan swallowed. "Using Adrien was bait would make her least likely to have access to any type of weaponry. Which means he would have to seduce her while I call in backup to her office and grab the last of her evidence."

Marinette found herself wrapped in Alya's arms for comfort.

"If you're one hundred percent certain that she is a threat to Marinette's life, then this is how it must be." Ivan looked up just in time to catch the slightly hesitant yet affirmative nod from Marinette.

"I understand."

—

Calling Adrien was only slightly less horrifying than expected. There was a loud crash sound as Adrien gathered a jacket and whatever he could around his office before hanging up without saying goodbye.

Standing in the entryway, dripping in what could be either rain or sweat, Adrien nearly collapsed at the sight of his fiancée safe and unharmed.

"Lila is a murderer." he sputtered, still catching his breath slowly.

"We don't know that for certain," Ivan corrected. "She could be her first victim."

Adrien nearly fainted. "Wonderful."

Ivan did a last minute check throughout the apartment, making sure all was safe and good to go for Marinette's stay.

"I know you just started your new job, but I can contact the manager there and explain your sudden absence." Ivan assured her. "You just stay here and be safe."

Adrien stayed the night at the safe house, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and slowly moving around the kitchen. Marinette sat on the couch, knees to her chest. Watching the muted television with baited breath, she felt the warm presence of Adrien sink in beside her.

"How are you holding up?" he waved a bowl of popcorn in front of her. "I know things aren't exactly ideal right now, but you're safe."

Marinette rejected the popcorn. "We don't know that for certain."

"You're right, we don't." Adrien set down the bowl. "All we can really do right now is keep our heads and hopes high."

Turning to fully face him now, hands cupping his face, she waited for any sign of fear in his eyes. Nothing but grassy green, shimmering as his pupils dilated.

"What is it?" he voice grew softer now.

"Are you afraid?" she matched his voice.

Adrien sighed quietly. "Of course I'm afraid. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"Afraid for yourself, going up against her. The plan could go wrong. You could get hurt—"

Adrien shushed her. "Don't worry about that right now. If you spend so much time thinking about what could happen, you won't be able to focus on what is."

Leaning forward, she rest her head against his chest. He welcomed her in with open arms, draping a blanket over the two of them to share. Marinette kept her attention firmly on the glittering ring resting on her finger, wondering if it was worth the risk of losing someone's life.

Was any of this even worth it?