Adrienette Love Story

Chapter 24

Adrien and Marinette had been so worried about getting home safely via taxi after being tailed that Marinette hadn't noticed Alya freaking out and blowing up her phone with text messages. Marinette had to set her volume to silence just to get anything done.

Of course, the video call came through on her computer as soon as she reached the safety of her room and jostled her mouse.

"Marinette! This is you?" Alya shouted. "Isn't it?"

Was it too late to bury her head in her hands and pretend she hadn't answered?

"Hello, Alya..."

"I didn't hear a no," Alya smirked. "My little girl is all grown up."

"Shut up," Marinette hissed, nodding behind her. "They might hear you."

"Marinette, you're 23. I think your parents are grown up enough to handle it."

Sighing wearily, Marinette glanced at the picture from the article Alya was sharing. "He was trying to hide my face." Could she be identified? Lila was trying to strong-arm Adrien into a relationship— or at least as close as she could manage— and the last thing Marinette needed was to be a bigger target of her ire.

Alya shook her head. "With all the modeling, you'd guess that Adrien must be used to social media craziness, but this is seriously blowing up right now."

Her shoulders slumped as she rubbed her temples, soothing her growing headache. "What worries me is who might have been watching us."

"This is pretty creepy." Alya sighed. "Who even tails after people? France has some strong anti-paparazzi laws."

Marinette shivered, hugging her arms across her chest. "Maybe it was Lila..."

"Girl, you can't blame Lila for everything..." Alya rolled her eyes. "She's rude, but she's not that competent."

"Who else could it be?"

"I don't know." Alya's eyes rose to the ceiling as she puzzled over the possibilities. "It's weird enough that the first post was published outside of France in the first place. Maybe Kagami's mother is still mad about that date? Maybe she's like Gabriel Agreste. Unwilling to hear a no."

Her shoulders slumped. "I'm just not sure what to do about this."

"You could talk to Chat Noir," Alya offered. "If that cosplay photo going viral means anything, he's probably dealt with the good and bad sides of social media."

Marinette frowned. "I think Chat Noir might be mad at me."

"Why?"

"It's my fault. I didn't want to get his hopes up. Not after Adrien 'proposed.'"

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Alya muttered, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Let me get this straight, you're engaged?"

"Not...really?" Marinette winced, rubbing her cheek. "I'm just helping him keep his father off his back."

Alya rolled her eyes. "You mean his father, who currently employs you?"

"Technically," she shrugged, conceding the point.

"And I suppose that massive red rock on your finger is just for show, too?"

"It's not real, Alya." Marinette's shoulders slumped. "It's to help him keep his freedom, just kind of like what I did for Kagami."

"Marinette, one, Kagami has been your friend for a while now, and two, you were not making out with Kagami."

Marinette glared wearily at her best friend. "I meant financially. He'll help me set up the shop once this is all done."