Hunted

Chapter 23 - Upgrades

The next morning Adrien got up and after getting himself ready and slipping into causal clothes we went down to the food room. He glanced around to see if Marinette was there but she was nowhere to be seen. He grabbed a croissant and then headed to the hall to look for her. Gabriel happened to be walking from the opposite direction. 

"Father, have you seen Marinette this morning?" He asked. 

"I haven't though I could only guess that she is still sleeping in her room." 

"Where is her room?" Adrien asked. Gabriel smirked, 

"Right this way." He said. They approached a door and then Gabriel left. Adrien lightly knocked on the door but got no answer. He cracked it open and peeked inside. Marinette was fast asleep and would occasionally moan. Adrien closed the door and breathed a sigh. The love of his life was in the same base as him and he had to play it cool and make sure his father or Felix didn't try to hurt her. He knew they had alternative motives for bringing her here and giving her a room was only a guise to her freedom. He couldn't tell her this though cause he didn't want to scare her yet keeping secrets from her before didn't go well. 

He sat by the door for an hour until he heard her get out of bed. He knocked again and Marinette slowly opened the door. Her face turned a bright red when she saw Adrien. He was wearing a blue button up shirt and looked nice and styled.

"Adrien! I didn't know it was you." She said trying to smooth her hair. He giggled and tussled her hair back into the bed head she was already sporting. A smile spread across Marinette's face and Adrien blushed intensely. 

"Do you need anything to wear?" Adrien said noticing she was still in her old clothes from the days before. Marinette looked down and shifted her feet nervously. 

"Hey it's okay. I didn't mean to make you feel bad you know. I thought you might feel better in some cleaner clothes. I brought you something." He said pulling out a folded piece of clothing. She took it in her hands and unfolded it gasping. 

"Adrien, you didn't have too." She said when she saw the pretty dress that he had given her. It was a dark red with black lace. 

"It reminded me of you. I found it in our clothing stock." She pulled Adrien into a hug and he smiled and hugged her back. She took a shower and changed into the dress. She brushed her hair and came out. Adrien smiled when he saw how pretty she looked. 

"You look amazing!" He said. His eyes traveled back to the burn on her arm, a painful reminder of her imprisonment. His face became grave and Marinette walked up to him. 

"Adrien what's wrong?" "Marinette, I'm not telling you the whole truth. I don't want to lie to you anymore so I have to tell you something." Marinette sat down next to him and eyed him with a serious look. Adrien's breath caught in his throat seeing her eager face waiting to hear what he had to say. 

"You uh my father he uh told me that..." Adrien started but then trailed off. 

"Tell me please." Marinette said in a small voice squeezing his hand. He cleared his throat and began again. 

"Marinette you are a prisoner here. My father has you under a guise of freedom, but he won't let you go. My mother and father have a plan in mind and intend to use you in some way for their own benefits." Marinette looked into Adrien's eyes and studied his expression but could see that he was telling the truth. She let out a long sigh and gave him a small smile but he could tell it was forced. 

"It's okay. I already know and besides, I don't want to leave you anyways, so I want to stay." She said. Adrien placed his hand on her shoulder and then looked again at the burn on her arm.