Appreciating Chat Noir

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mr. Agreste strode into his office that Monday morning with a stern look on his face and frustration in his gut. He had heard some troubling news from an outside source and not his son. It was only a rumour, yes that much was true thus far...

However, if it was true that fact was very troubling indeed.

He had a scowl on his face all morning that could not even be cured by Nathalie bringing him his morning cup of coffee. If he wasn't Hawkmoth, he would've been worried – he could use someone that angry, perhaps it would help him get one step closer to Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous.

He shook his head and kicked open the door with a forceful push as every head looked up in surprise. They had been used to his temper flare-ups – it was bound to happen with someone as temperamental as him – but this was different. This was...unusually forceful for a Monday morning.

He made his way to his own personal private office and sat at his desk without even saying hello to his current secretary – he hired new ones every other week if he suspected they had an inkling of who he might really be.

"Good morning Mr. Agreste, would you like me to bring you some coffee?" The secretary asked cautiously.

"No." he said curtly, and without explanation.

He sighed and took a look at his paperwork. That might keep him occupied for a couple of hours – until the Dupain-Cheng girl got there. Then he could confront her about what really happened.

Perhaps the rumour was wrong and he was mistaken – although that was rarely the case for him – perhaps Adrien hadn't been keeping things from him. Perhaps Adrien really didn't decline to tell him this critical piece of information.

He inspected a piece of dirt that had made its way underneath a fingernail from when he was tending the secret butterfly garden he kept hidden in his basement. It was a good thing that Adrien didn't know about his secrets – that boy was too oblivious for his own good.

Either way, he would find out when the new intern got there. Perhaps she would clear things up for him and tell the truth. That way he would finally know once and for all. And if the rumour really was true, well, well, well. He would just have fun dishing out consequences wouldn't he.

He unintentionally chuckled at the thought.

"Sir?"

Mr. Agreste looked up from his scheming. "Oh, had I said something out loud? Nothings the matter Shelly. Go back to work."

"Yes Mr. Agreste." Shelly said although that look of uncertainty was not lost on him. Had he said something odd out loud again?

Crap. Did he need to fire another one of his secretaries? It wasn't easy to find someone as loyal as Nathalie nowadays.

Mr. Agreste turned back to his paperwork. Perhaps he was working too hard and not spending enough time with his son – after-all that was what this was all for. He felt that familiar pang of guilt and that other feeling of being torn between two opposing desires. Should he fight to spend time with his son? Or to bring back his wife?

It wasn't an easy decision for anyone to make.

Would Adrien understand one day what he was doing and why? How would he ever explain? The thoughts swirled around his head and he looked out the window. Three o'clock couldn't come soon enough.

Marinette nodded an acknowledgment to the teacher and slipped out the door. The double-date she and Adrien had had with Alya and Nino had gone sublimely well. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed that hard.