The Tables Turn
Adrien was sound asleep, his golden hair tousled against the pillow, a peaceful expression on his face. But Felix was wide awake.
Lying on the couch in the corner of the room, Felix stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts that refused to settle. He turned his head, his gaze falling on Adrien’s phone resting on the bedside table.
A devious smirk spread across his lips.
Careful not to make a sound, Felix slipped off the couch and padded across the room. He picked up Adrien’s phone and unlocked it with ease- he’d watched Adrien enter his passcode earlier in the day.
“Let’s see,” Felix murmured, scrolling through Adrien’s contacts. It didn’t take long to find the name he was looking for. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Her name stood out, highlighted by the small heart emoji Adrien had placed beside it. Felix raised an eyebrow, suppressing a chuckle. His cousin was predictable if nothing else.
He added her number to his own phone, his smirk widening. He slipped Adrien’s phone back onto the table as if nothing had happened.
Felix returned to the couch, his mind alight with possibilities. Adrien might see Marinette as some sort of angel, but Felix knew how many secrets Marinette was hiding.
The sun streamed through Adrien’s dining room, casting a warm glow on the quiet breakfast scene. Adrien sat at the table, sipping his coffee, the exhaustion of another late night evident in the dark circles under his eyes. Across from him, Felix ate with a calm precision, his demeanor unreadable as always.
After finishing his meal, Felix dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin and stood, the scraping of his chair against the floor breaking the silence.
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” he announced, his tone polite but detached. Adrien barely glanced up, distracted by his phone as he scrolled through messages.
“Sure, enjoy,” Adrien mumbled absently.
Felix smirked to himself and slipped out the back door, stepping into the sprawling backyard. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, the device cold and smooth in his hand.
Marinette's phone buzzed on her bedside table, the soft hum pulling her attention away from the sketch she was working on. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the screen display “Unknown Number.” Her curiosity got the better of her, and she swiped to answer.
“Hello?” she said cautiously.
“Good morning, Marinette,” came the reply, smooth and disarmingly familiar. At first, she thought it was Adrien, but something about the tone was off. Darker, more deliberate. Her stomach dropped when realization hit.
“Felix?” she asked, her voice sharp with surprise. “How did you get my number?”
A low chuckle crackled through the line, sending a chill down her spine. “You’d be amazed at what you can find when you know where to look,” Felix said, his words dripping with casual menace. “Adrien’s phone is an open book. Well, for someone like me, anyway.”
Marinette clenched her jaw, her grip tightening on her phone. “Way to invade someones privacy, Felix, wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the first time.” she said firmly. “What do you want anyway?”
Felix let out an exaggerated sigh, as if her indignation bored him. “Relax, Marinette. I’m not here to blackmail you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Though…” He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.
“Though what?” Marinette snapped, her heart pounding. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying,” Felix continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “you and I both know that there’s more to you than meets the eye. You have secrets, don’t you?”
Marinette’s blood ran cold. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you?” Felix said with a smirk she could practically hear. “You’re an enigma, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And I find enigmas… fascinating.”
“Stop with the cryptic nonsense,” Marinette demanded. “Why are you calling me? What do you want from me?”
“I just wanted to chat,” Felix said nonchalantly, as if his actions weren’t completely invasive. “Meet me at 2 PM today, Adrien is taking fencing classes so he won't be home.”
Marinette bristled. “If you think I’m going to entertain whatever weird game you’re playing, you’re mistaken. Stay out of my business, Felix. And don’t ever call me again.”
She moved to hang up, but his next words froze her.
“Are you sure about that?” Felix’s voice turned cold, the easygoing tone vanishing. “Because if you really don’t want to talk, I could always share a few of my observations with Adrien. I’m sure he’d love to hear about Lila-.”
Marinette’s heart sank. “I don't know what you're talking about.” Marinette interrupted before he could finish that sentence.
“Oh, nothing specific,” Felix replied, the sinister edge creeping back into his voice. “You wouldn't happen to know what happened to Lila? Isn’t that right… Marinette?”
Her breath hitched. Panic gripped her as her mind raced. Did he know? Was he bluffing? Marinette forced herself to stay calm, to keep her voice level. “You’re imagining things,” she said tightly. “I’m just a normal girl with a normal life.”
Felix chuckled again, a low, mocking sound. “If you say so, Marinette.”
And with that, he hung up, leaving Marinette staring at her phone in stunned silence. Her pulse was racing, her thoughts a whirlwind of fear and anger. Felix was dangerous he knew too much.
Marinette’s fingers hovered over her phone screen, reading Felix’s message. It had been brief and cryptic, just like him:
“Reconsider. I know more than you think.”
A shiver ran down her spine. Felix’s words carried a weight that was impossible to ignore. Against her better judgment, Marinette decided to meet him. She needed to know what he was holding over her.
The cafe was cozy, its warm lighting contrasting sharply with the icy tension that greeted her as she stepped inside. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Felix, sitting in the far corner. His sharp green eyes met hers, and he gestured impatiently for her to come over.
“You’re 20 minutes late,” Felix said as she approached, his tone flat but clearly irritated. “But fine. Just sit.”
Marinette rolled her eyes but said nothing, sliding into the chair opposite him. She wasn’t here to argue. She wanted answers.
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Marinette said, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach. “What is it you think you know?”
Felix leaned back in his chair, a smug smile playing on his lips. “Patience, Marinette. First, tell me…” He paused, as though savoring his next words. “What would Adrien think if he knew what you’ve been hiding?”
Marinette stiffened. “What are you talking about?”
Felix didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached for his coffee, taking a deliberate sip as if to taunt her. Marinette clenched her fists under the table, forcing herself to stay calm.
As the conversation continued, Marinette fumbled with her tea, her nerves getting the better of her. Her hand slipped, and the cup tilted sending a small cascade of warm tea spilling onto Felix’s pristine white shirt.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” Marinette exclaimed, grabbing napkins from the table.
Felix’s face hardened, his jaw tightening as he stood abruptly. “Of course,” he muttered, his voice icy. “Look at what you did, you clutz!” Without waiting for a response, he turned and stalked off toward the bathroom, leaving Marinette sitting there, mortified.
She sank back into her chair, burying her face in her hands. Great, she thought bitterly. Now he’s even angrier, and I still don’t have any answers.
While Felix was gone, Marinette couldn’t help but notice his phone left unattended on the table. A dangerous idea flickered in her mind.
Marinette’s heart pounded as she stared at Felix’s phone. The name “Lila” glared back at her, a ghost from the grave? She thought she and Chloe had buried her alive. How is this possible? she thought.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she grabbed the phone. She hesitated for a moment but remembered a trick she knew to figure out passwords. After a couple of attempts, she managed to unlock his phone.
Her hands trembled as she opened the messages. What she saw sent a chill through her entire body:
Marinette’s stomach turned as realization dawned on her. Felix had seen everything. And somehow, Lila was alive. The two of them were working together, planning something- but what?
Without thinking, she bolted from the cafe. She tossed some cash onto the table for her tea, clutching her bag tightly as she ran. She didn’t even notice Felix calling out her name from the doorway as she disappeared into the crowd.
By the time Marinette arrived at Le Grand Paris, her breath was coming in short, panicked gasps. She raced into the lobby, ignoring the receptionist’s protests, and took the elevator up to Chloe’s suite.
She barged into the room without knocking. Chloe was seated on her chaise lounge, surrounded by boxes of shoes, a mirror propped up in front of her.
“Ugh, Marinette! Don’t you know how to- ”
“Okay, so I have good news and bad news, which one first?” Marinette interrupted, her tone sharp and urgent.
Chloe paused mid step, one heeled shoe in hand, as Marinette blurted out the “good news.”
“Good news first,” Chloe said, narrowing her eyes.
Marinette forced a shaky smile. “So, the good news is… we’re not murderers anymore. Yay!”
Chloe’s brow furrowed. She tilted her head, confused but intrigued. “And the bad news, is that Lila’s still alive.”
The stiletto fell from Chloe’s hand, clattering loudly against the marble floor. Her face contorted in a mix of disbelief and rage. “What?” she barked, her voice sharp enough to slice through the air.
“Lila. Is. Alive,” Marinette repeated, her tone heavy with dread.
Chloe’s mouth opened, then closed, before she finally managed to sputter, “But that's not possible, we killed her!”
Marinette sighed, her voice laced with frustration. “I mean we buried her alive it's not we stabbed her so I wouldn't say killed her- anyway that's not the point, Chloe. And believe me, I’m just as freaked out as you are. Somehow, she’s alive. And she’s been in contact with Felix.”
Chloe’s expression shifted instantly from shock to calculated fury. “Felix? As in Adrien's cousin? Ugh hate that guy.”
Marinette nodded quickly. “I saw his phone while he was in the bathroom at the cafe. Lila’s been messaging him. She said something about, about making sure we don’t ‘get away with it.’”
Chloe sank onto her chaise, rubbing her temples. “So, not only is she alive, but she’s scheming. And with Felix, of all people? Ugh, that pretentious b*tch. Why would he even help her?”
“Apparently, he saw us bury her,” Marinette muttered.
A slow, mocking clap filled the room. Marinette and Chloe turned toward the doorway, their blood running cold.
“I sure did sweetheart,” Felix drawled, leaning casually against the frame with a wicked grin on his face. “I must say, the two of you really outdid yourselves.”
Standing beside him, Lila smirked, her arms crossed. She was very much alive and very much enjoying the shocked expressions on Marinette and Chloe’s faces.
“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” Lila said, tilting her head smugly. “You didn’t think you’d get away with it that easily, did you?”
Marinette’s mouth went dry, and she glanced at Chloe, who was visibly fuming but trying to keep her composure.
Chloe took a step forward, her voice sharp. “What are you doing here? How dare you show up at my home uninvited! And with that outfit too.”
“Oh, we dare,” Lila said, her tone syrupy with mock innocence. “And we couldn’t resist dropping in after overhearing your little… strategy session.”
Marinette’s stomach sank. “You were eavesdropping?”
Felix chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Of course. It’s not every day you hear two wannabe villains plotting their next move. Truly entertaining.”
Chloe’s fists clenched. “What do you want?”
Felix and Lila exchanged a glance, their smirks widening.
“Simple,” Lila said. “We want to let you know how its really done. You tried to get rid of me, and you failed. Now, it’s our turn to play.”
Felix leaned in slightly, his voice low and dangerous. “And trust me, we’re much better at this game than you two.”
The pair turned and walked away, leaving Marinette and Chloe standing there, shaken but furious.
“They’re bluffing,” Chloe spat, though her voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty.
Marinette stared at the empty doorway, her mind racing. “I don’t think they are.”
Chloe squared her shoulders, her eyes flashing with defiance. “Then we’ll just have to outsmart them. They might be "professionals" but no way is Chloe Bourgeois letting them win.”
Marinette nodded, she wasn’t sure how they were going to pull it off but they were.