After school, Felix waited just outside the gates, leaning casually against the iron fence. The cool air rustled his hair as he kept an eye on the exit. Marinette finally emerged, her bag slung over her shoulder and her gaze distracted. Before she could notice him, Felix stepped forward, grabbing her wrist with just enough force to make her stop but not enough to hurt.
"Felix?" Marinette asked, startled.
"Walk with me," he said simply, dragging her away from the crowd before she could protest.
Marinette frowned as she let him lead her to a quieter corner of the street. "What do you want now?" she demanded, pulling her arm free once they were away from prying eyes.
Felix crossed his arms and tilted his head, the faintest smirk on his lips. "I wanted to talk. About Lila."
Marinette’s eyes narrowed. "What about her? She hasn’t been showing up to school, and honestly, I couldn’t care less."
He feigned a look of innocence. "Oh, hasn’t she? That’s odd."
"Don’t play dumb, Felix," Marinette snapped. "You know exactly why she’s not at school. You’re working with her!"
Felix’s smirk faltered, replaced with a calculated look of seriousness. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "That’s not entirely true, Marinette. I’m not exactly... thrilled with her anymore. Let’s just say, I’ve reconsidered our arrangement."
Marinette’s skepticism was written all over her face. "And why should I believe you?"
Felix sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You shouldn’t," he admitted, "but I thought you’d at least hear me out."
She scoffed, turning to leave, but Felix reached out again, stopping her.
"Wait," he said, his voice softer now. "Can we just... talk for a second? Please?"
Something in his tone made Marinette pause. She turned back to face him, her irritation replaced with cautious curiosity. "Talk about what?"
Felix hesitated, as if unsure how to start. Then he sighed. "I’m not exactly... proud of the things I’ve done," he said, his voice laced with a vulnerability Marinette hadn’t expected. "You think I’m just some manipulative jerk who enjoys making people miserable, but... it’s not that simple."
Marinette stared at him, unsure how to respond.
"I didn’t grow up the way Adrien did," Felix continued, his gaze distant. "I didn’t have a perfect life or a father who actually cared. My mother... she tried, but she had her limits. And Lila... she’s a means to an end, nothing more."
Marinette felt a pang of guilt despite herself. She didn’t trust him—of course, she didn’t—but there was something in his eyes, a flicker of genuine pain, that made her hesitate.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked softly.
Felix smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Because I think you’re the only one who might actually understand. You’ve got that same fire, that same determination. I admire it, honestly."
Marinette blinked, taken aback by the compliment. "I... I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, Felix, but—"
"I’m not trying to do anything," he interrupted. "I just wanted you to know that I’m not your enemy. At least, I don’t have to be."
Marinette studied him for a long moment, her mind racing. Was he being sincere, or was this just another one of his games? She couldn’t tell, and that scared her.
"Fine," she said at last. "I’ll think about what you’ve said. But don’t expect me to trust you anytime soon."
Felix nodded, a ghost of a smirk returning to his lips. "That’s fair."
Without another word, Marinette turned and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest.
Marinette stepped into the luxurious suite at the Grand Paris Hotel, the golden chandeliers casting a warm glow over Chloe’s extravagant living space. Chloe was sprawled on the velvet chaise lounge, flipping through a magazine as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Marinette closed the door behind her, dropping her bag onto a nearby chair.
"We need to talk," Marinette said, crossing her arms.
Chloe barely glanced up, a smirk playing on her lips. "Let me guess, it’s about Felix."
Marinette frowned. "What about Felix?"
Chloe sat up, tossing the magazine onto the coffee table. "Oh, please. I saw you two today. You were talking like you’re old friends or something."
"It wasn’t like that," Marinette snapped. "He was just trying to convince me he’s not working with Lila anymore."
"And you believed him?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with skepticism.
"Of course not," Marinette replied quickly. "But I couldn’t just walk away. He kept talking about how he’s not proud of what he’s done and blah blah blah." She waved her hand dismissively.
Chloe narrowed her eyes, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You know... you might be onto something there."
Marinette tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
Chloe’s smirk widened into a full-blown grin. "Think about it. If Felix wants to play nice, why not use that to our advantage? You could make him fall for you, then crush him. And while he’s busy swooning over you, you could get him to help us destroy Lila."
Marinette’s jaw dropped. "Are you insane?!"
"Not at all," Chloe replied breezily, standing up and walking over to her extensive shoe collection. "It’s genius. Felix has already shown he’s willing to turn on Lila, and with you in his ear, we’d have him eating out of the palm of your hand."
Marinette’s face flushed. "First of all, I don’t even know if he likes me like that. And second, even if he did, I wouldn’t use that to manipulate him!"
Chloe turned back to her, holding a pair of heels as if she were inspecting a fine piece of art. "Oh, don’t be so dramatic. It’s not like you’d actually fall for him. You’d just be... guiding him in the right direction."
"Guiding him?" Marinette crossed her arms, glaring. "That’s a nice way of saying ‘lying to him.’"
"Call it what you want," Chloe said with a shrug, slipping on the heels. "But if it gets Lila out of the picture for good, isn’t it worth it?"
Marinette hesitated. Chloe had a point, as much as she hated to admit it. Felix was already showing cracks in his alliance with Lila, and if she could push him further, maybe they really could take Lila down once and for all. But the idea of manipulating someone, even someone like Felix, didn’t sit well with her.
"I don’t know," Marinette said finally, sitting down on the edge of Chloe’s bed. "This feels... wrong."
Chloe walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, her expression surprisingly sincere. "Look, I get it. You’re a goody-two-shoes and all that. But sometimes, you have to play dirty to win. And trust me, Felix deserves it. He’s just as bad as Lila, if not worse."
Marinette sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I’ll think about it."
"Good," Chloe said, her smirk returning. "Because if anyone can pull this off, it’s you."
Marinette lingered by the door, her hand resting on the ornate handle. Something tugged at her, an impulse she couldn’t quite explain. She turned back to Chloe, who was busy admiring herself in the mirror, adjusting the perfectly aligned rows of earrings adorning her ears.
"Hey, Chloe," Marinette began hesitantly, her voice softer than usual.
Chloe glanced at her through the mirror. "Yes, Dupain-Cheng? Something on your mind?"
Marinette hesitated. She wasn’t sure why she was about to say this, but the words spilled out anyway. "The girls are hanging out at Juleka’s later. You know, just a casual thing. I was wondering if... you’d want to come."
Chloe froze, her hand hovering over a dangling gold earring. She turned to face Marinette, her expression a mix of surprise and skepticism. "You’re inviting me to hang out with your little group? Aren’t they all... how do I put this... not exactly my biggest fans?"
"Well, no," Marinette admitted, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "But, um, Adrien’s going to be there too."
At the mention of Adrien, Chloe’s posture shifted. Her surprise melted into a contemplative smirk. "Adrien, you say?"
Marinette nodded, feeling a strange mix of regret and relief. "Yeah. He’s coming. So... if you want to join, I’m sure it’ll be fine."
Chloe tapped her chin thoughtfully, her smirk widening. "I suppose I could grace them with my presence. It might be amusing to see their reactions. And if Adrien’s there, well, that’s just an added bonus."
Marinette sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Great. I’ll text you the details."
As Marinette left the hotel and made her way to Juleka’s, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a huge mistake. Inviting Chloe into her social circle, even temporarily, was bound to stir up some drama. But for some reason, she felt it was the right thing to do.
Chloe, meanwhile, stood in her room, still processing the unexpected invitation. She wasn’t entirely sure why Marinette had asked her, but one thing was certain: this would be an interesting evening.
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Juleka's place
Marinette blinked in confusion, stepping further into the room as the tension crackled in the air. "Wait, what? What’s going on?" she asked, looking around at her visibly upset friends.
Alya folded her arms and shot her a look of disbelief. "Chloe had the audacity to tell us you invited her here. Chloe Bourgeois! Can you believe that?!"
Marinette hesitated, suddenly feeling a little too warm under their collective stares. "Uh… but I did?" she admitted, her voice soft but clear enough to stun the room into silence.
The expressions around her ranged from shock to outright betrayal. Rose clasped her hands to her cheeks as if Marinette had just declared allegiance to some evil villain. Alix’s jaw dropped, and Alya let out an incredulous laugh.
"You what?!" Alya exclaimed, her voice tinged with both disbelief and annoyance.
"I invited her," Marinette repeated, this time with more confidence. She squared her shoulders and added, "Look, it’s not that big of a deal-"
"Not that big of a deal?" Alix cut her off, throwing her arms up. "You invited Chloe! The girl who has spent years making all of our lives miserable. And now she just… what, gets to hang out with us?"
Rose looked as if she might cry. "Marinette, why? She’s so mean! You’re the last person I’d expect to do this!"
Marinette took a deep breath, glancing at Adrien, who was leaning against the wall watching the scene unfold. She couldn’t read his expression, but at least he wasn’t joining in the Chloe-bashing frenzy.
"Okay, yes, Chloe can be a b*tch sometimes," Marinette began, "but lately… she’s been different. She’s been helping me with something important, and I think she deserves a chance. Everyone can change if you give them the opportunity!"
"Helping you with what?" Alya pressed suspiciously.
Marinette faltered. "It’s… complicated," she said, avoiding eye contact.
Alya looked unconvinced, but before anyone could respond, the door opened, and in walked Chloe herself, as if summoned by their discussion.
The room collectively groaned, except for Adrien, who simply looked amused. Marinette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Chloe, oblivious or indifferent to the tension, scanned the room before her gaze landed on Adrien. She smiled, her confidence unshaken. "Oh, good, Adrien’s here too. Now this really is a proper party."
Alya shot Marinette a pointed look, leaning in to whisper, "You’re definitely explaining all of this later."
Marinette nodded grimly, wondering how she was going to make it through the rest of the night.
