The thin, silky fabric of her dress wasn't exactly helping Nathalie feel warm as she stood outside during tonight's gala.

Well, at least Audrey's ridiculous conversations could take the woman's mind off of such near freezing temperatures.

Slowly, the side of her arm began tilting against the plinth which was supporting the outside balcony on the third floor, and it also hung over the whole event.

Unexpectedly, a soft tap upon her shoulder could be sensed

"A jacket, perhaps?" It was Jean, without any hesitation offering his blazer to the assistant.

"I'm alright." The dark haired woman tried to smile, but as Armand raised an eyebrow, she sighed; "Fine."

"I saw you shivering." He whispered while he helped the blazer slide onto her arms. "There's no need to lie."

"I know, but now you're the one freezing."

"Please." The butler scoffed. "I am not the one who has been standing outside for an hour now."

For a split second the two shared a smile.

That moment feeling so distant, yet familiar.

Each line on one another's face was recognizable.

Their smiles haven't changed.

"Why don't you come inside?" Jean asked to distract themselves from the reminiscing.

"I-I just..." Nathalie's eyes looked away for a moment, trying to find her boss. "I wouldn't want Gabriel to need me and then I'm nowhere to be found."

"He can figure it out."

The dark haired woman shook her head; "Armand I-"

"-Nathalie I have to tell you something." The butler interrupted her words.

Suddenly, those blue eyes of the assistant stared deeper into his hazel and green.

She bit her tongue in a moment of chaos.

Should she stay, or go?

However, before Nathalie could've opened her mouth to answer, a third voice interrupted.

"Here you are." Said the grey haired man, instantly making his assistant turn around and adjust her glasses.

"Is there something you need my help for, sir?"

"No." Gabriel chuckled, a sly little smirk sneaking onto his lips as he acknowledged the presence of Armand beside the dark haired woman. "I was just going to suggest that we take our seats in the audience."

"Right." Nathalie nodded, quickly taking a glimpse of the watch on her boss's wrist. "The show is about to start, isn't it?"

"Yes." The designer smiled, his eyes slowly turning towards the butler. "Audrey is going to make her opening statement before the show, I suggest you assist her."

Jean wasn't in the mood to argue, however, neither was he in the mood to obey every instruction given to him by the irritating and egotistical superior of Nathalie.

At least that's how the butler thought of Gabriel.

Nevertheless, he nodded; "Of course." Armand rolled his eyes as he tuned away.

Even if he wanted to, Jean couldn't have formulated a sentence explaining how frustrated he was with the grey haired man.

Everything that the designer did was something enraging for the butler.

However, he had no authority to speak back.

Although he wouldn't be fired by Audrey due to the close relationship they shared, Armand still wouldn't have taken the risk.

He took a deep breath in as he approached his boss.

"Mrs Bourgeois?" He asked in a soft tone, waiting patiently until she would turn around. "Do you need my assistance?"

"It's alright." Audrey responded, her tone of voice not as harsh and painful to the ears as usual.

Matter of fact, she spoke slowly and calmly as she adjusted her outfit a little.

Armand watched the older woman run her own fingers through her hair and put her glasses aside.

He didn't want to make his thoughts apparent to his boss, however, it was clear that she appeared a little more tired than usual.

Normally, Jean would be aware of what may have caused such a disturbance in Audrey's behaviour.

Except this time; he had no clue.

"Madame." He reached for her hand before she could've stepped to the side. "Is everything alright?"

"Why do you ask?" Her eyes frowned at the butler and her voice became stern. "Is something not meant to be alright?"

Armand tensed up in that moment.

He didn't know what had happen, but he knew that this wasn't the same woman who looked at him in the dim lights of yesterday's evening and admitted her feelings.

The dark haired man looked away for a moment while letting her warm hands slip out of his.

Maybe it was his fault?

Yet Jean couldn't figure out what would've been his crime.

Surely enough she didn't get offended because he offered his blazer to Nathalie, right?

Did she even see that?

The butler shook his head; trying to build up some courage to finally focus back on her.

"I have to make a speech." Audrey's words instantly made him look up. "I must go."

Once again, in the very moment that the older woman was about to step aside and make her way out from behind the curtains, Armand grabbed her hand.

"I feel as if there is something bothering you." He said in a hurry which froze his boss in her steps. "Did I do something?"

"No." She spat. "Not you."

"Then who?"

"Must you be this invested in my private life?" Audrey asked as she ripped her hand away from the butler's hold.

"Pardon me." Jean's eyes widened to the sound of that question and to the defensive nature of the woman in front of him.

Although he managed to keep a straight face, truly, he would've liked to chuckle in that moment.

After all that they've been through; multiple nights, months, years, almost half a decade since their affairs had been ongoing, and yet he couldn't get a simple answer back.

Suddenly, the woman had turned so cold towards him, as if they were strangers.

However, Armand didn't plan to beg her any longer.

The butler simply took a deep breath in and put some space between them; stepping back.

"I'm sorry for holding up your speech." He began. "I suppose I was wrong to think that I may be considered trustable enough to know such things after yesterday's conversation...I sincerely apologise if I have misinterpreted something."

Audrey didn't even bother to respond.

She only rolled her eyes and pushed the curtains aside.

Maybe he shouldn't have felt as close as he previously did to her.

After all, he was just one of her employees.

Money should've been the sole reason for his loyalty, yet it wasn't.

Matter of fact, money was the least valuable thing that kept him working at Le Grand Paris.

Jean sighed.

In the meantime, Nathalie wasn't sure what to say as the air around her and her boss was becoming increasingly tense.

They were sitting next to one another; their eyes glued to the stage which Audrey walked across.

However, it was obvious that neither adults' attention was actually dedicated to the show.

Gabriel cleared his throat; "You don't have to stay until the very end of the show if you wouldn't like to." He looked towards the dark haired woman for a moment.

The designer tried to offer this possibility to Nathalie so that he could avoid her finding out about his plan for tonight.

He knew that once the opening speech was over, he would have to turn into Hawk Moth and carefully sneak out of the gala.

Then, the villian would have to meet Mayura and prove to her that the secret underground was not fake.

This plan was already complicated enough and the presence of the dark haired woman would only make it more difficult.

"It's alright, sir." His assistant forced a small smile onto her face. "I wouldn't have anything else to do."

"Well, wouldn't you want to be home instead?" The grey haired man scoffed nervously. "I'd take the opportunity to escape this place at any given moment, wouldn't you?"

Nathalie shrugged.

She scrunched her lips; unsure of what exactly to say.

Although the reason as to why she wanted to stay could've been tied to one reason and one person, the woman could not have explained that to her superior.

She knew that her presence at the gala was needed in order for her alter ego's plan to be executed perfectly.

Similar to her boss; this was her cover.

After Audrey's opening speech Nathalie would have to find Jean and transform into Mayura.

He'd cover up her absence for a couple of hours while she would be exploring the secret underground which Hawk Moth was talking about.

Unfortunately, the two adults sitting next to one another did not know that they were hiding the exact same secret.

"I don't mind the galas." The dark haired woman shrugged to which her boss furrowed his eyebrows in a confused manner.

"I thought you hated them."

"I hate the dressing up part of it." She looked down at her own outfit for a moment. "Otherwise, it is sort of entertaining to listen into ridiculous conversations."

As Nathalie's eyes slowly looked back at her superior, she could see the same confused look present on his face as before.

"You seriously would not rather be at home?" He asked again, his eyes widening. "You'd be just as entertained by a reality TV show."

"Not quite." The assistant giggled, however, the sound of her laughter was cut short by Audrey's voice echoing through the microphone.

"Good evening!" The older woman smiled widely while looking down at her audience from the podium she stood on. "I am so grateful to see this many faces tonight!"

Her voice was strong and confident, just like the expression painted all over her face.

Audrey did a good job of hiding her true emotions which were worsening as the seconds passed.

However, the butler who watched her speech from behind the curtains could see all the small hints of uncertainty which were hidden in her.

Armand didn't leave backstage yet, even though he could've.

Something told him that his boss was going to drop the act in a matter of minutes, and he wanted to be there when it happened.

So, as Audrey's closing statement approached; he reached into his pocked for a handkerchief.

"Thank you all." The older woman's voice echoed from the microphone before a wave of applause washed over the air.

She smiled widely; her hands held in one another and placed on her chest to show her appreciation.

Audrey's eyes specifically fell on Gabriel for a split second.

She gave him a nod, to which the grey haired man returned the gesture.

With that, the woman carefully began to take steps back from the microphone while avoiding turning her back to the audience.

Slowly, she got closer and closer to the red curtains, behind which Jean waited patiently.

The very moment that she finally disappeared off of the stage, she was met with the face of her butler.

Audrey's eye widened at the sight.

"What?" She questioned. "What do you want."

"An explanation." He answered as he offered the handkerchief to her by extending his arm out.

To be continued-