I forgot a bit about this book, so here's an update, but don't worry I'll write more to "against you" soon.

"Pardon." Nathalie apologized "I simply don't want to-"
"Have a kid! I understand!" Gabriel spat as he now was about to get up and leave but before he could've escaped his assistant laid a hand on his which somehow held the designer back.

"I'm sorry sir, I know I sounded very harsh and there's no proper was to apologize for my behavior but-"
"It's fine! Just leave me alone now."

And with he stood up leaving the rest of the family behind and Nathalie feeling like a complete mess.

Of course almost immediately the two kids noticed that the assistant began to tear up and in a couple of second she followed in her boss's footsteps as she ran away from the table.

Now the only people who were left behind was Adrien, his sister, and the two small kids of Alice.
They all stayed quiet for a bit until the blond woman broke the painfully awkward silence.

"Should I go after-"
"Yeah." The blond boy interrupted, not even allowing his sister to finish her sentence "you find Nathalie and I find father, deal?"
"Deal!"

So without wasting any further time they both stood up and went after the older adults.

-

It didn't take that long to find the woman with dark hair since she had been 'hiding' in the office where she thought no one could disturb her. But as soon as Alice walked in, things changed.

"Nathalie!" She cheered "Look I'm sorry, I was the one who started that conversation and ruined our dinner. It's all my fault so don't blame yourself."
"No-no please!" The assistant shook her head vigorously "I overreacted and hurt Mr Agreste's  feelings, so it's all my fault. You simply tried to talk to me but then I completely ruined everything with my stubborn attitude!"
"Well-...still-...I should be more careful with my words, and consider how it might make others feel, right?"
Alice laid a hand on Nathalie's shoulder who suddenly gasped, and for a split second even glanced up at the younger woman in front of her.
"Right, but I also need to work on my attitude."

Now they both smiled in agreement, so thankfully comforting Nathalie ended up well, however, comfort Gabriel was currently a very difficult task for the teenager.

"Father, I understand that you're mad at Nathalie but-"
"You don't understand anything Adrien! You're only 17! Not even an adult! Just leave! Go! GET LOST!" The designer shouted as he slammed the door in his son's face making everything go quiet for a second.

"Damn it!" The blond boy spat as he even tried to unlock the door afterwards but his father had used a key to lock it so now there's was no hope in lifting up his mood. And just in that exact moment of failure Nathalie alongside with Alice arrived.

"What happened?" The women worried.
"Oh he's mad! Fuming! I mean i don't think anything fragile will survive in there." Adrien carefully whispered as he nudged his head towards the designer's bedroom door behind which soon a huge breaking sound of a vase was heard.
"Shit. Let's hope that was not mother's urn." The kids shared a look before instantly starting to laugh, but whilst they were having so much fun the assistant got rather disturbed.
"Quit that!" She whisper-shouted "if Mr Agreste hears you two you're both dead! We don't joke around like that in the house."

"Sorry Nathalie." Adrien and Alice apologized but it still took both kids a great amount of self control not to start giggling all over again.

Anyways, whilst those younger people were minding their own business the dark haired woman decided to do something so stupid which could've gotten her killed, but she still knocked on the door.

"Gabriel." She used his name making everyone shut up for a second as they all realized that if the assistant was speaking in such a manner that things must've been extremely seriously.
"Gabriel please open the door!" Nathalie repeated, knocking louder this time to which 'in response' the designer threw something at the door making everyone suddenly flinch and the assistant fall back.

"Not now Nathalie! I'm not well!" He shouted afterwards earning a disappointed sigh from the dark haired woman:
"I don't care, just let me in. I promise it will-"

She couldn't even continue her sentence anymore as the door finally unlocked and a hand pulled her in. Then, before the kids could've gotten inside Gabriel shut the door again.

"I'm sorry-" he began but soon got shut up by the assistant suddenly without a warning 'attacking' his lips with hers.
"No don't be. I should've not mentioned those things and I'm really sorry ever bringing up the past, I hope you can forgive me."
"I can." He smiled "but-...but damn it, I don't want to admit this in front of you-"
"Admit what? Please tell me, I'm sure I can handle it."
"Well-" the grey haired man began awkwardly as he took her hands into his and with his thumb softly stoked the young woman's incredibly delicate hands "there's no right way to say this, I'll simply always look like the villain, and I know I am but-...but I don't mean to hurt you."
"That's fine. Even if we don't mean it I've hurt you before and now you can do the same, it's only fair if-"
"No please don't say that." Gabriel whispered after seeing the teary expression of his assistant who seemed to already know what his next words would be. "I don't want to-"
"Come on, admit it...you still love Emilie and now that I've brought her up you feel a stronger connection towards her?"

The designer tilted his head down in shame before nodding:
"Yes...precisely."
"Well then-...how about we-"
"No Nathalie no! We can't visit her, we can't think that she's alive, we just need to pretend she's gone." He sighed seeing the not at all convinced face of his secretary.

Nathalie seemed to know every feeling of his which bothered Gabriel a lot because he couldn't lie at all, instead he was forced to hurt her with the truth.

"You didn't mean that, did you?" She asked making the designer let go of her hands and turn away before he would've gotten too aggressive.
"Damn it! How do you know EVERYTHING!" He slammed his fist against the small table next to his bed which almost broke from this impact, but Nathalie didn't get scared, in fact she really began to test his limits when she walked over to her boss and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"I know when you're lying that's all, you're a horrible liar Gabriel."
"I-..."
"Don't even, I know what you want, you're just too afraid to say it because that might hurt me, and since you've promised me a day ago that you'll love me you wouldn't want to admit that you never even meant that."

He gasped quickly grabbing both shoulders of the young woman who was about to run away, but thankfully her superior managed to catch  her.

"No, No Nathalie please, that was too harsh. I swear upon my life that I do-...I-..I-...damn it I need you! I might not love you as you'd deserve but I definitely feel something more than simple friendship. So please just give me time to figure myself out, alright?"

"Alright." She repeated but she didn't really meant it, because the assistant knew that her boss would never be able to forget Emilie, especially now that both of his kids from her were here living with them, it would just be impossible to ever get rid of that woman.

But whatever, Nathalie promised to stay patient even though she knew this would just be a waste of time for her, and she could even easily try again with Martin, but no, the young woman already committed too much into trusting Gabriel's meaningless words, and now there was no turning back.

...

So after making up, the assistant walked out of the room, however the designer still stayed inside, he wanted to be alone just for a few more minutes but then he again 'promised' to be out with the kids.

Maybe he could keep this promise but Nathalie for sure knew that he couldn't possibly keep the others.

Moving on, as the dark haired woman stepped outside both kids of her superior were already glaring at her.

"Soooo, is he mad?" The teenage boy asked to which his step mom shook her head.
"No, not anymore, he just wants to be alone right now, but then he 'promised' to come back out."
"Great! So then everything is fine, right?"
"Right." Nathalie sighed in a depressed manner before walking past the young people and making her way back to the office.

'Great' she said she's fine so Adrien just assumed that the assistant actually meant that and he left with a happy smile knowing that there was no more conflict, but Alice stayed behind, she knew something was still not resolved, and so she decided to follow the dark haired woman.

Eventually when she was about to enter the office Alice entered quickly after her without having Nathalie notice, so when the young woman turned to lock the door and spotted the blond woman she gasped in fear:

"A! Shit you scared me."
"Sorry Nath, I didn't mean to but-...but I could see that something is wrong."
"What? Everything is fine, Mr Agreste is happy again so there's no problem."
"Oh come on now, he isn't really happy is he?"

The assistant was shook inside that Alice almost read her mind, however, on the outside Nathalie still had her boring cold look she always had on, and with that she replied:

"As far as I'm concerned your father is doing well, and there's nothing further to be discussed with this matter."
"You're lying!" The blond woman exclaimed loudly in the same way Gabriel usually did causing the secretary not only to almost start crying but also yelling. "Tell me the truth please!!"
"Alice this is the truth, he is fine! I am fine, everything and everyone is fine! Believe me!"
"No! Because if things would be 'fine' then you wouldn't look like that! You wouldn't be so sad, instead you'd most likely be with dad. So what is it!?!"

"Damn!" The assistant snapped "Fine I'll tell you!" She spat and without a warning went straight into the story: "Your dear father is so obsessed with your mother that he can't forget her no matter what!"
"O-oh."
"Yeah! Big fucking 'o-oh'." Nathalie continued as she completely ignored the fact that she was screaming at the top of her lungs "It doesn't matter that he has fucked me a couple of times, YOU KNOW WHY? Because I was so goddamn pathetic that I pretend to be Emilie!"
"Wha-"
"How do you think that feels?! To be so desperate for being loved that I'll act like someone else just so that he would call me love!?! It feels horrible! And yet I still love him."

The assistant finally finished with her story and as she glanced up at the blond woman in front of her she was more than shocked, in fact, she looked petrified as if something was about to kill both of them.
And although the story was disturbing it surely wasn't so traumatizing that Alice would need to be this afraid, so Nathalie was utterly confused as to why her friend acted so strange, but once she felt a pair of hands slide around her waist she almost dropped dead right then and there.

"I'm so sorry." A voice whispered "I am so deeply sorry to the both of you. And to you as well Adrien." The mysterious person let go of the dark haired woman for a split second before grabbing her shoulders and turning Nathalie around so that she saw exactly who it was.

To be continued-