Erik sat in his private box, watching as the managers auditioned other girls to fill the vacancy left by Adellade. Each one was given her routine, told to dance it as best as she could, and then sent on her way. He glared at them all, knowing that they would be replacing his Adellade all because they held a fancy title. He couldn't help but smirk a bit, recognizing Giry's hand in all of this-the routines being much more difficult than any Adellade had performed, and even more difficult for any of these girls to hope of perfecting.

The door to his box opened.

"This is the opera ghost's private box, monsieur," Madame Giry announced. "I doubt he will be pleased to know that you wish to remain here."

"Thank you, madame."

The door closed and his eyes narrowed. "Why are you here, Daroga?"

"I heard that they were replacing Adellade, but with these girls?" he muttered, taking a seat a few spaces away from Erik.

"Why are you here?" he growled. "If you had only come because Sorelli had told you about all of this, you would've found Adellade."

"I also came across the reason she was being replaced."

"So she does not have a family name or title to impress the patrons! Even I know that Adellade could never play the part no matter how hard she tried."

"Oh-that-right. Of course."

He turned to look at him. "What do you know, Daroga?"

"She asked me to look into something for her, and I came across the whole thing. I only had the confirmation about her removal from Sorelli."

"And what exactly is it that you came across?"

"It's not my place to say."

"Say it or else I shall be forced to hang you up by the chandelier."

Nadir sighed. "Only if you promise to not take your revenge-seeing as Adellade made me swear to not tell you about any of this."

Erik reluctantly nodded.

"It would seem that the woman she asked me to look into has close connections with the de Chagny family-and for reasons unknown to me-it was she who demanded Adellade's removal."

"And who is this woman who thinks she can have the right to say whether or not she dances in the ballet?"

"Some widow with just enough money and history to have a minor influence. There's nothing in particular that would cause her to stand out, so I simply presumed it was a matter of curiosity."

" 'nothing in particular'?"

"She's a widow. Her husband died a few years ago, and she has no children to look after. Pity about that-infant son died, and her daughter fell ill or something before her tenth birthday."

"Did you come across a name for this woman?"

"Madeline something…." He frowned. "Destler! That's it. Madeline Destler."

Erik stiffened upon hearing that name. Could it actually be? That was a long time ago-another lifetime entirely, it seemed-yet could it actually be the same woman? The very same Madeline Destler who dared to once call herself Adellade's own mother?

She was yours as well, a voice taunted at the back of his mind.

He banished it away. He had never considered her his own mother. From the time he could think for himself, Erik had toyed around with the fantasy that he was from a different family-that they had been separated once long ago-that they were searching for him…. Adellade was his only family as far as he was concerned.

But for that woman to dare to show her face around here! To dare to demand that Adellade be removed from the ballet! He would not stand for this. He couldn't stand for this.

She had known, the voice taunted once again. She had known and hadn't told Erik. She had known that Madeline Destler was here. How long had she kept it a secret from Erik?

He found himself wandering the tunnels, his feet knowing which path would lead him to the lair, allowing his mind to work freely. When had she known? How could he not have known that something was wrong? How could he have been blind enough to allow her to hide this from him? Oh, there were things she never did speak of, but he had learned enough to recognize the signs. Those days of Mazenderan when she would walk about his rooms with a small favoring to one side due to an injury, or a forced smile to cover the pain…. He had known how much she had been hurt without her ever needing to speak a word-how much fear they had struck into her….

He came to a stop. Fear…. Fear was the one thing she could never hide from him…. The nightmares…. Sleepwalking…. He should've known that something was wrong the night she had burned herself. The first night she had sleepwalked in a very long time…. He had assumed it was another nightmare about the Shah-which she still had on occasion however much he would prefer she didn't-but none of them had driven her to sleepwalk.

The night of the gala. That had been it. That must've been the first moment she had known about Madeline Destler. Erik cursed himself a thousand times over for failing to realize that something had occurred.

You had been distracted. Distracted by Christine Daae's performance. Distracted by the praise she was receiving.

Erik sighed, knowing it was true as he entered the lair. She was sitting on the couch, reading through one of the volumes he kept around. She looked up as he entered, marking the page should she wish to return to it later.

"How were the auditions?"

"Hm?"

"The auditions-for another dancer?" she prompted. "That was where you were, wasn't it?"

"Ah. Yes. Of course." He nodded. "None of them were capable of matching up to Giry's routines..."

"I would imagine so." She smiled. "The routines were always difficult. Did they find a new one?"

"I wouldn't know. I stopped paying attention. None of them were you."

"Well, if you ever want a private performance, who am I to go against the wishes of the opera ghost himself?"

"I suppose I simply found myself distracted."

"Did you begin conjuring up a new opera? An aria, perhaps?"

"No. No. Nothing of that sort."

"Oh?"

"The Daroga-he seemed it necessary to pay me a visit."

"Nadir? What did he want?"

"Nothing much. He only wished to see if it was true that you had been removed from the ballet."

"Ah. Did Sorelli tell him? I figured it was her, seeing as she's been going on and on about a 'new suitor unlike any she had ever seen before in all of Paris'. Given Nadir's reputation, it wasn't too difficult to figure out."

"He also told me an interesting thing," he began. "It would seem that a woman had a hand in your removal. A woman whom you had Nadir look into behind Erik's back."

"Oh." She looked at her hands. "That. It was only curiosity. She was the first one I hadn't seen before who was interested in becoming a patron of the opera house, so naturally I asked Nadir to look into who she was for me. I didn't have much to go on, mind you, and-well-I didn't think it would be of much importance to you, so that's why I decided to ask Nadir to not tell you."

"Adellade…."

"Did he find anything?" she murmured.

"Only that she once had two children and a husband who has been long dead for the past few years now."

"That was all?" She seemed to relax a bit.

"And that her name happens to be Madeline Destler," he growled.

"Oh," she squeaked. "Really?"

"You knew and you didn't think to tell me?"

"It wouldn't have matter too much, would it?"

"How long have you known that she was here?"

"Since the night of the gala." She sighed. "I accidentally spilled a drink on her, she got mad, and apparently that is enough of an excuse to remove someone from the ballet! It was a silly thing, Erik! Nothing too terrible happened-at least not until I learned that she was the reason I was being removed…. I didn't think to tell you, and I know I should have, but...I just sort of...forgot."

He walked over to her and knelt down. "But something did happen that night. You were afraid, Adellade. You burned yourself, remember? And Erik is sorry-very sorry for not realizing that something might've happened-for assuming it was another nightmare about Persia…. He should've known that something had happened-that something had happened to scare his Adellade that much."

"Erik…."

"You needn't worry. Not about that. She won't ever touch you-she won't even find you here. It has been awhile, and it is very likely that she didn't know who you are…."

"It-it's not that I'm concerned about."

"Then what? Tell Erik."

"I-I was more afraid that-that she might-that she might try to-try to take-to take you-away from me."

"No," he reassured, wrapping his arms around her. "No one is going take me away from you. No one can Erik away from his Adellade." And no one is going to take Adellade from Erik, he silently added. "I promise you: whatever it may take, I am staying right here with you. Understand? I am not leaving you. Not now. Not ever."