AN: Here y'all go. The answer to what happened the night of Christmas eve. Also, don't own anything phantom!

November 10, 2018

I'm so so so so sorry. I know I promised to tell you the rest of the story but I'll do it now. Side note: Seven days. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, I remember now...

I followed my father at a distance, making sure he wouldn't see me. I wasn't sure what made me follow him. In all the fifteen years of doing this together, I had never once followed him, always staying hidden in the bushes outside while he took out the target and then came back for me and we fled together. For some weird reason, I was drawn to follow this time. Anyway, all the hallways were dark and it was fairly easy to stay hidden as I trailed after my father. Finally he rounded a corner and I heard his footsteps stop.

I paused before also rounding the corner, listening to see if he would continue. That's when I heard them conversing.

"What are you doing here?" a unknown voice said in a velvety tone.

"Looking for you. You're Erik Destler, I presume?"

A silence in which I could only assume the other man, Destler, was nodding in confirmation.

"And you are Trevor Snow, the most feared assassin on this side of the Atlantic," the velvet voice belonging to the target replied.

"That I am. And knowing that, you can probably guess why I'm here," my father continued.

"Ah, yes. You probably think you can kill me."

"Think?"

"How many people do you think have tried what you think you are about to do and have failed?"

"I never fail."

"So I will be your first. How touching."

I didn't realize my feet had moved until I had rounded the corner. I was immediately rooted to the spot. My father's back was toward me and I had a perfect view of the intended target. He was a tall man clad in a tailored black suit. The right side of his face was covered by a white mask and a long black cloak billowed from his broad shoulders. In one hand, he held a long piece of rope with a noose tied at one end. I fought to keep in my gasp, not wanting to alert my father of my presence. However, Destler obviously heard my almost gasp and glanced at me.

His dark eyes burned with a golden flame as he took me in before looking back at my father. My father obviously hadn't noticed the glance and kept his back turned toward me.

"How about we make ourselves a deal?" Destler continued in his velvet tones and I felt my feet move a little closer to the two men.

"What could you possibly give me?"

"You'll walk out of here without killing me, and no one will know you failed or even attempted to try."

"And what do you get in return?"

"You leave her."

My father whirled around. I was rooted in place once more, the force of the three words stopping me in my tracks just a few steps away from my father.

"Jessica, what are you-"

"Daddy, I-"

"Do we have a deal?" Destler asked him, interrupting the moment.

My dad turned back around to face him, his face white.

"Why would I possibly-"

"The other alternative is that I snap both of your necks right now with my punjab," Erik said, "and I'm sure you wouldn't want me to do that."

The rope in question was swinging slightly in his grasp as if to prove his point.

"I-"

"Tick tock," Erik's velvet tones took on a sing-song quality as he stopped the rope's swinging motion.

"Fine!" my father said.

"Daddy!"

Erik smirked as he tucked the punjab away.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Monsieur."

My father turned slowly and knelt before me for a moment, slipping a small box into my hand.

"Merry Christmas, Princess," he murmured.

He stood and walked off, leaving me there with Erik before I could formulate a reply. As his footsteps faded into the distance, I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. Lifting the lid from the box, I found a necklace inside with a silver crown pendant strung on the chain.

"Merry Christmas, Princess," he had murmured.

The tears began to fall as I took out the piece of jewelry and fastened it around my neck. I vowed silently to myself to never take it off ever. Erik had been strangely silent the entire time I did this. The moment I had the necklace in place around my neck, he spoke.

"Come with me."

Almost against my will, my feet began to move to obey the command. In the following weeks I would hate the power his voice held over me, but after a while I would grow to love it. To love him. But that took many months. Erik led me down more dark hallways until we reached a room. He unlocked the door and stood aside for me to enter. The moment I was through the door was shut and locked once more. As soon as I heard his footsteps fade back down the hallway I fell to my knees and let my tears overtake me.

I sobbed for a long time, finally bringing myself to drag my protesting body into the bed next to the wall. I curled up with my back to the wall, but when I saw my reflection in the floor length mirror on the other side of the room, I rolled over and continued to sob until the sweet arms of sleep enveloped me.

So that's how that night went that my father made the deal with Erik. Obviously, a lot has changed since then. It's hard to describe how giddy Erik was when he first found out I sang. I was despondent and tried to protest lessons, but when I eventually gave in, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed our time rehearsing and welcomed his criticisms, maybe not so much at first, but over time I learned to love it. So now you know how I came to live here. Maybe I'll tell you a few more stories about my first few weeks living here. Like the first time I met Antoinette and Nadir! That was funny.

However, it's getting late and I'm tired so I'll be signing off now. Good night!

-Jessica Snow

AN: Ten more entries plus the epilogue left! We're getting closer!