Chapter 25: I Can't Live Without You
Erik would have gone straight to his student immediately following her breathtaking performance, but Madame Giry made it clear that the prima donna needed some time to collect herself. Despite her warning, he couldn't resist leaving her a floral message.
It was only after he had left that he realized how many different ways it could have been interpreted. Ruing his mistake, he rushed back to the dressing room to speak with Christine.
The scene he chanced upon was not what he expected.
He had watched over Christine ever since she first visited his Opera House, helped her heal after the loss of her father, cultivated her voice until she received recognition, but had carefully kept himself from revealing his feelings, satisfied with securing her happiness and loving her from afar.
But to see this arrogant whelp wooing her with childhood memories and a handsome face made a devil out of the angel he pretended to be. Fear of losing her, made him nearly mad with rage.
He lashed out at the wall by his shoulder, making carefully-painted, plaster primroses crumble to the ground.
Something had to be done before it was too late.
The part of his mind not consumed with murderous thoughts calculated his options, drawing him to only one conclusion. He had hoped for more time, but he couldn't lose her. Not Christine.
Waiting in the shadows for her suitor's departure, the Phantom made a decision that would change the course of his relationship with Christine Daae.
Primrose: I can't live without you, Young love