My dear readers...
I am so sorry for my absence...moving into my new house occupied every thought in my head...but I'm glad to say I have completed the move, and now have more time to dedicate to writing.
And now...after nearly a month of waiting...here is a new chap...
Thanks for your patience! I only got a FEW hate emails!
Nico
Carlotta and Raoul had been bickering for the last half hour or so.
Christine sat uncomfortably atop the hard wooden chair Carlotta had tied her to, trying her best to avoid eye contact with her captors.
"Now what?" Raoul demanded, his voice raised.
"Now what?" Carlotta repeated. "Now you go and find that monster and demand he sign the paperwork."
"He will not agree," Raoul said lowly.
"Not even when the love of his life is in mortal danger?" Carlotta asked, pulling out a Polaroid camera from a desk drawer. She moved in front of Christine and pointed the camera at her. "Smile, darling," she said evilly.
Christine bowed her head, hoping that by obscuring her face she would not give Erik any reason to sign anything.
Carlotta, realizing what Christine was doing, reached beyond the camera to grasp Christine's chin, forcing her to face the brilliant flash.
"There," Carlotta announced, pulling the developing photo from the camera. She waved it a few times, urging the photo to develop faster. "Take this to him, Raoul." She instructed.
Raoul made no movement.
"Take it!" Carlotta shrieked.
Raoul placed his hands to his temples. "Carlotta," he whispered, sounding like a man at the end of his rope. "I cannot do this."
"You must!" Carlotta insisted, flinging the picture at his feet. "Do it now!"
Raoul moved closer to her, his face red with anger. "No," he said forcefully. "You started this…you finish it."
With that, he threw the picture back at her and moved to another room, slamming the door behind him.
For a moment, Carlotta stood in silence, too stunned to move.
Then, she approached Christine.
She raised her hand and cracked it across the bound woman's face.
"This is all your fault," Carlotta yelled.
Christine felt blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but made no indication of pain.
Carlotta moved about the room, her hands on her hips, fuming.
She let loose a primal scream of frustration.
"FINE!" She screeched. "I WILL GO!"
Christine watched as Carlotta rapidly prepared for her journey. She slipped a dagger between her breasts; the small gun she had produced earlier found its place in a holster attached to her thigh.
She moved towards the door, turning around, staring at Christine viciously.
"If you move…even blink…I will ensure that his death is as painful as possible." She whispered harshly.
Christine took comfort in the fact that Erik could not be harmed…but Carlotta's words frightened her all the same.
The door slammed behind Carlotta, leaving Christine alone in the house with Raoul…
Who slowly emerged from the back room upon hearing Carlotta's exit.
He stared at Christine, his heart suddenly aching at the sight of her bloodied face.
"Christine," he said softly. "I am so sorry…for all of this."
"Don't speak to me, Raoul." Christine returned. "You and I have nothing to say to each other."
"I owed her, Christine…I thought I was doing the right thing," he continued, ignoring Christine's last comment.
"The right thing?" Christine repeated. "You lied to me…you brought me the child you had with her…you deceiving, despicable monster!"
"Shut up!" Raoul screamed, placing his hands to his head. "I only did what I had to do to make you happy! You wanted a child! Demanded a child! I did what I had to do!"
"I pity you, Raoul," Christine said, her soft voice contrasting starkly with Raoul's outburst. "I pity how you have chosen to live out this second chance."
"I was given a second chance to make things right for Carlotta," Raoul said, his voice filled with despair.
"I suppose that is one interpretation," Christine replied. "Another could be that you were given this chance to make things right with me."
Raoul stared at her as if that possibility had never entered his mind. "I provided a good life for you," he told her.
"Keep telling yourself that, Raoul," Christine replied. "Glass houses look beautiful from the outside, but it is what is inside that truly matters." She twisted uncomfortably in her seat. "And it is now painfully apparent to me that the glass house you constructed for us was completely hollow."
"That's not true," Raoul breathed, his voice harsh. "I loved you…I loved Nicholas…" he murmured.
"You loved my money, Raoul," Christine replied bitterly. "And as for Nicholas, you never even gave him a proper goodbye."
"I perished the day he died," Raoul answered angrily.
"No," Christine shook her head. "You died long before that."
Raoul looked at her, tears brimming on his lashes.
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees, burying his head in her lap.
"Christine…Christine…forgive me…I did it all for you…and all for nothing…" He wept, dampening her skirts with his tears.
Christine watched his bowed head. She did pity him…
But she could never forgive him.
"How dramatically reminiscent," a cold voice pierced the room. "And here I was certain I could trust you, Edwin…or shall I call you Raoul?"
Raoul jerked his head up, his puffy eyes taking in the sight of Erik.
"Erik…" he said, his voice full of emotion. "I...I am sorry…for everything…I am truly sorry…"
"Spare me," Erik replied, anger surging inside of him. He moved quickly over to Christine, unraveling her hands from behind her. She immediately threw herself into his arms, feeling safe as he enveloped her.
Raoul watched, sniffling pathetically.
"Now," Erik drawled, gently pushing Christine behind him. "Whatever shall we do with you, Raoul?"
