Hello all :)

Solostsohelpless: Thanks! I really hope you had a great time and I'm glad you liked the updates.

Phantomforever: Don't worry, his heart STILL belongs to christine. They'll see each other again really soon. Just wait and see ;)

Pertie: I understand, lol. It's good to know you'll still look for updates

Now enjoy chapters 30-33. Yeah, 4 chapters!

Lovephantom83

Thin rays of evening light entered the room through the window. He did not expect to find her but there she was. She was sitting, facing the window and staring attentively to the world outside. He did not really know why he had decided to go upstairs and visit her in her small apartment. Perhaps he had realized the time had come of giving her the explanation she deserved at last.

Angie turned, knowing he was behind her. 'How come you've condescended to pay me a visit?'.

He came nearer and locked eyes with her. Honesty was clearly shinning in his gaze. 'I'd like to speak to you, if you don't mind'. Before she could oppose, he added. 'It's not regarding business or your job…'.

She nodded reluctantly and stood up. 'Well? What is it that you want to discuss with me?'.

He sighed, trying with all his might to look for the appropiate words. 'I've been thinking of many things lately, things I believe I should make clear to you'.

She watched him fearfully. Would he get rid of her? Had she caused him too many problems? She lowered her saddened eyes but, as soon as Erik noticed her mood swing, he lifted her chin with sincere tenderness.

He continued. 'Please, look at me…'. Once she obeyed his request willingly, he let go of her chin. 'Listen, I'm aware that I've not been fair with you these last days, and I see quite logical that you have not wished to talk to me anymore because of my attitude'.

She shook her head. 'That's not the reason, Erik…'.

He silenced her immediately pressing his index finger to her lips for a brief moment. 'Let me at least explain myself. I've… gone through many horrible experiences through my long torturous lifetime. Things you did not know about but that I made you pay for. You, who treated me kindly since the first moment… I'm very sorry I have not corresponded your good-hearted kindness in the same way'.

She smiled. 'You are right, I know nothing of your life, of what you've might gone through. But…I can perfectly well tell you that this has been the best place I've been in ages, yes, in spite of the bitter words and sullen gestures I've received from you. This has become my shelter now. I do no more than living the present and taking what I have at hand's reach', she held his hand dearly. 'Erik, if we lived everyday in our lives thinking of the pain we've been inflincted in the past, we all would be broken. You must try to forget and redo your life. Sometimes…', she paused and looked Hawai. 'Sometimes we have the chance of moving on in front of us but we are just too blind to see it'.

He carried her hand, the one that had been holding his all along, to his lips and kissed it. 'Sometimes one can be so closed in oneself than sees the truth too late'. He had understood her last statement with perfect clarity. 'That's precisely what I wanted to tell you…'

She looked surprised. Was it possible? Had he realized at last how much she loved him and how much she needed him beside her? Had he finally seen her as the one that could make all the pain go away, all the sorrow disappear even that deep sorrow that poisoned his soul?

Angie wanted to talk back but no words left her lips. She moved slightly, determined to keep doing her work as if nothing had transpired between them moments ago.

'I…I should leave'.

Erik stopped her pulling her tightly to him from behind. It had been a long time since he had had her so close to him. The agonizing nearness only made her body tremble.

He watched her bun carefully, caressing the rebellious tresses that escaped it, and started to remove her hairclips one by one, slowly and painlessly.

All of a sudden, she could feel Erik's breath was right behind her ear, as he whispered. 'I do not know why you don't leave it loose. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it looks much lovelier that way?'.

The melodious and soft whisper invaded the girl's senses. Somehow she managed to shake her head and laugh nervously.

'Pity…'.

He had finished undoing the complex hairdo and he was now sliding playfully his fingers through her long cascading hair and down her back. He rested a hand on her shoulder and moved away her tresses, leaving her neck exposed to his ministrations. His lips were leaving a feather-like trail of kisses along her pulse, which drew satisfied sighs from her throat. Meanwhile, Angie herself tilted her head helpfully, inviting his kisses to new territory. Fingers danced softly over the sensitive skin of her neck and descended slowly down to her shoulder, where they met the inconvenient obstacle of cloth. So gracefully, the skin on her shoulder was uncovered too and kissed in a matter of seconds. A strange but pleasant warmth was taking over her with overwhelming intensity. Sweet and slow torture…

She turned to him, smiling, and leant both her hands on his chest.

'You are so very special to me…and I thought I would never have the chance to tell you'.

He just smiled back at the compliment. He could not still understand how he had become so special to her or why she was feeling the way she did but it seemed something so simply pure and passionate at the same time that he was beginning to think that maybe she was right. Sometimes, chances are close but people can't see them.

Angie corresponded, sliding her small hands up his torso and starting her kisses. Many days without seeing him, many days without having him near… and now, at last, he had managed to admit his feelings, confess his doubts and trust in her, everything looked so much easier. Her lips explored his skin demandingly. As passionate as ever she caressed the nape of his neck and her fingers entangled in his locks with every kiss.

He pulled her even tighter to him, embracing her with his strong arms as his hands caressed her back through the thin layer of cloth of her working attire. She broke their fervent kisses briefly, giving him a wide smile as her hands descended from his neck to the lapels of his waistcoat, and then returned to the kiss. The fire within her burned intensely but soon she realized that the maddening pain of the passion could only be suffocated by him. Timidly, she undid the buttons of the waistcoat and helped him take it off. The flame that was threatening to consume her seemed only calmer when the garment fell off his shoulders and ended on the floor.

Seconds seemed to go by specially slow. Raoul's brother! How had she been so blind? How couldn't she have related him to Raoul earlier? After the revelation, it seemed really incredible not having noticed the familiar resemblance before. It was all so clear now... But, far from quieting her fears, that new knowledge only scared her even more and she did not think of anything else apart from getting out of Édmond's apartment.

'Please, Édmond…', she swallowed audible and with some effort. 'If you want to obtain the title, I assure you I'm the wrong person. I…Let me go, I'm just an ordinary woman now my husband's dead. I've still some acquaintances in Paris that could put me up, so I could try to contact them and leave you alone…'.

He came closer, an unimaginable fury thundering in his azure eyes.

'So easy, isn't it? I let you leave and I do not get what I want. I'm afraid your friend Meg won't be able to help you, if that's what you mean with you 'acquaintances'. The heavy irony in his cool tone gave her the shivers.

'How do you know about Meg? What did you do to her?'.

Her voice trembled, not wanting to even think that her best friend had been killed because of her stupidity… no…not another loose to bear in her conscience and in her soul. And it would be for her fault, only for her nonsensical plan of getting help.

He roared with laughter, deriding her alarm. 'I think you've lost a letter too, haven't you?', he took it out of his pocket.

Her lips opened and formed a perfect 'o', a mixture of rage and surprise. 'How…How did you get my letter? Swear…Swear to me you've not hurt her!', she screamed loudly, shaking off the hands that had trapped her forcefully.

He shrugged and his face wore expression of cold indifference. 'Why should I tell you? And what if they had hurt her? What would you do, come out, running away to nowhere, to people you could never bring yourself to trust again?'.

For all Heavens, he was saying the truth. The damned truth. But she'd rather escape and live in the furthest corner of France with her poor dress as only clothing than stay there with him any more time.

'Anywhere would be better than this…'. Finally, she found her voice and she spitted the words with uncommon harshness. 'And now, tell me something…who were you refering to when you said 'they'?

He smirked. 'They are the same ones that have managed to intercept this letter, dear'.

She shook her head, breathing in and out at a quick rate, as she walked backwards. 'Let me go…'.

He caught her wrist, bruising her. 'When I decide…'.

At this, he dragged her outside his house. A new 'home' was already waiting for her.

He could feel the heat of her small body and how each and every one of her muscles tensed in anticipation of his touch. Perhaps she was beginning to gain a greater space in his heart. Could it be that, eventually, time would really heal his wounds?

He looked into Angie's eyes, which were usually an ordinary shade of dull grey but had turned clearer and sparkling.

Desire was consuming her by seconds. She felt that the man before her, whose white shirt was slightly wrinkled and ruffled with the movement of her hands over his chest while they kissed, had become an inevitable addiction. She had even dared to undo his beautiful brown waistcoat, the barrier that prevented her fingers from feeling the intimacy of his skin. Even though she had tried to fight against it, it was impossible, and now it was harder than ever.

She stroked the left side of his face tenderly, wanting to kiss him again, when she was surprised by the pull of his hand, which led them to the small bed. Would her wildest and deepest dreams come true at last in that very moment?

He left her lying delicately on the bed and positioned over her so that he could have a complete view of her smiling face. Her long coppery tresses were splayed all over the pillow and, right then, he could have admitted aloud that she looked beautiful in some way.

Timidly, fearing that he might fall if he gave a single step forward, he placed a strand of hair behind her ear and began kissing her while she undid the first button of his shirt. His lips trailed down her neck and shoulders and his hand made its way over her leg. He felt her tremble under his touch, which ascended slowly…

Perhaps it was the moment, perhaps now he would began to understand her feelings and find peace beside her and not beside the memory of Christine.

Angie touched his masked cheek, wishing to remove the cold porcelain at once, but he grabbed her wrist aggressive but caring at the same time, emitting a grunt of annoyance at what she had nearly done.

He took hold of her face with his free hand. 'Not yet, dear…'.

Before he could release her and put both hands into the task of continuing the long pleasant journey of caresses, he heard someone calling his name with heartbreaking intensity and persistence. He knew that voice as well as his. It was Christine's.

He opened his eyes, unfocused and bathed in a cold sweat. What did that mean? Was that a dream or a nightmare? The answer to his doubts? The solution to his inner turmoil or, on the contrary, the realization of darker new doubts? He placed his mask into place and adjusted his shirt. He rested his feet on the floor. There were few occasions in which he decided to make use of his bedroom to rest but that day he had found himself exhausted.

He stood up. It was probably time to clear things up.