A shorter chapter this time, but extremely important. Enjoy!

Chapter 62

My heavy breathing had woken Christine from her slumber, but Meg stayed fast asleep. "Mandy? What's wrong?"

I took a minute to catch my breath and gather my thoughts as she quietly crawled over to me. "I'm fine, Christine. It was only a dream…I think."

"You think?"

I looked at her, studied the confusion on her face. She looked just about as confused as I felt. "It was Rose. But it wasn't like before, just a quick glance then I pass out. This was different, it was an actual conversation…"

I explained the dream to her, leaving no detail out. By the end of it, I was bawling again. It was a miracle I didn't wake Meg up. But then again, she was the heaviest sleeper I've ever seen.

As Christine embraced me just like Rose did, I suddenly felt exhausted. Past exhaustion, even. "Goodness, I'm tired. I guess it must've been the dream travel."

Christine chuckled as she let me lay back down on the blanket-covered floor. "You best get back to sleep, then. We can talk more about it later. And who knows? Maybe you'll get some answers."

I scoffed. "I highly doubt it. But I wouldn't complain if it were a dreamless sleep."

Not even a minute after I had laid my head back down, I was out.

The next morning, I felt myself being lifted into a pair of muscular arms. In my still-sleepy state, I panicked. I'm being kidnapped!

I willed my exhausted body to move, to squirm out of my captor's arms. But just as I was about to reach up and slap my kidnapper's face, I caught his scent. Candles, ink, and roses.

It was Erik.

I sighed a breath of relief as I opened my eyes to see his beautiful face staring down at me. "Good morning to you, too."

I yawned. "Why are you kidnapping me from Antoinette's room?"

"Because it is midday, everyone is off to rehearsals, and you looked like you would appreciate a bed instead of the hard floor."

I blushed. How had I slept for so long? Normally I'm a light sleeper. "Oh. I had the most interesting dream last night."

"Rose?"

I stiffened in Erik's arms. "How did you know that?"

He set me on my own two feet as we entered the passageway that led to the lake from Antoinette's room. "I may or may not have stayed on the other side of the mirror last night. I didn't feel right leaving the four of you unguarded."

I could see where he was coming from, especially since we still hadn't found Buquet's murderer. My only reply was a nod as we silently made our way back to the lair, my head on Erik's shoulder the whole way.

Andre and Firmin had sent word through Antionette the following day that they urgently needed to speak with me. Not having a single idea about what, I reluctantly left Erik to journey to the manager's office. Once I arrived, I saw a fountain pen and many documents displayed on their desk. I caught the word 'deed' on the front page. "What is this?" I asked.

The two managers looked at each other pensively before looking back at me. "We have decided to sell," Andre stated. "We want you to take over."

"Take over the sale? Surely there is a lawyer or someone better equipped to – "

Firmin interrupted me. "You misunderstand. We want you to take over the opera house."

"I'm sorry…what?!"

"Our health is suffering from the stress of these past few months," Andre admitted. "We have seen what a wonderful job you have been doing with the shows and such, so we have faith that we will be leaving the opera house in good hands."

Still in shock, I was surprised I could form a single thought. "But wait, if you're selling, that means that I have to pay to take over. I don't have enough money to cover even a tenth of what this place is worth!"

"There has been a mystery benefactor to pay in your stead."

I looked between the two managers in awe. Is this really happening? "Who on earth would do such a thing?"

Firmin shrugged. "We have no idea. We arrived in the office just this morning to find a letter with a cashier's check for the exact amount we had paid when we first bought the place."

Having my suspicions as to who this benefactor may be, I simply nodded. "So, that's it? You just have me sign a few papers and then I own the place?"

"As simple as that. We have taken care of the rest."

I looked over at Antoinette to see tears in her eyes, a proud look on her face. That was all the encouragement I needed. "Where do I sign?