Ice & Fire (Erik x OC)

Chapter 19

"It is something, compared to how low you had fallen back then," the man said as he held his head high, venom dripping from every word but the albino kept her face neutral. She knew this day would come eventually and she had made her peace with it.

She was not that little scared girl anymore. She would act smart and properly, not risking the Populaire or the life she had built in the said place.

"You wanted me to be a lady. So I am one" she said even though her clothing of choice didn't favour her words. Her riding pants and shirt were far from ladylike, but they were part of who she was and refused to change to impress a grumpy old man.

"No, you are not. I wanted you to be a lady, married now and with an heir. Hopefully, a normal heir; not a ballet rat dancing in stupid costumes."

His words stung her like a dagger. She was used, but they still hurt, especially now that the man himself had admitted that he despised her unique appearance. She had that theory that suspicions since she was a child and now, it was proven correct.

"I have earned my place here, and I have talent."

"You own me. I didn't waste my money for you to end up here."

"I owe you nothing!" she said, raising her voice. She accepted everything up to a point, but she wouldn't stand and listen to another man who claimed that they own her. She was passed that point. "You paid for those lessons yourself. You could have simply left me to die that day, but you didn't"

"Why you... I see that tongue of yours is as sharp as ever. That's it! You are coming with me" the man said and grabbed her forearm, but she managed to escape his grip just as his wife and daughter rushed to them.

The woman started to shout at him in Spanish, scolding him to act like that and somehow defend Juliette. The man kept his stubborn ideas and tried to push the woman away from him to grab the albino girl again.

It was that moment that she wished she didn't speak the language, she wished she didn't hear those two arguing for her as if she wasn't there. Her eyes went to the little girl at the edge of the stage, her hands on her ears, and her eyes closed.

She felt bad for the girl, remembering how the couple had a tendency to fight a lot. The incident kept going, now a crowd has gathered around them. Once again, Juliette was the centre of the attention; something she despised.

Mostly to this kind of situations when nothing good would ever come from them. She looked around, she eyed connecting with Madame Giry's and then Meg's. She didn't like that look into their eyes, the look of sympathy.

She didn't need sympathy. She never did, and she would make sure to never do.

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Erik watched from his box, his anger rising by each passing minute. He had kept an eye on Juliette, certain that she would eventually meet again with the man that had taken her in. The talk had started mild and heated up too fast.

When he had grabbed her, Erik had to hold himself from not attacking. The incident became worse when the loud Spanish woman of his joined and the two started a heated argument. The little girl was in a bad position and Juliette as well, the crowded around them didn't help at all.

It was time for him to remind everyone what was acceptable and what not in his Opera. He took a deep breath and boomed his voice across the room, making it echo and sound deep; demanding.

"She will go nowhere."

His words bounced against the room, and everyone looked around, scared. He took a step forward and allowed his mask to be the only thing visible. Simultaneously, he was body barely showed a shadowy figure, as proof that he was indeed standing there.