At exactly 5 p.m., Ellie invited Joel and Emmy over to her station so that they could see her latest creation.
It was still set by the window, so they immediately saw it when they walked up.
Emmy's beautiful face broke into a grin, and Joel looked like he was about to faint, but in a good way.
Bursting through the door, Joel exclaimed, "My God, Ellie! How did you even begin to make this?"
Ellie laughed and replied, "A designer never shares her secrets, Joel. Surely, you must know that."
He pouted like a child, and Emmy chimed in by saying, "You are our clothing savior!"
She stepped over and wrapped her long arms around Ellie's torso, hugging her tightly.
When she pulled back, she asked politely, "May I try it on?"
"By all means!"
She carefully took the outfit off of the mannequin and gave it to her while she held the gloves in her hands.
Emmy stepped behind the curtain with the costume, and Ellie gave her the gloves.
"Thank you, darling," she said with a warm voice.
She was so sweet.
Five minutes later, Emmy said she was ready, and before she came out, Joel said, "Let's see our 'Angel'."
She pushed open the curtain, and Ellie's jaw dropped to the floor.
Emmy Rossum was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, and the outfit complimented her features so well that she disappeared into the role of Christine easily.
Joel had the same expression as Ellie, and she almost burst out laughing because of it.
"How do I look?" she said, striking a dramatic pose.
"Like an angel," Joel and Ellie said in unison, which made the three of them break out in laughter until their stomachs were hurting.
Once she could speak, Emmy said, "You've done it again, Ellie. You truly are the best costume designer I have ever seen."
Her cheeks flushed at the compliment, and she let out a shy "Thank you" in response.
Emmy then glanced over at Joel and asked, "Can we do the scene in this outfit? I feel it works better than Charlotte's."
The mention of her name made Ellie's jaw clench, but she quickly composed herself without them noticing.
Joel nodded and said, "I think that's a good idea."
Emmy smiled.
"What do you think, Ellie?"
She tried her hardest to keep the triumphant smirk out of her voice when she replied, "I'm cool with that."
Emmy and Joel shared a glance, and then, he asked, "Would you like to watch the scene while it's being filmed?"
Ellie's face lit up.
"Really? You'd let me watch?"
"Of course," Emmy grinned. "It's the least we can do after all you've provided for us."
She looked between the two of them, and she responded with, "I would love to."
The scene was going to be filmed at the sound stage, and it looked like a completely different place with all the people filling it up.
Brightly colored outfits surrounded Ellie as actors walked by, and everybody had different types of masks on.
She made her way through the maze with Joel dragging her by the hand, and they eventually settled behind a camera set that had three separate screens for him to monitor while the scene was happening.
Ellie looked around for Gerard, but she could not spot him in the sea of moving bodies.
"All right," Joel called out. "We ready?"
"Yes," everyone said at once.
"Good," Joel exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up.
Then, "Ready. And...action!"
After the red light had turned on to indicate it was being filmed, everything became a overwhelming, colorful blur.
Emmy and Patrick danced their way around the room, while Minnie Driver and Miranda Richardson said their lines for most of the scene.
Ellie finally got a glimpse of Gerard, who was sitting off to the side and watching as well.
The crowd seemed to be drawn to Emmy's presence as Christine, and she didn't think they were just acting.
She was, indeed, "The Angel of Music".
Ellie enjoyed it for the most part, but her experience was dampened a bit when she saw Charlotte among the staff members.
Her pretty face was contorted into a scowl, partially Ellie's doing, but she also suspected she was jealous of Emmy and her talents.
Good.
Let her be upset.
The scene finished just as the Phantom was about to take his place at the top of the stairs, and everybody clapped vigorously, including Ellie.
Joel excitedly went to the middle of the floor to compliment their work.
But just as she was about to step out, Emmy whispered something into Joel's ear, and he said aloud, "Ellie, where are you at?"
Ellie froze mid-step, her body going numb in seconds.
Not this again, she pleaded. I don't do well with attention.
She thought that Joel might move on from her, but he kept insisting that Ellie come out and introduce herself to the people who didn't know her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ellie could see Charlotte wickedly grinning at her freeze-up.
She was loving every second of it.
Her heart was vibrating against her ribs, and she almost ran out before a glove came around her hand.
Ellie jumped at the sudden contact, but instantly relaxed when she saw Gerard's masked face looking at her.
"Are you okay?" he mouthed, his expression concerned.
She rapidly shook her head with sweat sliding down her face.
"I need to leave."
Gerard nodded and immediately took action.
He got Joel's attention by walking over to him and saying something that would convince him to let her leave.
Worry lined Joel's face, and he nodded in approval at whatever Gerard had asked of him.
He thanked him, rushed back over to Ellie, and grabbed her hand again.
"Let's go," he said, pulling her behind him.
Ellie chanced a look back to see what Charlotte was doing, but she had disappeared like a ghost, leaving her unsettled.