Blackmailed For Love

I entered the apartment with one last look over my shoulder, making sure that Kristian didn't follow me.

My heart beat like crazy in my chest and my whole body still hummed from his closeness, the way he had pressed into my body reminding me of the nights we had spent in each other's arms, in secret- grabbing forbidden moments away from public eyes.

Losing ourselves in each other.

My innocent love and his fierce possession.

We had burned for each other.

Two poles desperate to connect.

But the universe had its way and pulled us apart.

4 I took a deep breath to control my emotions and took a step further into the apartment only to pause when my foot landed on something.

When I looked down I found a white envelope without any markings.

Cautiously, I picked it up and shuddered at the way the back of my neck tingled with foreboding.

I tore the envelope and upended its contents in my palm.

All the breath left my lungs as the three photos landed in my palm.

One of me in the diner.

The other with Anna outside this building.

And another that sent a shiver of revulsion and fear through me, it was of me sleeping in my bed with my daughter.

2 The photos slipped from my nerveless fingers as apprehension gripped me, only to up in its intensity when my eyes landed on the back of one of the photos.

"You should have gotten rid of her.

I don't like the reminder of the fact that someone had you before me.

Don't worry, I have a solution for it."

2 I swallowed the bile, my throat closing up and a new kind of terror tore through me as an anguished cry left me.

"Anna!"

Footsteps echoed and then two pairs of legs came in front of me.

I hadn't realized I had dropped down on my knees.

"Mama…"

My sweet angel touched my cheek with her small hand and I looked up to find her grey eyes staring back at me with concern.

"Mama, you are crying."

I grabbed her and hugged her tight to me.

"Anna… My angel…"

I cupped her face and kissed her, my emotions going out of control.

I had thought I had left the sick stalker behind when I changed cities.

He had left veiled threats before but now he was openly threatening my daughter.

I didn't know who it was and why he had targeted me but I couldn't let him harm my daughter.

Even the thought broke me apart.

"Hush… Mama, no crying."

She frowned down at me, admonishing me.

I sniffled on hearing her tight voice.

My little domineering angel.

A soft hand caressed my head and I looked up to find my mother standing thëre looking frail and tired in her blue nightgown.

She only asked one thing, "Again?"

we were running from one place to another,

face fell and I focused back on my daughter who was making a soft cooing sound like I do for

act had more tears

daughter was safe and unharmed in front

a smile on my face,

brows lowered and

were you

"Because I missed you?"

pointed a

"No lies.

Remember?"

her up in my arms as I

in an

picked up the bags I had dropped

bedroom and cold fear slithered down

a new place to live in, maybe close to

save me time and also I couldn't just live here any

I didn't sleep.

I couldn't.

hand under the blanket that was on my

had packed all of our things which were

here and I was waiting for the sun to

"Elsa…"

my mother, my eyes

was troubled as she said, "Did you think

I swallowed.

had a stupid notion that if we go back to Black Mountain after so many

distance and time makes the heart

to tell her that sometimes distance and time festers the wound more, not giving it a

had brought me to my knees

is no

her how much true that was because the man that would've been the reason for me to go back to that place was here

My new boss.

"I don't know."

trailed off and then thought of her words before she said, "Anna shouldn't suffer

should live in a

"Mom, please."

up and

her on the bed, I said, "I have

at the end of the month, everything

to spend a

in mine, noticing how her veins were standing out and her

eyes stung but I sniffed my tears back as I said, "And I found a way to

"Elsa…"

knew what

I shook my head.

"It's my job.

company provides free health care for their employees and their

thinking about for the last two days, since I knew

I believed him because

shouldn't have to be this

eyes shimmering

sit

made me strong, without you I wouldn't

face

deserve and your prince charming will come to

I chuckled.

stopped dreaming about a

like the villain of the story but then again he wasn't as charming as one would think to begin with, he was always intense and more in

now he was the devil with vengeance in his cold grey

"We have

said and rounded the bed

her head and slowly pulled her

she wrapped

"Wake up, Angel…."

a soft voice as I caressed

on, there's my

sound and I smiled while my mother shook her head making her way to the