Blackmailed For Love

I sat down on the sofa and opened the first box of the two in the soft overhead light coming from above the tv console.

I peeled the soft tissue that glimmered in the dim light and looked at the dark purple silk nestled in there.

With hesitant fingers I picked up the silken fabric, it unfurled in my hands as I let it drop down in front of me.

It was a sleeveless and a backless dress with a slit up to just below the waistline.

I would be half naked in this dress but still the thought of wearing it lit up a spark of anticipation deep inside my lower belly.

The other box had the same colored heels with red bottoms.

It took me twenty minutes to get ready as I didn't do much except to put Band-Aids on my nipples as the dress won't allow me to wear a bra and my nîpples poked through the fabric as if begging for attention and applied a natural shade of pink lip gloss.

I looked like a virgin trying to be a seductress.

I shook my head at my own thoughts as I stepped out of the bathroom, 1 faltered when my eyes met dark greys.

My daughter was sitting up in the bed and she was looking at me with wide eyes and a curious tilt of her head.

"Anna…"

"Mama, you look beautiful."

My heart squeezed with love at her words.

I walked to her, concentrating on not falling face first because of the heels I was wearing, it was safe to say I wasn't used to such type of footwear.

"What are you doing waking up? I thought you were asleep."

I said as I sat down on the bed beside her.

"I was."

She said with a silent Duh at the end.

I bit down on my bottom lip as my lips twitched, but she slipped closer to me and said, "I had a bad dream."

I cupped her cheek and pulled her on my lap, uncaring of the expensive silk.

Cradling her against my chest, I smoothed her dark hair back and asked, "Talk to me.

What did you dream about?"

"Someone was taking me away from you."

She replied, her voice small and a slight shaking entered in her voice.

My arms tightened around her.

And I said, "No one is going to take me away from you."

2 "Promise?"

I pressed a kiss on her head.

"Promise, my little angel."

She looked up at me and asked, "Where are you going?"

I didn't know the answer to that myself, but I replied, "Dinner."

Her brows lowered and her grey eyes turned inquisitive.

"But we had pizza."

I tapped her nose.

"Yes.

But I am meeting someone."

"A boy or a girl?"

For some reason I didn't lie to my daughter.

"A boy."

She made a thoughtful face and asked, "Is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head.

angel, he is

you want him

thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if

I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under

it for a bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord in

a painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before she opened her

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her grey eyes

her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in Black

"It's yours.

keep it

slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed

gave it to me and I'm loaning it

can give it back to me when

battle

nodded and

to go

didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with

I tell you my five years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere hidden but apparently the same thought

palm in a silent demand as

her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got

my fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken

who would just look

inside it, crystal clear and shining but now I only had smallest broken part of it, the other half and the bigger part was left behind in the cottage on the Aaron estate when I

this makes you

daughter announced as

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone

I said with a pout,

between her palms and brought my

eyes fierce as

always be the

away and said, "So are you,

kissed her nose and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

you

back and ruffled

and I said, "Now, go back to

and I

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

"When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good

my way toward the bedroom door

"Yes, baby?"

be my new

another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my

will be

closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough exhale and closed my eyes to

asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a

would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father

my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a truth is considered

never knew that he had impregnated

he threatened me and told me to

even now that he has

happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if

the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and filled with promise of

it even

prepared for his demanding

there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I wasn't going

mother's bedroom to check up

I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want

I can

until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the door behind me and slipped the

in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the

inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I came into