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.

he is

want him

I nodded, "I

the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few

for a bit and then held out a thick black

as I knew what was in

"Wear this.

our lucky

said, her

around the black stone that had half

"It's yours.

keep it

picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my

and

give it back to me when

battle

nodded and said,

you to

on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look

my five years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on

her palm in a silent demand as she

the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as

and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the

who would

bigger part was left behind in the cottage on the Aaron estate when I accidentally dropped it while trying to pack all the things I could get

makes you look the

announced as

a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging with an incoming

phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I

palms and brought my face closer

eyes fierce as she

always be

blinked the tears away and said,

in return she kissed the corner of

"I love you."

love you too,

back and ruffled her

face and I said, "Now, go back to

and I tugged the blanket over

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good

made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft voice stopped me,

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to

will be back

eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I

that my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her

mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would leave room for more

keeping her away from her father which

knew that he had

I was pregnant when he threatened

know even now

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

didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they

my phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that

wasn't prepared

will be there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

dress already made me feel half naked so I

ignored his text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom

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

I can

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 case as I stepped out of the elevator on the

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