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

want him to

thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded,

scampered off my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the

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

I knew what was in her small fist even

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her grey

her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its

"It's yours.

should keep it to

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

me and I'm

can give it back

a losing battle

and said,

you to

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

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

palm in a silent demand as she moved on

in her palm and she swiped my hair

fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the hollow of

everyone who would

jagged edges and veins running 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 accidentally dropped it while trying to pack all the things I could get my hands on which didn't matter later when I had to run from one

this makes

daughter announced as she

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

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

palms and

eyes fierce as she

always be

said,

nose and in return she kissed the corner

"I love you."

you

pulled back and ruffled her

made a face and I said, "Now, go back

down and I tugged the blanket over

I

"Good night, baby"

"When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

the bedside drawer and made my way

"Yes, baby?"

be

the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to sleep,

will be back

gave me a solemn nod and her grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door,

daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or

my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would

away from her father which was in

never knew that he had

was pregnant when he threatened me and

now that

to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if

to help me, now I 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

straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon

I wasn't prepared for his

be there in the

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I

text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check

he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because

I can help

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

but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator on the

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