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

want him

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

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

held out a thick black macrame

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

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her grey eyes

shook my head and closed her fingers back around the black

"It's yours.

should keep it to

her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers around

to me and I'm loaning it

back to me

a losing battle when I see

nodded and

you to go

instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious

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

in a silent demand as she moved on her

and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers

neck before she accidentally choked me as the

would just look in my

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

makes you look the

announced as

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I

on my daughter as I said with a pout,

between her palms and

eyes fierce as she said, "You

always be the best,

said, "So are you, my

her nose and in return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

you too,

and

I

and I tugged

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

phone from the bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door when her

"Yes, baby?"

boy be my

My broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in

be back

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

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

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

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

that he

never knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and told me

didn't know even now that

happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we hadn't been interrupted and he

he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered

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

I wasn't prepared for

will be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

me feel half naked so I wasn't going to obey his insane

ignored his text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward

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

I

I could, 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 key

was no one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped

to take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near the