Page 121 of Downfall

“Princesses always live in towers.” Lara states.

“Well I’m not well versed on how princesses live so you might have to teach me.” I reply.

She nods with a serious look on her face. “Okay. But you’ll need to pay attention.”

Sofia starts laughing. I laugh too. And that ice in my heart seems to melt more.

“Are you hungry?” I ask.

“Starving.” Lara says and her eyes light up with expectation.

“Want to come have some food?”

“Yes please daddy.” She says and my heart leaps. Daddy. She called me daddy. She’s barely known me a few hours and yet already she sees me as that?

I hold out my hand and she takes it before giving me a hug around my waist. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For rescuing me.”

I hug her back, meeting Sofia’s teary eyes over her head. Christ what has my child been through to be reacting like this?

“Come on.” Sofia says. “Before Ben eats all the cake.”

“Cake? There’s cake?” Lara gasps.

“Of course there is.” I say.

She gives me the biggest grin and I scoop her up. I know she’s more than capable of walking. She’s almost six years old but still, I want to hold her, to keep her close to me and never let her go.

As I carry her down I make a mental note of the things I need to buy. She needs clothes. Shoes. Toys too. When we’ve eaten I’ll let her pick whatever she wants online and send one of my men to go get it.

Because from now on my daughter will want for nothing.

Rose

The pain is unbearable. My skin is dripping with sweat. I can barely think. Can barely register what is happening but I know I’m on some sort of drugs only they’re not having any effect.

I scream again. I thrash but nothing helps.

A nurse tries to soothe me. Another nurse flits about.

My mother and father stand to the side watching like they want no part of this. Like even in this moment, no, especially in this moment, I disgust them.

The machine keeps beeping through it all. That same piercing sound that seems to rip right through everything.

“Okay Rose.” A man says drawing my attention away. He’s knelt between where my legs are up. Where they’re strapped into stirrups and my entire lower half is exposed. “I need you to start pushing.”

I shake my head. I can’t do it. I won’t do it. Something tells me that the moment I let this child out of me, the moment it’s no longer protected by my body then I’ll no longer be able to protect it. That it’ll be at my family’s mercy. Just like I am.

“Push now.”

“No.” I wail, even as the contractions writhe through me. Even as instinct takes over and my body does it anyway.

“Good job. And again. Another strong push.”

I shake my head. My face is streamed with tears and sweat.

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