Prisoner of Love

Chapter Twenty - Four.

Time had flown since Geff's funeral, time had flown since the British Gentleman had shoved envelopes in her attention.

Lili-Rose didn't care about his plans as she cradled a baby in her arms. She had almost forgotten about the British Gentleman as tried to sooth the crying baby.

Her world had stopped when she had found out she was pregnant, she had planned to rid herself of the pregnancy but unfortunately, she had learnt that she was too far along for an abortion. She did think of putting the child up for adoption, but she knew it'd be easier to keep the baby closer to her rather than at a distance.

Lili-Rose had kept the secret from everyone, almost everyone. Her neighbour Horace had discovered she was pregnant when he had caught her with an ever growing baby bump.

Lili-Rose had kept her baby because it gave her a chance at having some normalcy, she didn't hate the child, she hated the child's father, she hated the way her child was convinced, she hated how she was forced into the trap of his vicious cycle years after breaking free.

She smiled a little as her baby started to stop crying, she continued to soothe the baby girl in her arms.

"Lili-Rose, you can't do this!"

Her joy disappeared as she carefully squeezed tight on her baby, forcing her child to scream again.

"You must've loved me, if you kept her." His voice pierced through the closed front door.

Lili-Rose pressed her daughter against her chest as the baby continued to scream.

"Please, let me see my daughter. You can't do this to me."

Fear trembled through her body as she stood still in the lounge room, she was grateful that her curtains were shut.

She knew he'd find out; she knew he'd come back to haunt her, but Lili-Rose thought she could ignore the British Gentleman because he had left her alone for months as her pregnancy progressed.

Their baby was only a month old.

It was only a month after the child's birth, Lili-Rose thought she had gained her freedom. She now discovered she was wrong.

"Lili-Rose, please. We can be a family."

She looked down at her crying baby in her arms, she attempted to gain control of her courage as she struggled to soothe her crying baby.

Lili-Rose looked at the closed front door, she hadn't realised how tightly she was squeezing her daughter in her arms.

She took a deep breath as she loosened her grip on her daughter, the baby's screams continued to fill the space.

Lili-Rose kissed the top of her daughter's head as she bravely walked towards the front door. She kept one arm around her month old daughter as Lili-Rose moved her hand towards the door handle.

She chewed down on her lower lip as she continued but struggled to soothe her daughter in her arm.

Lili-Rose slowly opened the front door, her heart raced against her chest as she noticed the British Gentleman.

He looked like a man who had been through hell, his unshaved face, scruffy black hair and his face softened to look like he had been crying.

The British Gentleman knew how to project himself in order to trick Lili-Rose's emotions. He smiled a little at the sight of the baby in Lili-Rose's arms.

Lili-Rose pressed her daughter against her chest, she tried to use her free hand to shield her daughter's face.

"Oh, look at her." The British Gentleman beamed; he went to reach out to touch the baby.

Lili-Rose stepped back.

"Lili-Rose, she's mine. Let me touch her, please."

Lili-Rose looked down at the baby as she tried to protect her baby from the monster in front of her.

The British Gentleman sighed "What's her name?" He took a step into the unit.

Lili-Rose remained tight lipped.

He knew she wouldn't speak, at least not to him. He knew that'd be her plan. "Let me guess." He watched as Lili-Rose adjusted her grip on the baby "Betty?"

Lili-Rose glared up at the British Gentleman.

He smiled "Betty. Just like your mother. Betty Daisy Thronberg."

Lili-Rose's facial expression changed. How did he know? She hadn't told anyone her child's name, she had filled out the paperwork in secret, she didn't give out details about baby Betty. She couldn't even remember if her and the British Gentleman had ever talked kids, let alone names for their potential children.

"Are you going to let me hold my daughter? My first child."

Lili-Rose took another step backwards, she tried to muster up the strength to push the door closed; one handed. The British Gentleman blocked the doorway as she struggled while he forced the door open.

Lili-Rose stumbled back into the wall. Baby Betty screamed as loud as her little lungs allowed as tears ran down the child's face.

The British Gentleman snatched the baby from Lili-Rose's arms, he cuddled the baby tightly in his arms.

"No, DAVID!" Lili-Rose forced herself upright, she feared what he might do to their baby

David smiled "So, you do have a voice. She's mine." He breathed onto Lili-Rose's face "If you want her back than you know where to find me. One hour." With that threat he held baby Betty carefully and tightly in his arms as he walked to an awaiting car.

Lili-Rose tried to follow as she tried to reach for her daughter out of his arms.

David pulled open the backdoor of the car, Lili-Rose tried to snatch her daughter but failed as David sat calmly in the backseat, holding baby Betty in his arms.

Lili-Rose fought to keep the car door open as David forced the door to close.

"Go" David called out to the driver.

Lili-Rose held onto the door as the car began to move along the road, she tried to keep pace with the car as it began to speed up "David, you can't do this. She's only a baby" She cried.

"You should've stayed."

With that sentence, Lili-Rose struggled to hold tight onto the car door as she lost balance. The car door slammed shut as the car turned down the street.

Lili-Rose crumbled in the middle of the street, she felt powerless as her daughter was in the arms of David.