The Mayor’s daughter

CHAPTER ONE FRIDA I found myself at his mansion gate again. **BARON VOSS.** No one dared show their face here if it wasn’t dead important. But my little, unkempt self was here again. And I wasn’t alone. I came with Avia. The last time I had stood at this gate, Baron had pointed at me and given me only three words. “Never come back.” Everyone called him **“The Mayor.”** The only one who dared call him Baron was me. Not because I was tough. No, I wasn’t. But because he had a weakness for me. Or maybe I had only imagined that he did. I took a deep breath. I never wanted to be here. I had stayed away for years, hoping I would never have to show my face here again. But here I was. With a daughter. **Baron’s daughter.** And she was dying. Avia needed a transplant. Would he welcome me? He fed people to his dogs whenever he got upset. I was lucky he had only thrown me out. He had banned me from his city because of what I did. I had been sent away and told never to return. And now I was here with news. News he might not want to hear. “Well, I hate to be here, but I need to save Avia. If she dies, my life ends.” Fear blurred my eyes and sent my heart into chaos. “Hey!” I looked up. “Who are you, and what are you looking for here?” My heart dropped immediately. Jamil. I knew Jamil. He was one of Baron’s toughest soldiers, guarding his gates. He knew me too. Or at least he used to. It had been so long that I wasn't sure he would remember my sorry face. “I am Fri... I am Frida.” My voice was trapped in my throat. I tightened my arms around Avia. “I am here to see the Mayor. I have news for him, and if you send me away, it might cost you. It might even cost you your life.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. Jamil walked closer to me. Very close. He leaned down until his face was almost touching mine. Then his eyes widened. His face changed. He frowned immediately when he recognized me. “You.” He said it harshly. “How dare you come here after all these years just to threaten me? I could kill you right here, and no one would care!” His harsh, echoing voice sounded like thunder in my ears. I slowly closed my eyes and took a few steps backward. But I could feel little drops of his saliva land on my nose. His breath hit my face strongly. It smelled of heavy tobacco and alcohol. He was known for the two. He was mostly called **“The Puppy.”** The Mayor’s Puppy. He always did whatever the Mayor asked. He was brutal. And right now, his reddish eyes were no longer looking at me. They were looking at my daughter. My Avia. She was sleeping peacefully in my arms, with her head resting on my left shoulder. I had covered her well so she wouldn’t get noticed. So many years had passed, but Avia wasn’t growing. Her growth was stunted because of her illness. “Whose little baby are you carrying?” Puppy asked. Not out of concern. In fact, he looked disgusted. I clutched my baby tighter and ignored his question. “Please take us to the Mayor. I have important news for him.” I insisted. He wasn’t convinced. But looking at me, he knew it was important. That wasn’t his problem. “How bold of you to show yourself here. I give you all the credit.” Puppy laughed bitterly as he glanced carefully at my daughter. “After your banishment, you are still here, and with a sickly baby?” “The Mayor can’t help you. Go away from here!” Puppy shouted furiously, pointing towards the road. My fingers tightened around her blanket. “Please, Puppy. If the Mayor finds out I came with such news and you sent me away, he might feed you to his dogs. Plea—” “Shut your mouth!” His face hardened. “I am the Mayor’s right hand. You don’t tell me what to do. He doesn’t want to see you. The Mayor has no money for you and your sick child. Leave here before I end you.” Puppy shouted at me. I had no choice but to tell him. “This child is the Mayor’s.” “And she is sick. If you don’t let me in and she dies, the Mayor won’t forgive you.” Tears began running down my cheeks. I could feel an ache in my heart. It felt as though someone had put a knife through it. Puppy’s shouting had woken up my daughter, and now she was crying. I preferred when Avia slept. Because once she was awake, she was in pain, and I had no money. Not even money for her painkillers. I had to see the Mayor. And I had to see him today. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy is here.” My voice was breaking. I could hear Puppy laughing loudly. But it didn’t sound like friendly laughter. I wasn’t sure he believed me. That laughter sounded more like mockery. Well, all I wanted was to see the Mayor. “You are here with these tough allegations.” He paused. “Or should I better call it cheap blackmail?” Puppy pointed his gun at my head. “You left this place over five years ago, and now you are here with a child this little, claiming to be fathered by the Mayor?” I closed my eyes. The air became heavy. Tears dropped from every corner of my cheeks. My heart was pounding. I could hear Avia weeping loudly in my arms. I was waiting for him to finally pull the trigger. Maybe I had to die before my baby. Because I couldn’t stand to watch her die without trying. In my head, I was counting. One... Two... Three... Then he loosened his grip and removed the gun from my head. “I will take you to him.” Puppy said calmly as he put his gun away. “I guess the decision to finally end your life is for the Mayor to make.” Slowly, I opened my eyes. I almost collapsed from relief. I looked down at my daughter. “Finally,” I whispered into her hair. “Help is on the way, Avia.” I kissed her gently. As we walked through the gates, I tried to calm her. Eventually, she fell asleep again. I held her tightly as we walked deeper into the mansion. Everything looked bigger than I remembered. Or maybe it was because I spent five years trying to forget this place. Every step brought back memories. But that is not why I came. I am here for Avia. If he killed me today for returning, so be it. But surely... Surely he would have mercy on his own daughter. I was lost in thoughts. Then a loud knock at the door brought me back. We were at the Mayor’s office. “Wait here.” Puppy ordered me as he slowly opened the door and walked in. I stood outside. My hands were trembling. Five years had passed since I last stepped foot on these grounds. Five years had changed me. I was now thinner. Paler. Malnourished. Only my dark brown eyes remained the same. The Mayor might not even recognize me anymore. Then the door slowly opened again. “Come in.” Puppy’s voice echoed through the hall. I took three deep breaths with my eyes closed. Then I slowly walked in. There he was. **“Baron Voss.”** Sitting fiercely across his massive office desk like he owned the world. Maybe he did. His deep blue eyes locked on mine. The same blue Avia had. I froze. My lips slowly parted. The room suddenly became stuffy. My heart stopped. I saw a woman. She was standing right beside his chair, looking right at me. Maybe she was one of the reasons I couldn’t move. I just stood there, gasping for air. My hand pressed firmly against my daughter’s back. The room fell completely silent. Then Baron broke it. “What have you come to do here, Frida?” His voice was cold. Very cold. He glared at me. His finger tapped his desk. Once... Twice... It had been so long since I had last seen him after the banishment. I had almost forgotten what he looked like. Right then, all that ran through my mind were flashbacks of how much I used to love him. But that was by the way. I was there for my daughter. Staring at him right then, I was guessing I shouldn’t have come. He looked like he would throw me to the dogs if I mentioned anything about Avia being his daughter. He might not even believe me because of the circumstances surrounding our separation. But I was already there. “I ask again. Why have you come?” He asked with a frown already forming on his forehead. His deep blue eyes were already turning black. I could see his lips squeezing together. That only happened when he was upset. I cleared my throat. And I blinked my eyes very fast. That only happened when I was about to tell a lie. I didn’t think he knew this part of me. “I have come to ask for your forgiveness and pardon. I want to work for you again. You can give me a lesser job, and I will do it diligently. I haven’t come for any trouble at all.” I replied nervously. Puppy froze. That wasn’t what I had told him to get me inside. I had claimed the child belonged to the Mayor, and here I was, not mentioning that. “But... Frida, you said—” “I have a sick child.” I immediately interrupted Puppy. “She sleeps all day after her medicine. Please. She won’t cause any trouble. I swear it.” My eyes lifted to the Mayor. “Please, Mayor. Help me.” My legs gave out. I hit my knees and sobbed. “Please, Mayor. Please.” I didn’t want Puppy spilling. I didn’t even know what to call him. Mayor? Or Baron... like I used to. The woman standing beside him was **Selene.** We used to be best friends. I was the one who introduced her to the Mayor. She was like my sister. I told her everything. About me. About him. I loved her. I thought she loved me too. Guess I was wrong. But there she was. Standing next to the Mayor. Her hand on his shoulder. She betrayed me. She took my place. She took my life. But none of that mattered now. I was here for my daughter. “Show me the child.” The Mayor ordered. And just like that... The room fell silent. Except for the clock ticking on the wall. I froze.