Emmerdale’s Ross Barton blackmails Robert Sugden for £10,000 after Rebecca White changes her mind over getting an abortion

ROSS Barton has demanded £10,000 from Robert Sugden in order to keep Rebecca White's pregnancy secret from boyfriend Aaron.

Rebecca gave him permission to put pressure Robert after the latter's continued attempts to force her into getting an abortion.

Earlier in the episode, Rebecca confided to Vic in the café that she wasn't sure a termination was what she wanted.

After Vic told her she had to do what was right for her, she called the abortion clinic and cancelled her appointment for the second time, telling them she wouldn't need to rearrange.

Bumping into Robert in the village shop, Rebecca was less than impressed when he guiltily tried to send her on a paid for spa weekend to help her get over the stressful situation.

She rejected the offer and stormed out, before unburdening herself on Ross inside The Woolpack.

Later, as Robert and Aaron entered the pub, Rebecca told Ross: "I'd like to see his devoted partner taken down a peg or two. Not that you need it, but permission granted if you're ever in the mood."

Ross wasted no time going into action, cornering Robert at the bar and menacingly whispering: "Rebecca is most displeased with you, my man."

Toying with Robert, he asked him to pick a number between one and ten.

When Robert begrudgingly chose three, he told him the correct answer was in fact ten. Continuing the torment he went on to tell him the question was: "How many grand is Robert going to have to stump up this time to stop me blabbing about his little secret to the last person in the world he'd want me to?"

Just last month he demanded £5000 from Robert after discovering he had cheated on husband Aaron while he was in prison and got Rebecca pregnant.

The businessman had previously rushed down to the abortion clinic to try and stop Rebecca going through with a termination after she had told him the baby was his.

But as he arrived, he saw the real father – Robert – arguing with Rebecca over the fact she would have to wait a month before she could get rid of the baby.

The pair didn’t see him stood nearby, so with his curiosity pricked, Ross later asked Rebecca if she went with anyone to the clinic.

When she said she hadn’t, it confirmed to Ross something was up, and he then confronted Robert in the Woolpack.

While Robert initially insisted he simply drove his former flame to the clinic, Ross wasn’t buying it, saying: “There’s only one reason it could be, it’s your baby.”

Robert called him “insane” and marched off, but after returning to the Woolpack later to tell Charity he would be going to Ireland with Aaron to visit Chas, Ross then accused him of “running away”.

“Maybe I should give him a going away present, tell him about your trip…to the clinic,” he added.

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