The Search Begins

**Richard's POV**

The world around me seemed blurry as the news sank in. Charlotte and the babies had disappeared. How could this have happened? A mix of anger and panic rose within me, but I forced myself to stay calm, to think rationally. I couldn’t let emotions cloud my judgment. Not now.

Vanessa’s hand remained on my arm, her grip tightening as she moved closer. "Richard, you need to focus," she said, her voice low and firm. "We can’t let this situation spiral out of control. You need to think clearly about the next steps."

I looked at her, trying to read her expression, but all I saw was that same cold calculation. It was as if she had anticipated this, as if she knew exactly what to do. For a moment, a flicker of doubt crossed my mind—how much did Vanessa know about this? But I pushed the thought aside. Now wasn’t the time to question her; I needed to act.

“We need to find them,” I said, my voice firmer than I actually felt. “I want every resource we have out there looking for Charlotte and the babies. Don’t leave any stone unturned.”

Vanessa nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Of course, Richard. But you need to understand that Charlotte might have done this on purpose. She might be trying to take the children away from you, to keep them from you. We need to consider that possibility.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The idea that Charlotte would run away with our children was unthinkable, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed possible. She had been distant, withdrawn, ever since the pregnancy became real. I convinced myself it was just stress, that she would recover once the babies were born, but now...

“What if you’re right?” I murmured, more to myself than to her. “What if she’s trying to flee?”

“Then we need to act quickly,” Vanessa replied, her voice sharp. “We can’t let her get too far. I’ll start making calls, mobilizing the team. But, Richard,” she paused, her eyes locked on mine, “you need to stay calm. Panicking won’t help us find her.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside me. She was right. I needed to be in control, to focus. There was no time for anger or fear. Charlotte was with our children, and I needed to bring them back.

As Vanessa walked away to start making calls, I found myself alone in the middle of the grand ballroom, surrounded by guests who had no idea what was happening. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. I needed to do something, anything, to regain control.

My phone rang again in my hand, pulling me back to the present. It was my mother, calling from the hospital. For a brief moment, I hesitated, unsure if I could handle what she had to say. But I had no choice—I needed to know everything.

“Mom,” I answered, trying to keep my voice steady. “What happened? Where is Charlotte?”

“Richard,” my mother’s voice was full of concern and something else I couldn’t quite identify—disappointment, maybe. “She’s gone. The nurses said she left with the babies, and… there was a man with her.”

A man. The words echoed in my mind, igniting a spark of suspicion. Who could it be? Who would be helping her? My thoughts flashed back to the months before the birth. I had been so focused on Vanessa, on business, that I hadn’t paid enough attention to what was happening with Charlotte. Were there signs I missed? Someone she was in contact with?

“Did they say who it was?” I asked, my hand tightening around the phone.

“No,” she replied, her voice heavy. “But the staff said he looked familiar, someone who had visited her before. Richard, you need to find her. You need to bring her back.”

“I will,” I promised, more to myself than to her. “I’ll find her.”

As soon as I ended the call, my mind was already working through the possibilities. If Charlotte planned this, then she had help, and if there was help, then there was a trail. I needed to find it and follow it before it went cold.

Vanessa returned, phone in hand. “I’ve got people working on it,” she said briskly. “We’re tracking any possible leads. But, Richard, you need to understand—if she’s running, it won’t be easy to bring her back. She knows you, she knows how you operate. We need to be smart about this.”

I nodded, though my mind was elsewhere. Part of me was already out the door, chasing any lead on where Charlotte might have gone. But Vanessa was right. This would require more than brute force. I needed to outsmart her, to anticipate her moves before she made them.

“Start with the airports, train stations, bus terminals—anywhere she might have gone,” I instructed. “And check all her accounts, any transactions she might have made. If she’s trying to disappear, she’ll need resources.”

Vanessa nodded, already dialing another number. As she walked away, I felt a strange mix of emotions. There was fear, anger, and something else—a deep sense of loss. It was as if, by leaving, Charlotte had taken more than just our children. She had taken something from me, something I hadn’t even realized I was losing.

**Charlotte’s POV**

As Lucas drove through the dark streets, my heart raced with every passing minute. The babies were still asleep, bundled safely in the backseat, unaware of the danger we were fleeing from. My thoughts spun in a chaos of relief and terror. We were finally out of the hospital, away from Richard and Vanessa, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead was overwhelming.

“Are you okay?” Lucas asked, glancing at me as he navigated the quiet streets.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I was telling the truth. “I’m scared, Lucas. But I know this is the right thing to do. I couldn’t let them grow up under Richard’s control. I had to get them out.”

“You did the right thing, Charlotte,” Lucas reassured me, his voice firm. “We’ll get through this. We just need to stay ahead of them, keep moving until we’re safe.”

I looked out the window, watching the city lights blur. “Do you think they’ll find us?”

Lucas hesitated, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “Richard will try. But we have a head start, and I know people who can help us disappear. We’ll be okay.”

His words brought some comfort, but the reality of what we were doing weighed heavily on me. This was just the beginning. There would be no going back, no return to the life I had before. Everything was about to change, and I needed to be ready for whatever came next.

But as I looked at my children sleeping, I knew one thing: I would do whatever it took to keep them safe.