I would not lose

**Richard's POV**

The air in the office was heavy with tension, the kind that had settled in my chest since Sophia—no, Charlotte—reappeared in my life. I couldn't get her out of my head, and it was driving me crazy. Everything about her had changed, but she was still the same woman who was once mine. The same woman who took my children and vanished without a trace.

I was sitting at my desk, staring at the divorce papers. They felt like a betrayal, a final separation from the bond that once united us. But the truth was that bond had been broken long ago. I just didn't want to admit it.

I picked up the phone and dialed my lawyer’s number. There was no more time for hesitation. This needed to be done quickly, and it needed to be done the right way.

"Mr. Anderson," his voice was as professional as ever, though I could sense the underlying tension.

"I want everything ready by tomorrow," I ordered, my voice cold and sharp. "We’re not going to drag this out any longer. She wants to end it, so be it. But I will not be sidelined in my children’s lives."

"Yes, sir. I'll have everything prepared. We’ll negotiate the best possible terms for visitation."

I hung up the phone, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out. Sophia had been chosen to be the mother of my children, the children I wanted. How did we get to this point? And how could she think she could just walk away, reinvent herself?

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Vanessa entered, her presence as carefully composed as always. But I could see it in her eyes—questions, suspicions. She knew something was going on, and it was only a matter of time before she confronted me about it.

"Richard," she began, her voice soft, but with an edge that suggested the storm brewing behind it. "We need to talk."

I leaned back in my chair, bracing myself. "About what?"

"You’ve been distracted, distant. And I know it has something to do with Charlotte." She didn’t use the name Sophia, didn’t even acknowledge it. To her, she would always be Charlotte, the woman who haunted our marriage.

I didn’t respond immediately. I was too busy calculating the impact of what she might have already discovered. Vanessa wasn’t someone to underestimate, and her persistence could be both an asset and a threat.

"Charlotte is back," I admitted, my voice betraying none of the turmoil inside. "She’s using a new name now, but that doesn’t change anything. She wants a divorce, and she’s trying to keep me away from the kids."

Vanessa’s expression hardened, a mix of anger and something else—fear, perhaps? "And what are you going to do about it?"

"I’m going to fight for my rights," I said firmly. "She can’t just walk away and dictate how this ends."

For a moment, there was silence between us, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. Vanessa watched me closely, her eyes sharp and calculating.

"You can’t let her win, Richard," she finally said, her voice low and urgent. "You can’t let her take everything from you."

"I won’t," I promised, though I wasn’t sure to whom I was making that promise—to Vanessa, my children, or myself.

Vanessa nodded, seemingly satisfied for now, though I knew this wouldn’t be the end of her involvement. She was deeply entangled in this now, too invested in what would happen next.

After she left, I was alone with my thoughts again. The silence in the office felt suffocating, filled with memories of what once was and what could never be again.

As I looked out the window, watching the city lights flicker in the growing darkness, I realized this was far from over. Sophia had made her move, but the game was just beginning. And if she thought she could outmaneuver me, she was sorely mistaken.

I would see her again. I would look into the eyes that once loved me and remind her of the man I was—and the man I could still be.

But even as I prepared for the battles to come, a spark of doubt emerged. What if she had changed more than I anticipated? What if I wasn’t the only one playing this game?

And then there was Vanessa. She was right—Charlotte couldn’t win. But Vanessa’s involvement added a layer of complexity I hadn’t anticipated. She was a wild card, and in a game like this, wild cards could be as dangerous as they were unpredictable.

The weight of it all pressed down on me, and for the first time in years, I felt truly uncertain. But uncertainty wasn’t an option. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.

As the night grew darker, I made a silent vow: whatever it took, whoever I needed to become, I would not lose. Not to Sophia, not to anyone.