Sofia Crosses Her Arms, Leaning Against the Back of the Chair

Emily crossed her arms, leaning back against the chair. Her icy blue eyes stayed fixed on Daniels face. The usual arrogance in his expression had vanished, replaced by something tense and uneasy.

“You think I didnt ask myself every night whether I should come back?” she said quietly, but firmly. “Five years, Daniel. Five years I lived with that question. But I waited. Until my boys were old enough to understand who you really are.”

Daniel cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze.

“You ran. You left me standing there like a fool in front of everyone. Do you know what my colleagues said? What people at the firm thought?”

“I dont care, Daniel,” she cut him off. “If youd cared about me and our child back then, I wouldnt be standing here today with two boys who dont know youand owe you nothing.”

A heavy silence settled between them. From the next room, the laughter of Oliver and Henry carried through as they played with their toy cars.

“I want a paternity test,” Daniel said abruptly. “I want proof theyre mine.”

Emily arched an eyebrow.

“Fine. But know thisthat test wont change whats already happened. Or what Im about to do.”

“And whats that, Emily?” His voice tried for confidence, but there was a flicker of fear in it.

She leaned slightly over the table.

“Im going to take everything you thought was untouchableyour reputation, your peace of mind, your control over your own story. I have proof, Daniel. Messages. Recordings. Everything you said in those last months before I left. If this goes to court, Ill be the one filing first.”

His face flushed.

“Blackmail?”

“No. The truth. The truth youll see in black and white in front of a judge.”

Daniel sat back, trying to regain his usual air of control.

“You think you can ruin me? I have connections. Money. Power.”

“And I have patience,” she replied calmly. “You know what they saypatience is the weapon of those whove got nothing left to lose.”

A soft knock came at the door. Oliver peeked in.

“Mum, can we go to the park after youre done talking?”

Emily smiled warmly at him.

“Of course, love. Five more minutes.”

Daniel watched the boys for the first time with something close to hesitationthe look of a man realising hed lost more than just an argument.

“I never wanted it to come to this,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. “But if you want a war youll get one.”

“No, Daniel. I dont want a war. I want justice. And justice isnt something your money or connections can buy. Only the truth can give you that.”

She stood, gesturing toward the door.

“Now, please leave. My boys need to learn that when I say something, I mean it.”

Daniel hesitated, then snatched up his briefcase. Before stepping out, he turned.

“Youll regret this.”

“Maybe,” she said without blinking. “But youll regret it more.”

The door clicked shut behind him. Emily took a deep breath, looking out the window. Outside, a light drizzle had begunlike a quiet warning of the storm ahead.

Oliver and Henry burst into the room.

“Mum, can we go now?” Henry asked.

Emily pulled them into a hug.

“Yes, were going. And remember thisno matter how big the world gets, Ill always be right here with you.”

That afternoon, as the boys played in the damp leaves, Emily knew every step back to this city had brought her closer to the final reckoning. Daniel wouldnt back down. Thered be threats, pressure, maybe even dirty tricks.

But she had something he could never buyher childrens trust. And in Emilys eyes, that was the strongest currency of all.

That night, after tucking them in, she sat at her desk and opened her laptop. On the screen, a file labelled “Proof” waited to be filled. Shed already started writing their storynot just for the courts, but so one day, Oliver and Henry would read it and know everything.

“The truth is the only pure inheritance I can leave you,” she typed on the first page.

Her phone buzzed. An unknown number: “Dont think youve won. The games only just begun.”

Emily smiled bitterly.

“Then lets play, Daniel,” she whispered.

She stood, turned off the light, and looked toward the boys rooms. In the dark, one thought burned in her mindno matter the cost, shed never let anyone decide their future again.