CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND SEVEN – TAKING A BREAK

She placed the ring on his desk, the soft clink of metal on wood echoing in the quiet room. "I'm going to stay at the cottage for a while. I need space to think, to feel. Can you understand that?" Richard nodded, his voice rough with emotion. "Of course. I'd wait an eternity for you, Charlotte. Just... know that every day we're apart, I'll be working to be the man you deserve. The man who has no secrets, no regrets, only love for you." Charlotte stepped close to him, cupping his face in her hands. She kissed him softly, a bittersweet promise. "I want to believe in that man, Richard. I want it so much it hurts. But I need to believe in myself first. In my judgment, in my strength." She stepped back, her hand lingering on his cheek for a moment before falling away. "I'll send word when I'm ready to talk. Until then... take care of yourself, Richard." Charlotte left the study, her steps echoing in the grand hallway. As she walked out of Griffith Manor, she felt a storm of emotions - l