Heitor
I wasn't just referring to the body. How could Bernardo keep jumping from branch to branch like that?
"I have invitations for that pagode band you like, Catarina," he said, ignoring my words.
"I believe there's a mistake," I pointed out. "Catarina doesn't like pagode. It must be someone else, and you're confused."
"Bernardo is right about me liking Pagode and also about my favorite band having a show in Rio tonight," Catarina explained surprisingly. "But I'll decline your invitation, Bernardo. If Heitor wants to join you guys, I can easily take a taxi."
I looked at my girlfriend in surprise because I could never have imagined that Catarina liked that type of music, and even more surprised that she decided without first asking
LizandraDespite expecting to be discharged from the hospital the day after the accident, I remained in the same place, and the doctor had made it clear that it wouldn't happen that day. He wanted a few more tests and a new CT scan, considering the blow I had taken to the head when I fell after being hit by the kind Mr. Vicente.But after the effects of the anesthesia completely wore off, I couldn't rest for another minute because thoughts haunted me, always recalling everything that had happened to me in the past few days. There were so many bad things that I wondered what I could have done to be going through all of that.It's a completely justified question. Throughout my life, I've always tried to act honestly and correctly, respecting all people, and above all, fulfilling all my aunt's wishes. I w
HeitorI arrived at the company that morning quite irritated, but I tried not to let it affect my work, although it was really difficult. The greatest proof of this fact is that I couldn't focus on anything due to the indignation I felt because of a decision made by my grandfather, which was communicated to me this morning during our breakfast.I was just leaving a meeting, the second one since I arrived at work when I decided that the best thing to do right now is to cancel all my other commitments for the day. It was impossible to produce anything good when I still felt extremely upset. All this was the fault of my grandpa because just the memory of his words could already get on my nerves."I've been thinking, and I decided to bring Lily to our house until she's fully recovered, and I can help her in some other way," he announced irritatingly calmly.I had just arrived at the breakfast table where my grandfather and Heloísa were already sitting when he made this unexpected announce
LizandraAfter Heloísa's visit, it was Mr. Vicente's turn to come to the hospital and keep me company for a few minutes, where I got to know more about the man with a huge heart and a kind soul. It's truly surprising to me that such a distinguished man, notably a wealthy man, is as simple as he appears. It becomes understandable that Heloísa is also someone as kind, friendly, and helpful as her grandfather; after all, she was raised by him, as she mentioned.It was not surprising, however, that Mr. Vicente had reiterated his desire to help me in some way, something that both made me happy and sad.But I couldn't accept. It would be too audacious of me to accept what Mr. Vicente was offering me at that moment. He wished for me to stay at his house until I fully recovered from the accident. All of this was because he felt guilty, and that was the way he found to ease his conscience. But he is not to blame.For this very reason, I gathered the courage and called my aunt. I needed to put
HeitorI left the hospital room with a sense of accomplishment. I did exactly what I needed to do to protect my family from opportunists who only wished to make easy money. I wish I could do the same for my mother and prevent her from falling into the hands of men willing to do anything just to enjoy her money. However, Marla prefers to live away from everyone and do whatever she pleases, even paying men to stay by her side.But I could take care of Grandpa and Heloísa, and I wouldn't let that girl with that angelic face deceive them. They are my responsibility, and they need to accept the truth. Entering that room and coming face to face with the same girl I met in Gostoso confirmed what I had been sensing since the moment my grandfather showed interest in helping a stranger, someone he had just met.Everything became clear to me in that instant. The lonely and sad girl on the beach was nothing more than a ruse to attract the attention of the first passerby. Unfortunately, that someo
HeitorI went down the stairs, mentally preparing myself to face the family breakfast. I could never have imagined that I would face the morning meal this way, all thanks to a stranger who entered our lives just to disrupt the relationship between us.I remembered the previous night and how I left Catarina's apartment upset after telling her about my discovery, and she surprised me by doing the same thing my family had done shortly before."I agree with Heloísa and Father Jaime," Catarina said, leaving me dumbfounded. "You know I believe a lot in destiny, and this seems like his trickery."I stood up immediately, incredulous, with blood boiling in my veins.
LizandraNight fell, bringing fear with it. A lot of fear. However, it couldn't be any different. I'm now in a big city, surrounded by people I don't know who pass by me as if I were invisible, each in their little world, while I have no idea what to do now. There isn't much to do.I had been discharged from the hospital that morning and hurried to leave before Mr. Vicente or even his granddaughter came to visit me and, faced with my situation, tried once again to convince me to accept the help they were offering. Something I couldn't do at all, after all, Mr. Vicente's grandson made it very clear that I shouldn't try to get close to them.Despite his rudeness, I find the way he's trying to protect those he loves entirely understandable. I'm not the person he believes, but H
LizandraAll the nervousness from a sleepless night, hidden among some lush trees in a park, was now taking its toll. I took advantage of the daylight to try to rest a bit and sat on a sidewalk. To avoid drawing attention, I chose a spot with fewer people passing by, only a few parked cars.But sooner than I expected, I felt tears falling into my lap, uncontrollably. I wished not to cry at this moment, but apparently, I'm not that strong. Sleep, hunger, and fatigue brought desperation. It was impossible to contain it now.I cried... I cried and kept crying softly. To think that just a few days ago, I was sitting on the beach crying because of Samuel's betrayal, something that now seems so small compared to everything I've been going through since that day.
LizandraWhen Heloísa said that in the bathroom, I would find everything I needed, she wasn't kidding. The cabinets were full of towels and various hygiene products, all from unknown brands to me. I figured they must be "rich people" products, as the staff and I used to refer to the things of the guests at my aunt's inn.I managed to take off the dress I was wearing with great difficulty, as using only one arm is not easy at all. Taking a shower and putting on a robe wasn't either, but I managed. Now the question remained about what clothes I would wear because the only things I owned, which had already been donated by Heloísa, were also stolen from me.The only option was to stay in the robe, at least until I could wash the clothes I wore when leaving the hosp
LizandraI looked at the woman lying on the hospital bed, not knowing what to do or say when they left us alone. Despite appearing quite debilitated among the white sheets, she remained extremely beautiful, and her smile added a different sparkle to her face."My dear daughter," Lourdes said, breaking the silence. "I'm so happy you came to see me.""I... I'm sorry," was the most I could say.Despite my awkwardness, Lourdes continued to smile and extended her arms in a silent request for a hug, which I accepted, even though I wasn't prepared for it. However, as I felt my mother's arms around me for the first time in so many years, emotion took over my entire being, and I felt that it would overflow through my eyes, as tears were about to roll down my face.
HeitorThe distance between São Miguel do Gostoso and Natal is only a hundred and fifteen kilometers, but the time we spent getting to the state capital was extremely distressing for Lizandra, and it was noticeable to all of us in the car with her.We left Gostoso at seven in the morning because Lizandra wanted to get to where her mother was as quickly as possible. If it were up to her, she would have done it the night before, as soon as she received the news from Bernardo. However, Dann Heeren informed her that the hospital did not allow visits outside normal hours and that it would be pointless to hit the road at night just to be in Natal.Despite my grandfather's insistence, Heloísa managed to convince him to stay at the hotel with Cristina and Leonardo, while my sister and Berna
LizandraFaced with the veiled threat made by Heitor, Juliana widened her eyes with genuine horror, and at that moment, she broke into compulsive sobbing, pleading with me repeatedly to forgive her. Meanwhile, Samuel hugged her protectively, his gaze also seeming to plead the same from me. It became clear to me at that moment that he truly cared for Juliana, but it didn't bother me, and I concluded that I didn't feel anything for Samuel anymore."Please don't send me to prison, please... please..." Juliana repeated in tears, hands clasped together. "I'm pregnant!"I had no intention of filing any kind of lawsuit against my aunt and Juliana. However, I didn't try to calm her down because she needed to feel at least a little fear to understand how serious what she did was. Now, however, upon hearing her revelation, I felt obligated to soften things."Calm down, Juliana," I said empathetically. "I don't intend to send anyone to prison."Juliana visibly sighed in relief, but her crying to
HeitorWhen Bernardo and Heloísa returned to Grandpa's suite, we all decided to go down for breakfast. It was already past nine in the morning, and there was no point in continuing to talk about Luciano's deceit, now that Lizandra seemed to be calmer."How about a dune buggy ride?" I suggested with enthusiasm. "Since we're here, we might as well enjoy the beauty of the place.""I love the idea!" Heloísa exclaimed."I'm not young enough for these adventures," Grandpa remarked. "I'll wait for my old friends right here at the hotel. But you should enjoy our little vacation.""I have a commitment, so I can't join you either," Bernardo explained. He didn't need to specify who the commitment was with; we all knew it was related to the formalities of the contract with the Heerens. I was pleased that he didn't mention the couple's name, as it's still a delicate topic for Lizandra, precisely when I'm trying to help her forget these issues for a few hours."And you, Lily?" I asked, noticing she
HeloísaWhen Bernardo looked up from his phone and stared at me with an expression of disbelief, I concluded that he still knew nothing about my crush. Catarina didn't tell him, and he found out at this exact moment, precisely when we were together in Grandpa's suite. I was even more surprised when he called me for a conversation, something I have no desire to do at the moment."Can we go to the suite?" Bernardo asked already in the hallway.I didn't want to talk to Bernardo right now, but as I couldn't avoid it, nothing more sensible than doing it in the privacy of my hotel suite, which is right next to Grandpa's room."I had no idea, Heloísa," was the first thing Bernardo said when we entered my suite. "We've always been
LizandraI was trying to explain to Heitor why I didn't involve him in that problem after Luciano's call. However, it is quite clear to everyone in that room how upset Heitor is with me for doing that. And it's going to get worse when he finds out what happened."When Lizandra told me about that coward's threat, I quickly contacted some acquaintances, and they solved the problem," Vicente explained."How so?" Heitor asked an expression of disbelief on his face."A hacker wiped out all of Luciano's files. Everything he had saved," Vicente spoke in a way that would have been funny because it was as if it were something simple to solve, "I didn't know, however, that there were more things for him to use against us."
HeitorI woke up the next morning to the phone ringing, still groggy with sleep. I answered without even checking who was calling me so early and had a big surprise when Grandpa summoned me to his suite as quickly as possible. Since Grandpa would never do something like that unless it was really serious, I put on the first clothes I found and hurried out to the hallway.The first thing I saw upon opening my room door was my sister coming out of the room next door, which didn't cause any immediate reaction from me as I was still not fully awake at that moment."Grandpa called you too?" I asked, rubbing my face.However, noticing the genuine horror on Heloísa's face left me curious and unable to understand the reason for her reaction, until Bernardo also came out of the room. Without realizing I was standing next to Heloísa—his attention was focused on closing the door—he commented to my sister."We need to hurry, Helô. Grandpa seemed worr..."Bernardo didn't finish his sentence because
LizandraI couldn't handle the whirlwind of emotions that engulfed me upon discovering that my mother had never truly abandoned me. I simply ran, and sprinted, until I was sure I was alone once again. The thought that my mother was taken away from me by people I trusted, Juliana and her mother, is too painful. So, my aunt, the woman who raised me and whom I had always been grateful to, never did anything out of pure kindness. She must have benefited from everything I could have enjoyed all those years. Most importantly, she kept me from receiving the love of my mother all that time.How many nights did I go to sleep crying because I didn't have a mother? How many nights did I lament the absence of someone who loved me, feeling extremely lonely? Lonely was the right word.I remembered the moment when Heitor called us to sit and talk. I even had difficulty walking to the chair reserved for me next to Heitor and Mr. Vicente, so nervous I was at that moment. But I knew I couldn't postpone
HeitorWhen I told Juliana's boyfriend to hold her and her mother, I believed he would do that. From what I could understand from his behavior at the table and based on what I read in his messages to Lizandra, I suspected that he was not at all pleased with the situation. Why he chose to remain by that girl's side is something I couldn't comprehend, and I didn't care at the moment."I think it's best if we all sit down," I pointed out, seeing that we had attracted the attention of everyone dining in the restaurant. "We have some things to clarify."The waiters had already cleared the used dishes, and there were only a few wine glasses on the table. I seriously considered downing the contents of one of them but restrained myself."Can someone explain w