LizandraI could hardly close my eyes all night, and I couldn't say that I woke up. As a result of the terrible night tossing and turning in bed, shedding rivers of tears, the next morning I felt horrible. It felt like a tractor had run over my body, leaving me sore. And not to mention the swollen face and red eyes.I got up without enthusiasm, thinking about how I would face another day of work at my aunt's inn after everything that happened yesterday. There was no other option, at least not at the moment. But I intended to talk to Lucrécia as soon as things calmed down and try to prove my innocence, that the money under my mattress is the result of years of savings.After taking a long shower and shedding a few more tears in the bathroom, I decided to be strong and face everything that happene
LizandraWe arrived in Rio de Janeiro that same night, something that surprised me with the ease found by money, and Luciano's apartment indicated that he had a privileged financial condition because just by seeing the extremely luxurious building, it was clear to me that at least in this matter, he had told the truth."I thought about hosting you in my apartment because I imagine you don't have the means to support yourself until you start working," he said as we entered the living room decorated in shades of brown. "And I hope you feel at home here."Telling me to feel at home was at least kind of him, but completely impossible for me when I was fearful even to touch anything and by any carelessness end up knocking down some of those valuable objects.
LizandraIt took a few seconds for me to recognize myself as the girl completely naked and looking at the screen with an expression of extreme fatigue. And that was the worst moment of my entire life. Worse than my cousin's betrayal and the false accusation of theft made by Aunt Lucrécia, the woman who raised me for years."But..." I began to speak with difficulty, feeling a lump in my throat that I swallowed with great effort, only to then scream horrified, "What is this!?"I was screaming like I had never done before, because it was completely invasive and unworthy, and I could never accept such a lack of character from the person responsible for that... crime."It's not what you're thinking, my dear," the other man began to say, trying to hold me by the arm and take me out of the room. I realized that while he was pulling me out, Luciano was turning off the TV awkwardly, and only then did I understand the gravity of the situation I had put myself in. I was staying in the apartment
HeitorI hung up the phone with a strange and unusual feeling of anxiety, and I believe my expression gave me away, as the driver looked at me with an inquisitive air through the rearview mirror. He probably noticed that I was talking to my grandfather, and his words confirmed that I was right."Is there a problem with Mr. Vicente?" he asked with concern.I took a deep breath."Unfortunately, yes," I agreed without thinking, and I quickly explained the situation when I saw Lúcio's worried expression. "My grandpa is involved, but nothing happened to him directly."Lúcio's expression changed from concern to confusion, and then I explained that my grandfather had just called me to let me know he was accompanying someone to the hospital because he was responsible for a pedestrian accident at the traffic light.I was on my way to an important meeting, and even though I knew Bernardo was with my grandfather, I decided to go directly to the hospital to try to talk some sense into Mr. Vicente
LizandraI really can't understand how things could have gone so wrong in such a short time, and now I was hospitalized in a place that I have no idea how I'm going to pay for. No money, no luggage, no family, and of course, I can't forget, no boyfriend. It's amazing how Samuel's betrayal has become the least of my problems.I was already foreseeing my fate, and given the current situation, I would soon be another homeless person with no one to turn to. Maybe if I get in touch with Aunt Lucrécia, she might be calmer now and might even understand that I would never be capable of robbing her, perhaps even ask for forgiveness for the unjust accusations. Or maybe not.Regrets now wouldn't solve my situation, and even at the risk of being ignored by Aunt Lucrécia, I
HeitorI stifled an untimely yawn and tried to focus on the play I was watching at that moment, I couldn't even affirm what it was really about, as I couldn't pay attention to anything happening on the stage.Beside me was Catarina, completely absorbed in the actors and genuinely pleased with the unfolding scenes before her eyes, something that didn't surprise me at all.We've been dating for two years now, and I already knew about her love for theater and how much she enjoys that type of entertainment, for that reason alone, I always accompanied her. After all, we are partners, and at some point, we need to give up our preferences for the other. She also doesn't like sports, something I love, and yet she accompanies me whenever I go to watch a game.Seemin
HeitorI 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
LizandraThe journey to Amsterdam was something magical and special. Besides having the opportunity to be by my mother's side and learn more about her life and stories, which I had been deprived of for many years, I was also with Heitor, experiencing even more glorious days. We had various family outings, but we also had our alone moments, with romantic dinners and nights filled with love and, of course, intimacy. I also got to know Heitor better now that it was just the two of us in a place completely different from what we're used to. I learned a lot about Dutch culture and was surprised by Heitor's knowledge of some of the local customs.Unlike me, Heitor had already taken several international trips and wasn't easily surprised, which, at times, became quite amusing and entertained us.O
LizandraThe return to Rio de Janeiro felt like coming home. Despite spending my entire life in Gostoso, it never felt like a true home to me, unlike the Bragança mansion, which became home in the short time I've been living with them. It's all quite strange, considering it's not a house but a huge luxurious mansion, and the Braganças are very rich. Given my simple life, I shouldn't have adapted so quickly to all of this.But feelings can't be controlled, and despite all the differences among us, I genuinely like them all. Even Heitor had managed to carve a spot in my heart, even after being a jerk for some time. And that became the topic of the first family dinner after returning home."I need to thank all of you for welcoming my Lizandra and providing a home and so much love for h
HeitorThe days in Gostoso had passed quickly, and on Ash Wednesday, we were packed and ready to return to Rio, excited after those wonderful days. At least, that's what I thought until I went to Lizandra's room and realized she was still packing, and she even seemed a bit sad."Everyone is ready. We'll be leaving soon," I commented, offering to help her with the task. "Need help packing your bags?""In fact, I..." Lizandra didn't finish what she intended to say, and I felt my heart tighten. A strange mix of warmth and cold took over my body.Seeing her hesitancy to continue speaking, I quickly remembered the night when I felt she was hiding something from me.
HeitorTo everyone's joy, Lourdes Heeren was discharged from the hospital the next day, but with several medical recommendations to follow. Faced with this condition, Lizandra fully agreed with her stepfather to withhold from Lourdes the news that Lucrécia had been arrested for involvement in an international human trafficking ring, to prevent her from ending up back in the hospital.We decided to stay in Gostoso until after the Carnival holiday so that Lizandra could have more time with her mother and they could take the opportunity to get to know each other better.However, to avoid any contact between Lizandra Juliana, and Samuel, something I suspect must not be easy given the lies that the cousin lived for years, I suggested to Dann Heeren that they stay at the same hotel where
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