CHAPTER 3

David

I try hard not to contest my mom's request and keep the smile on my face, acting kind whenever one of her friends tries to get close and disturb her.

"Until what time do I need to stay?" She looks at me like I'm a thorn in her side, raising both eyebrows.

"What? It's hard as fuck to act like a teenager who needs to be disciplined. I'm a grown man!"

She cannot demand more than that.Can not.

“You're not smiling.” she cries out so that only I can hear and I don't stop moaning, seeing that yes, she can always demand more.

I intercept a waiter and grab two glasses of champagne, downing one after the other.

“ What?” I ask, when I see her looking at me in disapproval.

She presses her lips into a thin line and shakes her head in the negative, snorting.low so as not to attract attention, but looking at me affectionately afterwards.

“I only want your happiness, my dear.” I smile sincerely, giving him a kiss in the middle of the forehead.

"I know my life." She wipes away a lone tear and pats my hand three times, pulling away from the hug.

“Kaciana is here, she brought her daughter with her.” I can't help but groan in lamentation, knowing exactly what she wants with that comment. Hordéllis is determined to find me a wife and won't settle down until I give in, right now, she's putting all her chips in Kaciana Álvares and there's nothing in the world I can do to change her mind, so I just let her.

It's exhausting and it's taking all my self-control not to go back to Europe, find some country in the east and disappear from the map. It was hard to rebuild myself after theaccident that took the lives of my wife and son, it was a huge sacrifice to step back into this lawless land, where victims are treated as guilty, but I did it for her and my father, the only ones I still have left.

“Do it for your mother.” She says with a mischievous smile, aware that I could never deny her something.

And as if she knew we were talking about her, the woman arrives, wrapping her arms around my neck in a possessive way.

“David, my dear. How are you?’’ She uses an exaggeratedly sappy tone, and I fight the urge to screw up my face in disgust.

“ Kaciana.” I kiss the side of her face, pulling away from her embrace and let my eyes fall on the woman's body. “You look beautiful.” I admit, not lying in the compliment. The woman has a body full of curves, contoured without ceasing to be feminine and chose an elegant blue dress.

She smiles widely, showing her white teeth and accepts the compliment, showing that she is an experienced woman and that she knows her own beauty.

"Is this your daughter?" My mother takes the lead, smiling at ayoungwho tries not to pass on his discomfort.

“Nice to meet you, Nelly.” He extends his hand for my mother to take, smiling discreetly.

“The pleasure is mine, my honey.” Responds, lowering my eyes to check on the girl and before she knows it I'm ahead.

“You said your daughter had been one of my students.” I comment so that the three women can hear, but I keep my eyes locked on thesfrom Kaciana.

she smileseductive, hitching his hand on my arm.

“Yes, but I don't think you remember her. Nelly never liked to draw too much attention.” The woman explains and I realize that the comment made the girl even more uncomfortable.

“I always remember my students.” I say, studying the girl's face with even more curiosity.

Nelly.

This name is not strange to me, but looking at the girl's face I can't remember any of my students. Maybe Kaciana is right and I don't remember her because of her lack of participation in my classes.

“It's been a long time.” I hear her whisper.

"How long?" I ask, assessing her face and then her body.

She doesn't look that young, but she still has an innocent look and an expression that doesn't quite match the phrase "it's been a long time".

"What?" She blinks.

"How long has it been since you were my student?" I say, feeling extremely curious.

“Almost ten years."

“Almost ten years.” I repeat in a low tone, realizing that it really is a long time.

Ten years.

But still...

"Were you a bad student?" I arch an eyebrow, studying her face.

She grimaces, then her gaze turns angry.

Damn.

"Like I said, it's been a long time." She speaks again, sounding angry. "And I was your best student!"

I frown, studying the girl's change in demeanor.

"Are you calling me old?" I raise an eyebrow, she looks at me in astonishment, blinking a few times.

"She didn't mean it, David. You're practically my age." Kaciana tries to work around the situation, believing that I'm really upset, making it more fun.

I decide to get into role, feigning an indignation that doesn't affect me.

"Do you think I'm old, little girl?" I press, watching the girl's cheeks flush. It `s cute.

"I-I... Eeeee... Yes." he stutters, shifting his gaze between me and his mother.

God!

This party is turning out to be more fun than I thought. Nelly just saved me from the monotony.

I hear my mother huff beside me, indicating that her patience has reached the limit.

"Please, of course you're old! Didn't you notice the gray hair?"

I turn to Mom, hiding an amused smile.

"Touche." I say, placing a kiss on her head.

I turn towards the girl, looking at her apologetically and take her hand, kissing the pain.sor gallantly.

“I apologize, but it really has been a good amount of years since I was your teacher and many other students have followed, however I believe you have been an exemplary student.” I kiss his hand, feeling slightly guilty that I don't remember his face, even though the name is still familiar.

“No problem.” she says in an accelerated voice, pulling her hand from his hand with a certain harshness. Mumbling that she needs to go to the bathroom.

"Children, isn't it?" Kaciana says, laughing without showing her teeth and all I do is nod my head, even though I don't agree with the son-in-law she used.

Nelly is not a child.

"You said she does journalism, didn't you?" my mom asks, still watching the path the girl took.

“Yes, she just graduated.” The woman says without much interest and her behavior is strange, any father or mother gets sensitive when talking about their children's achievements, but who am I to judge someone's relationship... I don't have a child anymore.

He's dead, along with my wife.

I clear my throat, getting the two women's attention.

"I'm going to the bar to get something less..." watch the champagne bubbles burst one by one in the glass and frown, looking for a suitable word.

" Stronger." My mom says in a dismissive tone and I glare at her.

"I was going to say 'pompous' but I'll take your suggestion." I wink at her, turning in Kaciana's direction right after. "Would you like anything?"

The woman smiles suggestively, ignoring the fact that we are standing in front of my mother and analyzes me lasciviously, sliding her tongue over lips covered in pale lipstick.

"Dinner, perhaps?" You owe me one. I hear my mother chuckle beside me and I nod to the woman, indicating that she is keeping my promises.

“How about tomorrow?” She gives me a seductive smile, sliding one of her hands through my tie.

“ I'll wait for you at 20:00hrs, don't be late.” I smile, touching her hand gently and pulling her away from me.

I walk towards the bar, taking one last look back and checking if the women are still watching me, when I realize that they have engaged in some random conversation and are no longer looking at me, I deviate from the correct direction, entering a corridor that leads directly to my desk.

Yeah, there's real drinks there.

I start to accelerate my steps, stopping to cuGreet some members along the way.

“Your father always spoke highly of you, boy,” says an old acquaintance, patting me on the shoulder. I smile condescendingly, spending as little time as possible with each one.

Boy.

I am not a boy.

Does any of them realize that I'm already a graduated man, with three degrees and a widower?

Absolutely not, because they keep treating me like I'm a freaking teenager.

Where the hell did I get dressed?

"Give your regards to your father." Someone in the crowd says and I nod again, making up some excuse to get me out of any hint of a longer conversation.

I decide I can't wait any longer for a drink and grab a glass of champagne, but let it go against my own words.

The Blessed One knows I can't stand these sober people, it was because of them that I stayed away all these years and it was also because of everything that I chose the profession of a teacher, instead of CEO of Bragança jewelry.

I like tranquility, I always have. Teaching is for the few, it comes in the form of a gift.

I discard the glass on an empty tray and make my way around corners, avoiding the guests without appearing rude or arrogant. I'm going to disappear for the rest of the night, my mother has Kaciana and can manage on her own, after all, this is her sixty-first birthday party.

I snort to myself, containing the urge to laugh out loud for questioning Hordéllis Bragança's ability to fend for herself, when she's the only one in this place capable of putting any of us in her pocket. I get distracted by the thought and only realize that I hit someone when I feel the shock of contact. I growl, rubbing my forehead with my hand.

“ Sorry.” A female voice whispers and I am forced to lift my eyes, expanding my field of vision.

“It was my fault.” I shoot, still not believing that of all the guests, she would be precisely the person I bumped into.

Did your mother tell you to watch me.

"I wasn't looking forward to it, it was my mistake," she insists, making me roll my eyes at a pointless argument. I don't care whose mistake it was as long as it's okay.

"Okay, it was your mistake." She looks at me in shock, her expression tightening into an annoyed frown.

"Idiot." She says quietly, speaking only to herself. Only I listened.

I put my hands in the side pockets of my pants, correcting my posture and staring at the girl, staring at her seriously.

"I was your teacher, I demand respect." She twists her face in disdain and pushes her little nose even further, assuming a posture that doesn't match her personality at all.

“As far as I know, you have no idea who I am, so we're just acquaintances. And respect isn't something you demand." I want to open my mouth and dispute her words, but I open and close my lips without uttering a single word I'm so surprised I am. "That's what I thought," she finished, pushing me away. to the side by hand.

"I'm trying to make sure..."

"What, what?" Are you sure I was a good student?" I frown, not missing the sarcastic tone she's using.

"I'm sorry if I said something that offended you." Is all I can say, feeling like the worst teacher in the world.

“You don't have to feel. It doesn't matter anymore," she simply says, stepping around my body and resuming her walk. I freeze, completely awkward as I watch her walk away, struggling not to stare at the contours of her hips swaying seductively, noticing how hard she tries to avoid contact. straight with people, looking like a scared little girl.

And suddenly scenes similar to this one surface in the form of memories, when one of my best students was bullied because of her weight and confidently fought back. That girl's name was....

Holy crap! I remember her!