BARBARA NOVAES PERRONE CASANOVA II

- God, Barbara... What happened? Sebastian pleaded, his voice cracking.

- She can't swim... She must have drowned. Hector explained.

I blinked my eyes repeatedly, feeling my body grow warm again. Nicolete came in carrying a steaming cup on a tray:

- Let's have some tea, dear. Need to warm up. It's calming. And don't worry, everything will be fine. The viper is alive.

She helped me sit down, while Heitor covered my body with a thin blanket, avoiding exposing my nakedness. I drank the tea and felt the internal heat.

I sighed and began to cry, copiously, with sadness, feeling the warm and generous tears fall down my flushed face.

Heitor sat next to me and hugged me. I felt his body against mine and security returned again. He didn't question what happened or why I did it. He simply hugged me, demonstrating that he was on my side.

I lifted my head, resting my chin on his shoulder, and held my hand out to Sebastian, who sat on the bed and took it, lacing his fingers through mine.

- It's okay... Stop crying it's over... - Sebastian said, looking into my eyes.

- Let her cry... She needs to let her feelings out... - Nicolete said firmly, making her experience clear.

I don't know how long I stayed there, in the same position, without being questioned, just feeling my fiancé's heart next to mine and his strong arms supporting me, as well as my brother's gentle hand, with the certainty that I could count on them , no matter what the reason.

I let go of Sebastian's hand, wiped away the tears, and felt a little better, coming back to myself.

Heitor kissed me on the cheek and took off his coat, throwing it away.

- Where is Maria? – I asked, worried.

- She's with Ben and Anon. He went to change it. – Nicolette warned.

- Celine tried to kill Maria… – I shook my head, stunned, remembering the scene, trying not to let the tears come back – She was with our daughter, Heitor. He took her to the roof... And called her into the water... Maria went and fell and...

'I… I can't believe this crazy woman did that…' Sebastian immediately got up, furious.

- Do not believe? – I asked, confused.

He sighed:

- Way of speaking, Babi. I know she is capable of anything. Don't forget that she caused my mother to lose the baby. In addition to everything possible to separate myself from Milena.

- Bárbara... Did you pull Malu out of the water? Hector looked into my eyes.

- Yes... And I don't even know how...

- She doesn't know how to swim – Heitor repeated to Sebastian – Do you have any idea that the two could have died?

- Didn't I kill Celine? – I asked, trying to get up from the bed, restrained by Heitor.

- No... She opened her eyes – said Nicolete – She's alive … But I don't think so.

- So I'm going to kill again – I started to get up, restrained again by Heitor and Sebastian - I need to go there... Find out why she hates our daughter so much... She's just a child, Hector.

- I think it's better to let her go, Hector. This situation needs to be ended and Celine pays for what she's done.

- I don't want Barbara to be nervous. She was in shock... It calmed down now. We can't expose her to a situation like this again.

- I want to talk to her, Heitor... Please. - Begged.

- Come on, we need to know what actually happened. Celine needs to explain herself to everyone and I want to know how she turned out. Because you can still try to frame Babi. – Sebastian said firmly.

- I... I'll get her an outfit. Could you leave us alone, please? – Heitor went to the closet, opening it in search of dry clothes for me.

Sebastian kissed me on the forehead and left, closing the door with Nicolete.

Heitor helped me put on some clothes and before we left through the door, I stopped in front of him, raising my face towards him:

- The enemy lives inside our own house...

- Let's eliminate the enemy, Barbara! Celine messed with the only thing that matters in my life: you and Maria Lua.

We linked our hands and as soon as we left the door, Anon opened the door to Malu's room.

- How is she? – I asked.

- Ben gave her a hot bath and put on her pajamas. She was given a bottle of hot milk and heard a story. He's almost asleep, listening to You Are my Sunshine. Maria Lua is fine, Mrs. Bongiove. – Guaranteed.

I felt my heart calm immediately.

- But I don't think anyone will look so good, do you, sir? He looked at Hector.

- No formalities, please, Anon. You know me well enough to know we're going to end her, don't you?

- Yes.

- And it won't be the way it was with Daniel.

- Shall we kill her, sir?

- No... Make her rot in jail. Immediately grab footage from the rooftop cameras.

- Yes sir. – Anon quickly descended.

- Where he goes? – I asked, confused, not knowing where the camera images were.

- Do as I say.

Heitor pulled me by the hand and we went down. Celine was being attended to by two uniformed men in white coats, who were loading her onto a gurney. I realized that she was conscious, although the look of pain took over her face.

Allan had the wheelchair next to her and Milena was holding her mother's hand, while Sebastian was farther away, watching everything with a full glass of whiskey in his hand.

- You murderer... - Celine looked towards me – You tried to kill me. I always knew you were crazy, sick...

Milena looked in my direction and so did Allan. I couldn't identify their feelings at that moment. But I continued there, with my hair damp, uncombed, knowing that my daughter's birthday party was over and the anger for that woman still burning inside me.

- You're the only killer here. You tried to kill my daughter. How could you come to my house and try to end a baby's life on her birthday party? You're sick, Celine.

- How is she? – Hector asked one of the men.

- I'm the doctor – the other replied – She probably broke her right leg and her hand too. But if you fell from the height you said... It could have been a lot worse. We will carry out tests to verify that there were no other fractures and to analyze the internal organs, whether they have suffered any alteration or perforation due to the fall.

- I hope so... That he also broke his neck and the internal organs are all compromised. - I said between teeth.

- Barbarian! – Milena called my attention.

- Assassin! Your mother is a murderer!

- I'm going to report you to the police, Barbara. You tried to kill me and everyone here is a witness to that. Celine said.

- Are? – Sebastian spoke ironically – I didn't see anything you're talking about, Celine – he sipped the liquid from the glass all at once.

- When I arrived you were already on the floor, Celine. I didn't see Barbara push you – Heitor followed Sebastian's speech.

- Maybe you lost your balance and fell on your own. – Nicolette completed.

- Shut up, servant. No one asked for your opinion – she raised her head towards Nicolete, still lying on the stretcher – My husband and my daughter saw everything and that's enough. You're going to jail, Barbara Novaes.

- Perrone. Sebastian added.

- Bárbara Novaes Perrone Casanova – Heitor reiterated – We're getting married in a few days. Certainly, when Barbara takes the stand, she will also be a Casanova, Celine. We're going with all the North B lawyers. And I'm taking the footage from the security cameras on the penthouse, where three of them are only facing the pool. Right now Anon is analyzing the videos and copying the images. So if you have nothing to do with the image of my wife and daughter completely soaked at the top of the stairs, then you have nothing to fear. But if you were responsible for putting them in the water, you're fucked... until the end of your days.

- Cameras? What cameras? – she asked, confused – I bet that now they will make arrangements to incriminate me, in the name of this insane, crazy person, that is Barbara. What did you do with everyone anyway? Witchcraft? Or did the slut also give it to her brother, my husband and eat my daughter?

I went towards her again, ready to kill her once and for all.