Chapter 112 Chapter 112
“Well, we've known each other for a long time,” Sasha replied, linking her arm through Katherine's. “She's like a daughter to me. In fact, she was the one who invited me to this banquet.”
Nísia's world collapsed. She stood there, like a wooden mannequin forgotten in the middle of the hall. Each word from Sasha was a nail in the coffin of her ambitions. The visit from the “living legend”... the event that was supposed to consecrate Nísia... it had all been orchestrated by Katherine Lutz.
Andrei, standing beside her, did not hide his surprise and renewed respect for Katherine. But the final blow came from Daniel Lutz. Nísia saw him in the distance: his smile was no longer that of a businessman proud of his goddaughter, but that of a cunning father who had just rediscovered his “golden goose.” He was already circulating among the guests, emphatically introducing Katherine: “My daughter... my only biological daughter.”
Katherine, bored by the attention, answered the elders' questions with her usual conciseness. The theme of the evening was perfume, and while Nísia was drowning in her own shock, the banquet was just beginning. And the perfume that hung in the air now was that of the imminent defeat of those who dared to underestimate Josiane Kamikado's heiress.
The atmosphere of admiration, however, fueled Nísia's resentment. When one of the older guests, moved by curiosity, urged Katherine to show off her creation of the night, Nísia saw her last chance to shine.
“Yes, sister,” Nísia interrupted, with an almost feverish urgency. “Didn't you say you brought something special to share? We can't wait to see the ‘Kamikado touch’ in action.”
Nísia clutched the fabric of her dress, her heart racing. She desperately wanted to hear “I didn't bring anything” or see Katherine stammer. However, Sasha Meneguel, with a smile that revealed her knowledge of her friend's soul, intervened lightly:
“This girl has never been one to follow rules. The last time we went to pick flowers, she got distracted by a beehive in the middle of the path. Katherine does nothing out of obligation or obedience.”
The general laughter that followed only confirmed Katherine's status: she was the “daughter of freedom,” untouched by the social pressures that Nísia valued so much.
Suffocated by moral defeat, Nísia retired to the garden. Dandara followed her, and the two walked under the pale moonlight, plotting assumptions about Katherine's loyalty.
“I'm worried about my brother,” Dandara confessed. “Katherine is too close to Sasha. What if she's acting as a spy for the Lutzes within our company?”
Nísia stopped abruptly, her eyes shining. “You're right. We need to be vigilant.”
The conversation changed dramatically when Dandara mentioned that her cousin's car—the enigmatic and powerful heir to the Arbex family—had just driven through the main gate. For Nísia, that was the cue she had been waiting for.
Bidding Dandara farewell with a lame excuse, Nísia quickened her pace.
Her heels echoed on the gravel as she left the hustle and bustle of the West Wing behind. After walking for almost ten minutes across the immense property, she reached the edge of the East Wing.
Unlike the West Wing, designed for grand receptions, the East Wing exuded a cozy and intimate charm, almost bucolic.
Nísia pushed open the unlocked gate. Her heart pounded against her ribs, not out of fear, but out of possessive excitement. She walked through the elegant corridors, feeling that every inch of that silent luxury should belong to her.
She knew he was there, possibly in the shower, vulnerable and alone. In her mind, Nísia was no longer just a guest; she was the future mistress of that wing, the woman who would reign alongside the most extraordinary man in the country.
Nísia had already discovered, through her cousin Dandará, that João Arbex used to live in isolation in his own building in the East Wing, joining the others only for formal meals. Moved by a mixture of audacity and desperation, she ignored the main building and headed straight for the private courtyard. Upon entering, she came face to face with a guard dog on high alert; the animal, which had been playing alone, bared its teeth in a threatening growl that made her freeze, frozen with fear.
It was at that moment that João appeared. He had just stepped out of the shower, and his wet black hair clung to the contours of his aristocratic face, with drops of water sliding down his neck. The loose robe barely concealed his imposing physique of broad shoulders and narrow waist, emanating an aura of coldness that made the atmosphere suddenly oppressive. He was holding a bottle of water and, noticing Nísia's presence, frowned with undisguised irritation.
“Who let you in?” His voice cut through the air, cold and distant.
Nísia felt her tongue lock up, her eyes fixed on his fair skin and chest muscles, feeling a mixture of fascination and dread.
“I... I came to see my cousin,” she stammered, her eyes beginning to well up.
“Get out.” João didn't even wait for an answer, walking into the building with an indifference that bordered on contempt, clearly not believing her lame excuse.
Taken aback by his immediate rejection, Nísia gathered her courage and followed him.
“Mr. Arbex, please wait! I have something crucial to tell you!” At the height of her nervousness, she let out a cry, pretended to stumble, twisted her ankle, and fell to the ground, making a rehearsed grimace of pain.
João stopped, but did not approach her. He looked down at her with cutting disdain.
“Get out of here.”
Nísia was stunned. Wasn't he supposed to help her up? Realizing that subtlety wouldn't work, she let the words slip out urgently:
“Sasha Meneguel and my cousin are close friends! Sasha herself said that it was Katherine who suggested that she work for Andrei! She's living under your roof, but she's helping your rivals behind your back!”
João's face closed into an impenetrable expression. Nísia, thinking she had finally captured his attention, stood up quickly, wearing a mask of indignation.
“I have to defend what is right. She is being disloyal to you, acting recklessly, as if she owned this place! It's unacceptable.”
João let out a discreet chuckle, a melodious sound that carried a trace of sinister coldness. He fixed his gaze on her, and his voice sounded like a chilling whisper:
“In my house, of course she can do whatever she wants. If you can't stand to see that, leave.”