Chapter 28 She's dangerous, she plays tricks...
The scene was peculiar, to say the least. Katherine was crouching elegantly beside the bathtub, her hand on the tile. Octavio was crouching at the door, his head stretched inside like a curious turtle.
The contrast was striking: the bathroom was flooded with clinical white light, exposing everything, while the room behind Octavio was bathed in the dim glow of an orange nightlight.
In that light, Octavio looked much more guilty than she did. He exuded an aura of someone who was up to no good.
Realizing he had been noticed, Octavio tried to regain his dignity. He stood up, clearing his throat and feigning a calm he did not have. “What are you doing there?”
Katherine's recovery was instantaneous. The tension in her shoulders disappeared, replaced by a relaxed posture. She straightened up slowly, without a hint of haste.
“Looking for something,” she replied, her voice neutral.
“Are you looking for something too?” he blurted out without thinking.
Katherine walked slowly toward him. A slight, almost mocking smile curved her lips. “Also?”
She stared at him with unshakable confidence. There was no trace of guilt on her face; on the contrary, she looked like the owner of the house questioning an intruder.
Octavio, caught in his own trap, didn't even try to lie. He snorted, crossing his arms. “I'm looking for my brother's car keys. So what?”
He rolled his eyes in frustration. He was the only man in the family without his own car. His brother had a whole collection gathering dust in the garage, but refused to lend him a single steering wheel. So drastic measures—like a nighttime invasion—were necessary.
“But change the subject,” Octavio said, narrowing his eyes. “What are you doing in my brother's bathroom?”
Katherine glanced at the bedroom door behind Octavio. She remained silent for a moment, calculating.
Two seconds later, the temperature in the room dropped.
The tall, imposing figure of João Pedro appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene with icy indifference, but his dark eyes were fixed on Katherine.
Octavio, completely oblivious to the danger approaching from behind, continued his interrogation: “Come on, spill it! What were you doing messing with the bathtub?”
Upon hearing this, João's gaze deepened. He analyzed Katherine, looking for any signs of nervousness. He found none.
Katherine held João's gaze for a second, then looked at Octavio with feigned boredom. “Just taking a quick look.”
With that lame—and strangely bold—excuse, she walked past Octavio and out of the room, moving with the lightness of a cat that had just stolen the cream.
As soon as her silhouette disappeared down the hallway, Octavio turned to João Pedro, agitated.
“Man, did you see that?!” He gestured frantically. “You said I was being paranoid for believing Nísia, but it looks like she was right all along! Katherine entered your room without permission and went straight to your things. I saw it with my own eyes!”
Octavio slapped his forehead, as if he had had an epiphany. “Man, was she trying to steal your clothes or something? Nísia warned me that she has kleptomania, that she has a habit of stealing valuable things!”
João's expression remained unchanged, a mask of stone. “Have you said enough?”
“Huh?” Octavio blinked, confused. That wasn't the indignant reaction he had expected.
“If you're done gossiping about her,” João said, his voice deep and dangerous, “why don't you explain to me what you were doing crawling around in my room in the dark?”
The color drained from Octavio's face. His eyes darted from side to side, looking for an escape route. “I... I followed her! Yeah, that's it! I only went in to protect your property, brother! I wanted to see what she was up to!”
João let out a short, cold laugh. “Last chance.”
Octavio wilted instantly. He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! I'll tell you the truth...” He threw himself at João's legs, hugging his older brother's waist and pouting. “Big bro, buy me a car! Please! I promise I won't use it for drag racing!”
They say that even the coldest and most ruthless men have a weak spot. Octavio firmly believed that if he acted adorable and pathetic, he would get what he wanted.
João looked at the “thing” clinging to his waist with disgust. Without saying a word, he grabbed Octavio by the collar of his shirt, as if picking up a stray cat, and dragged him to the door.
“Wait, brother! Let's talk!”
João threw him unceremoniously into the hallway and slammed the door in his face.
“BROTHER!!!” The desperate cry echoed through the house.
In the hallway, Katherine shuddered.
The shrill scream pierced her sensitive ears like a needle. She hissed in pain, bringing her hand to her ear, her eyes narrowing with a sudden urge for violence. If she could, she would throw Octavio against the wall herself.
But as the pain subsided, her mind focused on something else.
“Nísia said she has a habit of stealing things.”
Katherine stopped in the middle of the dark hallway. Slowly, a cold, cruel smile curved the corners of her mouth.
Ah, Nísia. So that's the game you want to play? Spreading rumors that I'm a thief to tarnish my reputation in society?
“Interesting,” Katherine whispered into the void. “Let's see who steals what in the end.”
Katherine adjusted her hearing aid, the small, imperceptible click signaling that she was connected to the world again.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she found someone coming up.
Octavio was dragging his feet, his head down, his shoulders slumped. He looked like a fighting cock that had just lost all its feathers.
“Hey.”
The calm, slightly hoarse female voice made Octavio stop. He lifted his heavy eyelids.
Leaning against the railing, bathed in the dim light of the hallway, was Katherine. She watched him with piercing eyes, free of judgment but full of sharp intelligence.
Damn, Octavio thought reluctantly. She's really beautiful.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain his pose as a wronged playboy. “It's not ‘hey.’ I'm Octavio,” he retorted, straightening his spine and turning up his nose. “Show some respect.”
Katherine's lips curved slowly. It wasn't a sweet smile; it was the smile of a fox who had just found the key to the henhouse. “Would you like to see a play with me?”
“A play?” Octavio took a step back, instinctively suspicious.
Why did he feel there was a trap glinting in those dark eyes? Nísia's voice echoed in his mind: “She's dangerous, she plays tricks...”
“What kind of play?” he asked, crossing his arms and feigning disinterest. “Theater isn't my thing.”
Katherine's smile widened, becoming enigmatic and dangerously attractive. “Oh, don't worry. The stage will be right here. And I guarantee you'll like the ending.”