Chapter 41 Do not allow trash to accumulate at the entrance.
It was Saturday.
Katherine had an important appointment, a meeting with Sasha Luz, her contact, was scheduled.
At 6:30 a.m., she put on comfortable sports clothes, grabbed a small backpack, and quietly went downstairs while everyone at Arbex Mansion was still asleep.
She went to the garage but ignored the luxury cars. Instead, she got on her black bike and sent her location to her contact.
\[10:00 a.m. Botanical Garden, Park 2.\]
She cycled out of the property, the cold morning wind blowing in her face, her black hair flying like a flag of freedom, and a few minutes later, João returned from his morning run.
He was on the sidewalk when he saw a figure pass by quickly. He recognized the clothes, the hair... In an instant, her figure disappeared around the bend in the road, agile and fast.
He stopped, picking up his cell phone to check the notification that had just vibrated, and it was the security report with her movements, but he already knew, and his normally stern expression softened as he put the device away. He turned to enter the mansion.
However, his peace was short-lived. As he approached the main gate, he saw someone standing by the flower bed.
Nísia.
The morning dew was heavy and the air was cold, but she seemed to ignore the temperature. She wore a tiny miniskirt and a thin-strapped blouse, exposing a vast expanse of white skin, shivering from the cold. She was shivering slightly, but she held her pose, holding a box of sweets as if it were a passport.
When she saw João Pedro approaching, tall, sweaty, exuding testosterone and power in the golden morning light, Nísia's eyes sparkled with a mixture of excitement and obsession.
She quickly smoothed her hair and took a step forward, blocking his path.
“Good morning, Mr. Arbex!” she said, in the sweetest, most seductive voice she could muster. “May I ask if my cousin Katherine is awake yet? My mother made some special homemade sweets and asked me to deliver them to her personally.”
She held up the exquisite box, trying to appear like the devoted and affectionate cousin.
João Pedro didn't slow down. He walked past her as if she were part of the garden decor, without even glancing at the cleavage she so proudly displayed.
“She just left,” he replied, his icy voice cutting through the air. “You would have seen her riding her bike if you weren't blind.”
Nísia's smile froze, and she bit her lip, humiliated, but refused to give up.
“Really?” She laughed nervously. “Wow, I must have been distracted looking at my phone. How silly of me...” She took a quick step to try to keep up with him. “So... since I'm here, can I come in with you? It's Saturday and I have nothing to do. I can wait inside until she comes back. It would be great to talk a little with...”
João Pedro had already passed through the automatic gate, and the security guard at the gatehouse came out immediately, bowing respectfully.
“Good morning, sir.”
João paused for a second, but didn't turn to Nísia, who was standing outside the property line. He looked at the security guard and said, loud enough for her to hear: “Do your job well. Don't let trash accumulate at the entrance.”
The security guard understood the message immediately and blocked Nísia's path with his arm. “I'm sorry, ma'am. Restricted entry.”
João Pedro walked toward the house, leaving Nísia behind, shivering with cold and shame.
The security guard shuddered as he realized the fatal mistake of letting someone pass without checking, and immediately went into “guard dog” mode. He took a step forward, physically blocking Nísia's path.
“Miss Oliveira, wait a moment. Do you have an appointment?”
Nísia felt her face burn, and saw João Pedro's silhouette moving away, unreachable, and the panic of losing the opportunity mixed with shame.
“An appointment?” She tried to laugh, but the sound came out shrill. “Don't you know who I am? I'm a close friend of Miss Dandara Arbex and Mr. Octavio. My sister, Katherine, lives here! Besides, I'm a trusted employee at Mr. Cícero Arbex's company. Do I really need to make an appointment to enter my friends' house?”
The security guard straightened his posture, his face a mask of professional coldness.
“I'm sorry, Miss Oliveira. The rules at the Arbex Mansion are strict and absolute. Without a prior appointment or express authorization from the owner, no one is allowed in. I have no choice.”
Humiliated and under the watchful gaze of the other guards, Nísia had no other choice. With fingers trembling with rage, she picked up her cell phone and called Dandara.
It took ten minutes of explanations and verification for the gate to finally open, but Nísia's ordeal was not over, because as soon as she set foot on the property and tried to head toward the main building, where João Pedro lived, she was stopped by a second group of employees, dressed in even more formal uniforms.
“I'm sorry, Miss Oliveira, but that area is Mr. João Pedro's private residence!” the butler informed her with icy politeness. “Access is restricted. Miss Dandara is waiting at her house, which is on the other side. Please follow that path.”
Nísia gritted her teeth, feeling like a second-class citizen. Reluctantly, she had to turn around and walk to the “less important” wing to find Dandara.
Meanwhile, far from the petty politics of the mansion, Katherine enjoyed her freedom and loved the feeling of the wind on her face. She had cycled to the riverbank, where the air was fresh and clean, and had completed several laps running, pushing her lungs and muscles to the point of satisfying exhaustion.
She stopped, her breathing under control, and took the towel Adam handed her. As she wiped the sweat from her neck, her eyes shone with focus.
“Is everything ready?” she asked, and Adam, her assistant, nodded seriously.
“Everything's ready, Kath. The security plan, the route, the disguise... As long as João Pedro shows up at the appointed time, the show will begin.”
“Great. I'm going to take a quick shower. I'm starving, I hope breakfast from Botânico Coffe has already arrived.” Katherine returned the towel.
“I know your preferences better than anyone. The order arrived five minutes ago and is at the perfect temperature. Go get ready.” Adam smiled proudly.
“You're very smart, Adam.” She smiled, a genuine and rare smile.
“Of course I am!” Adam threw his hair back, puffing out his chest. “How could I not be, working under your tutelage for so long? Half the underworld has its eye on my position, trying to take me down, but I'm irreplaceable.”
Katherine laughed at his arrogance and entered the safe house, a small, inconspicuous house she used as a base, crossing the tree-lined path.
Adam hurried after her, his expression turning serious again.
“Kath... one question.” He hesitated. “Do you really intend to let João Pedro meet ‘Sasha Luz’? You've protected that identity so carefully for years... And João, well, he's not exactly an easy person to deal with. He's a shark.”