Chapter 53 What was a CEO of Arbex doing here?
The familiar scent of mint and sandalwood filled the room even before he entered. Katherine frowned. João Pedro crossed the threshold, his tall, imposing figure making the ceiling suddenly seem low.
What was the CEO of Arbex doing in a college courtroom?
João Pedro Arbex's entrance into the room was like a sudden drop in temperature.
In unison, everyone present stood up, as if moved by an automatic survival mechanism.
Ms. Park's arrogance, which had previously filled the room, was instantly crushed. She leaned toward her husband, her voice trembling with anxiety: “Didn't Rosana say that the Arbex family hated this girl? Why is João here?”
Her husband, sensing the danger, simply squeezed her arm tightly, ordering her to remain silent with his eyes. Marta, the director, whispered something to the General Manager, whose face paled in an instant. He hurried to lead João to the main chair, but the CEO remained standing, an unshakeable figure of authority.
João glanced briefly at Katherine—who remained seated with irritating calm—and then scanned the room with icy eyes. “What's going on here?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Before the Parks could come up with an excuse, the General Manager stepped forward, stammering, "Mr. Arbex... Mr. Park is here to discuss... well, the students' platonic passions. Katherine is a very pretty young woman and has received declarations of love from many boys, including Mr. Park's son. They are concerned that this will affect the boy's grades.
João's gaze fell on the “letter of guarantee” on the table. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes darkened. The director, trying to be helpful, handed him the document: “Mr. Arbex, please take a look.”
João did not touch the paper. Instead, he looked at his wristwatch. “Is it break time already?” he asked, with an indifference that sounded like an ultimatum.
The principal got the message instantly. He turned to Katherine: “Katherine, you should go back to class now. Go on.”
“This is unacceptable!” protested Mrs. Park. Impulsiveness spoke louder than fear. “She hasn't signed the guarantee yet! She's jeopardizing my son's studies with her flirtatious beauty! She must stay and...”
João Pedro didn't let her finish. He didn't need to shout; the weight of his silence was enough for Mr. Park to pull his wife violently by the arm, silencing her.
“Take Katherine to the classroom immediately,” the principal ordered a teacher. “Don't let anything affect her studies.”
Katherine stood up. She glanced at João, her gaze conveying a mixture of boredom and slight surprise. In fact, she would have left anyway, with or without his intervention, but João's presence had made everything... faster.
As she left the building, Katherine stopped. “Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom. You can go ahead.”
The teacher, now treating Katherine as if she were made of crystal, asked cautiously, “Would you like me to accompany you, dear?”
“No need,” Katherine replied, walking away toward the deserted hallway.
Inside, in the silence of the marble, she washed her hands and removed her high-sensitivity hearing aid.
Thanks to the device's technology, she could still hear the echo of Marta's conversations and those of other teachers leaving the meeting room.
Marta's voice emerged, laden with gossipy enthusiasm: “Wow, let me tell you... this Katherine Lutz is no ordinary girl.”
“What?” asked another voice.
“Have you seen João Arbex?” He came in person! I asked him who he was picking up and he said, in no uncertain terms, that he was related to Katherine Lutz. We've never seen him intervene even for his siblings, Octávio or Dandara, but for her... he crossed the city!
“Are you saying she has a powerful protector?”
“More than that!” hissed Marta. “With that arrogance and the way he protects her... I think Katherine is his father's illegitimate daughter! Hidden Arbex blood!
”Oh, don't be ridiculous... old Arbex has an impeccable reputation.
Katherine hung up the phone with a cynical smile. Illegitimate daughter? she thought.
If they knew that the relationship was much more complex and dangerous than a simple blood tie, the entire college would collapse. She put the device back on, adjusted her uniform, and left. The game at the Arbex Mansion was about to change, and João Pedro's “protection” today would come at a price she would have to figure out how to pay.
The voices of the teachers in the hallway became background noise, replaced by the clear frequency that Katherine's hearing aid picked up from inside the conference room. “Mr. Arbex, our families are long-time allies, and we are, technically, your elders,” said Mrs. Park, her voice laden with false righteousness.
"Everyone has seen Katherine's behavior. She is a transfer student who arrived a few days ago and has already sent a girl to the hospital. She doesn't pay attention, reads trashy extracurricular material, or sleeps in class. She has no respect for her studies, and as a mother, I cannot tolerate that. You are not married; you don't understand discipline. Let's not make things difficult; she just needs to sign this Letter of Guarantee.
Katherine, leaning against the hallway window, rested her chin on her hand. She lazily admired the late afternoon sun filtering through the pine trees, feeling the cool breeze. A slight irony hung on her face.
Then João Pedro's deep, icy male voice cut through the air.
“The content of the Letter of Guarantee needs to be changed,” he said slowly. “As does the signatory.”
“Mr. Arbex, what do you suggest?” the principal interjected, obsequiously. “I have a printer here, I can change it right now.”
"First: change the name from Katherine Lutz to their son's name. Second: let the boy sign it. If he guarantees he'll stay away from her, I'll let the past go.
A shocked silence fell over the room, followed by Mrs. Park's shrill protest. “You're going too far! My son is innocent! It's Katherine who seduces boys, she's the one who should sign!”