Chapter 73 a passionate, direct gaze that seemed to ignore everything else
Daniel Lutz looked at the girl on the sofa. She remained quiet, but her aura was now impossible to ignore. Someone next to him complimented him: “Daniel, your daughter is a well-behaved genius, how enviable!” Daniel laughed nervously, not knowing how to react. For the first time, he had no words to describe Katherine.
Dandara shrugged, surprised, but Nísia clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. Why did Katherine have to surpass her in the very subjects that were her greatest pride?
Oblivious to the chaos, Katherine turned to João Pedro, who was now sitting next to her. “When will this end?” she murmured, exhausted from the social drama.
“Eat something first,” João replied, offering her a slice of orange.
Katherine accepted, feeling that he was being... too kind. João continued peeling the fruit, meticulously removing every white fiber before placing it on her plate. Suddenly, Heitor's little hand appeared, took a piece, and placed it on his own plate.
“Sis, eat mine too!” Heitor smiled, turning to João Pedro with childish audacity. “And thanks for peeling it for me too, big bro!”
João Pedro frowned, staring at the little intruder who dared to disrupt his moment with Katherine.
João Pedro, annoyed by Heitor's interruption, called Marcus to take the boy for ice cream in the garden. However, Heitor returned sooner than expected, balancing two generous cups and going straight to Katherine.
“Sis, I brought one for you!” he announced enthusiastically.
In the movement, some of the ice cream slid off the spoon and fell directly onto Katherine's pants. She instinctively tried to wipe the stain, but before she could react, a firm, elegant hand reached out with a napkin. João Pedro cleaned the fabric with meticulous delicacy, leaning his face toward her. The rich mint aroma of his perfume, mixed with the sweet smell of milk from the ice cream, enveloped Katherine for a moment.
“That's enough,” she murmured, looking away. The stain had already disappeared under his touch.
Only then did João Pedro straighten up, resuming his impeccable posture. Nísia, who was watching everything from afar, felt a wave of cold rise from the soles of her feet. Despair and envy gnawed at her: why was she, who tried so hard to be perfect, losing ground to someone who didn't seem to care about the world around her?
Unable to bear the scene, Nísia went out to the patio and dialed her teacher's number. “Hello, Mrs. Smith? It's Nísia... I saw the results on the forum. Some of the grades seem... unscientific, you know? Is there any chance of an error in the system?”
Dinner was served, and the conversation among the older guests flowed naturally to the inevitable topic: the college parents' meeting, which would take place in two days. For that group, the meeting was the ultimate battleground for showcasing the success of their offspring.
Sophia Marcus, proud of Dandara's performance, didn't miss the chance to take a dig at Daniel Lutz with a sly smile: “Mr. Lutz, with two daughters at the same school, I'm curious... which seat will you choose to sit in? Nísia's or Katherine's?”
Rosana Oliveira tried to lighten the mood with a rehearsed smile: “Well, I'll be there to support both of them, I'll divide my time.
Daniel Lutz, however, replied with his usual pragmatic coldness: ”It's a shame, but I'll be immersed in crucial company matters. I won't be able to attend this time.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with derision: “Oh... what a pity. So who will represent Katherine at the meeting?
”I will.
The solemn voice silenced the table. All eyes, including those of an incredulous Daniel Lutz, turned to Patriarch Arbex. The old master wiped his lips with his napkin, maintaining absolute calm.
“It's been many years since I've attended a parent-teacher meeting,” he commented. “I think it will be refreshing to see how things work nowadays.”
Sophia panicked at the idea: “But Father, your health... you shouldn't overexert yourself...”
“Don't try to dissuade me, Sophia,” Mr. Arbex cut her off, with a look that brooked no argument. “I will go on behalf of Daniel Lutz. Daniel, do you have any objection to being represented by me?”
Daniel's silence was the definitive answer. Katherine, for her part, continued to eat in silence, but her eyes met João Pedro's for a brief second.
The power game had just been taken to the next level.
Daniel Lutz, realizing he could not confront the Patriarch's will, narrowed his eyes and forced a cordial smile. “Thank you for your help, Uncle,” he said, although the gleam in his eyes suggested he was calculating the damage to his image.
Around the table, reactions varied. Rosana Oliveira and Sophia Marcus exchanged glances of pure discontent; the prestige that Mr. Arbex was bestowing on Katherine was something they desired for their own daughters. Anastasia and her husband, on the other hand, sighed with relief. They wanted to support Katherine, but their social status below Daniel Lutz made the situation delicate. With the respected master taking the lead, the path was clear of embarrassment.
At the young people's table, Octavio nudged Katherine with a wry smile. “You won Grandpa's heart too quickly. He never went to any of our cousins' meetings. Your status at school is now unshakable.”
The other relatives looked on with a hint of envy. Having Patriarch Arbex at a school meeting was like having a royal shield. Katherine, who had previously planned to send Gabriel Mendes just to fulfill the formality, looked at Mr. Arbex's satisfied face and changed her mind. “That's very good,” she agreed softly.
Octavio leaned over, whispering with a knowing look: “Actually, there's someone who wanted to go to this meeting even more than my grandfather...” He gestured discreetly with his eyes.
Katherine followed his gaze and found João Pedro. He was watching her with unyielding intensity, a passionate, direct gaze that seemed to ignore everyone else in the room. The moment someone called him over for a toast, he looked away, and Katherine turned back to the table, her thoughts racing.