Chapter 76 I want your whole life.
Dandara hesitated, but impatience overcame her fear. “My grandfather also invited Justin Ferrari to come,” she blurted out.
“Justin Ferrari?” Cauan (Anders) smiled dismissively. “It doesn't matter. He's just a CEO, he doesn't have half the fame or mystery of Master Primordial.”
“The problem is that Grandpa admires him a lot. He wants me to meet him in person... and, from the photos, he doesn't look half bad,” Dandara confessed thoughtfully.
Cauan felt a pang of jealousy. “Dandara! How could that ‘old man’ be good for you? Grandpa loves calligraphy, and I'm now Primordial's pupil. I'll surpass Ferrari in no time!”
“We'll see,” Dandara scoffed. “It all depends on your performance tonight. If Grandpa approves of your master, the rest doesn't matter.”
At 6:20 p.m., the Arbex mansion was in an uproar. Festive lights, ambient music, and the buzz of the elite created a vibrant atmosphere. Guests discussed mergers, introduced heirs, and tried to seal marriage alliances under the pretext of the banquet.
Katherine, oblivious to the chaos, remained in the East Wing courtyard. She rocked gently in a rocking chair, absorbed in her cell phone. The white pants and blazer set that João Pedro had given her fit like a glove, enhancing her uninhibited and elegantly lazy aura.
Suddenly, Octavio came running up, with the look of someone about to propose a risky business deal. “Katherine! I need you to come with me to the banquet hall now!”
“Just you and me?” she asked, without taking her eyes off the screen.
“Yes! Just the two of us!” He gestured desperately. “If I go in there alone, that army of women will tear me apart. Last year, I wasn't even an adult, and fifteen families tried to ‘sell’ me brides. Just remembering it gives me chills!”
Katherine finally looked at him, her voice calm and sharp. “And what does your desperation have to do with me?”
Octavio crouched down beside her, whispering: “To be honest... there are already rumors that we're having an affair because you're living here. If I go in with you, we'll kill two birds with one stone: the suitors will give up and I'll be left in peace. You don't have to do anything, just stay by my side. I'll take care of the rest.”
Octavio smiled, thinking he was a genius strategist. But suddenly, he felt a cold chill run down his spine. Katherine's gaze was no longer on him, but on something—or someone—behind him.
“Brother...” Octavio stammered, stiffening. “When did you get here?”
João Pedro stood there, an imposing shadow. “Repeat what you just said,” João ordered, his voice low and dangerous.
Octavio jumped up, trying to maintain his composure. “Nothing! I didn't say anything!” I just came to let you know that dinner is about to start... and, well, I remembered I have a blind date! Bye!“ And he bolted, fleeing his brother's silent fury.
João Pedro turned his attention to Katherine. ”It's time. Shall we go?“
”You go ahead,“ she replied, returning to her phone. ”I'll be there later."
João Pedro remained motionless. A few seconds later, he bent his arm in a formal invitation and stared at her. Katherine arched her eyebrows. “Are you trying the same strategy as Octavio? Using me as a shield?”
An almost imperceptible smile appeared on João's lips. “It's not the same thing.”
“What's the difference?”
The man leaned slightly toward her. The sunset gilded his features, making his expression even more intense. He held out his hand, waiting. “He only wants an hour or two of your time. I want your whole life.”
Katherine's heart skipped a beat, and the silence that followed was heavy. She hadn't expected such a direct, unguarded approach. João didn't move his hand; he waited patiently for her to accept his invitation.
“João!”
A crystal-clear, confident female voice interrupted the moment. Katherine looked away from João Pedro's palm. A beautiful woman was approaching.
She was dressed in an impeccable gala gown and waved an exquisite fan with the grace of a medieval princess. Her presence exuded aristocracy and an obvious familiarity with João Pedro. Pietra Laser's eyes scanned Katherine with calculated intensity. The color beneath her eyelids seemed to vibrate for a second before she turned her attention to João Pedro, flashing an impeccable smile.
“João, I just landed from Italy today. Kenny is back too. We should all get together to catch up, like in the old days.”
“That won't be necessary,” replied João Pedro, with a cutting indifference that made Pietra's smile falter for a brief moment.
Regaining her composure, she looked back at the girl in the rocking chair. “This must be Katherine, from the Lutz family. Nice to meet you. I'm Pietra Laser. My brother, Bruno, goes to the same college as you.”
“So you hid here,” a provocative voice interrupted the encounter.
A man in his thirties approached with one hand in his pocket, exuding a relaxed self-confidence. It was Steve Laser. “Brother, you came too,” Pietra said softly.
“I didn't find anyone interesting inside, so I decided to explore,” Steve joked, raising an eyebrow. “João, how have you been lately?”
However, the moment his eyes landed on Katherine, Steve's smile froze. His relaxed demeanor disappeared, giving way to an expression of utter shock. He stared at her directly, without any pretense, as if he were seeing a ghost or someone who should never be in that courtyard.
Katherine held his gaze with icy serenity, without showing a hint of nervousness.
Pietra frowned, bothered by her brother's reaction, and slapped his shoulder. “Steve! What world are you in? Why are you standing there like a fool?”
Steve snapped out of his trance with a start, letting out a dry, nervous laugh. When he tried to look at Katherine again, his view was blocked by a human wall. João Pedro had positioned himself in front of her, protecting her completely.
“The banquet is about to begin,” João declared, his voice low and laden with invisible pressure. “You two should go first.”
Steve nodded quickly. The air of superiority from before was gone; he could barely force a smile as he walked away. Pietra, however, still tried one last card: “João, you should come with us.”
The cold, intimidating look João Pedro gave her was enough to silence her. Pietra, realizing she had crossed the line, turned and left obediently.