Chapter 254
“Did Mom... change her number?” she murmured, trying again.
The same result.
A cold, mechanical voice sounded on the other end:
“The number you are calling is not active.”
Lilian closed her eyes, feeling the weight of anguish tighten her chest. She tried to take a deep breath. She tried to convince herself that everything was fine.
“No... she must have just turned off her cell phone,” she muttered to herself. “She must be hiding. It's okay. It's okay...”
But inside, she knew it wasn't.
Not while her father was on the loose, furious, looking for her.
The sudden knock on the door made her heart race.
She turned quickly—and there was Dinho, standing in the doorway.
“Dinho!” she exclaimed, going to him. “I'm so glad you're here.”
Without even asking him to sit down, Lilian told him everything—her mother's escape, the lost surveillance, Leandro Arbex's growing anger.
And when she finished, her eyes were already teary.
But amid the fear, there was something new in her expression: determination.
Dinho's eyes widened, surprised by what he had just heard.
“Boss, do you need my help?” he asked, his voice firm but concerned.
Lilian nodded without hesitation. “Yes, Dinho. I need your help. How many of our people are in Araraquara ready to act now?”
She knew that part of the Sentinel Network was already positioned in the city, discreetly monitoring the Arbex Group, but she had no idea how many men were on standby.
Dinho typed something on his tablet and replied immediately:
“Ten agents are active there.” Do you want me to move reinforcements from other cities?“
Lilian crossed her arms and took a deep breath.
”Yes. Bring whoever is closest to Araraquara.“ Her eyes hardened. ”Something big is going to happen when I take over the Arbex Group in the next few days. And now, with my mother missing... I'm going there myself."
Dinho blinked, surprised. “Are you flying to Araraquara today?”
“Yes.” Lilian replied firmly, without hesitating for a second. “This case is more serious than it seems. If my mother ran away... it's because the hell inside that house reached its limit.”
She stood up, her gaze determined.
“Get everything organized. I want news before sunset.”
“Right, boss.” Dinho nodded, already turning to leave. “I'll get the team ready and board today.”
“Dinho...” Lilian called, before he crossed the door. “Can you fly now?”
He gave a confident half-smile.
“Sure, boss.” And he left without looking back.
....
Silence filled the office.
Lilian finally collapsed into the CEO's chair, exhausted.
She tried to ignore the urge to call her mother again. She knew it would be useless—Juci had probably turned off her cell phone on purpose, fleeing her husband's reach.
But even knowing that, Lilian's heart ached. Fear mingled with guilt.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to remember.
Where could she be?
Maybe at a friend's house... or somewhere where she felt free for the first time in decades.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she knew nothing.
And that destroyed her inside.
An old memory came to mind, clear as a scar:
little Lilian, watching from a distance as her parents smiled only at Josh, their eldest son.
She was always in the shadows.
Always “the wrong daughter.”
The nanny was the one who put her to bed.
Her grandparents were the only ones who asked how she was doing.
And when she grew up, she ran away too—not from home, but from the pain.
She went to study in the capital. Then abroad.
And when she finally returned, it was too late to rebuild any bonds. She married Ethan, and the rift with her parents only widened.
Now, sitting in the seat of power, Lilian realized the bitter irony:
she had everything she ever wanted—power, money, control.
But she didn't know where her mother was.
And perhaps she had never really known the woman she now desperately needed to find.
Her chest tightened, and tears threatened to well up.
But she took a deep breath and composed herself.
This is no time to feel. It's time to act.
With a hardened look, she picked up her cell phone and opened the map.
In a few hours, she would be in Araraquara.
And if the past insisted on haunting her, she was ready to face it — head on.
“Leave the past in the past, Lilian... Your life is so much better now.”
She repeated these words to herself like a mantra, trying to believe them.
She leaned back in her chair, took a deep breath... and closed her eyes.
But it didn't help.
The image of her mother kept coming back, insistent — her tired eyes, her forced smile, her submission disguised as calm.
Lilian opened her eyes suddenly, sitting up straight. She grabbed her cell phone.
She stared at the screen for a few seconds... and made a decision.
She needed to talk to Aunt Gisele.
...
“Lilian?” The voice on the other end sounded surprised.
“Yes, it's me, Auntie,” she replied, trying to sound calm.
“Well, dear, what a surprise! We spoke just a few hours ago.” Did something happen?
Lilian swallowed hard.
“Actually, yes... I need to ask you something about Mom.”
Gisele paused briefly.
“About Juci? What is it?”
Lilian hesitated. She wanted to be cautious. If she told her everything, her aunt might panic and ruin everything. “Auntie, do you remember if Mom had a favorite place in Araraquara? Or a close friend... someone she liked to talk to?”
On the other end of the line, there was silence for a few seconds.
“Hmm... not that I can remember,” Gisele replied thoughtfully. “You know what your father is like. He always kept her at home, almost like a prisoner.”
Lilian forced a bitter smile.
“I know,” she murmured.
“Friends, maybe two or three... but why are you asking me this, Lilian?” Her aunt's voice now sounded suspicious. “Did something happen to your mother?”
Lilian hesitated for a moment, but soon realized she couldn't waste time with half-truths.
“Auntie...” she began, her voice trembling. “Mom ran away from home.”
Silence.
It took Gisele a few seconds to react. “What!?” Her voice rose in pitch. “Juci ran away? Are you serious, Lilian?”
“That's what it looks like. Dad is desperate, looking for her.”
Lilian lied about only one detail: she said she heard it from someone in the house, without mentioning that she had access to her father's surveillance devices.
On the other end of the line, Gisele stammered, stunned.
“No... it can't be. Your mother would never have the courage to do that. She... she was always so...”
“Submissive?” Lilian finished bitterly. “Yeah. But if she really ran away, Auntie, it's because she couldn't take it anymore.”
Gisele sighed loudly, overcome with concern. “My God... you're right. He must have crossed the line this time. Let me help! I'll call some people to see if anyone has seen her...”
“NO, auntie!” Lilian interrupted her, her voice firm and urgent. “Don't call anyone.”
“What? Why not?” asked Gisele, confused. “Honey, what are you hiding?”
Lilian closed her eyes, trying to stay calm.
“Because if Dad notices any movement, he'll get suspicious. And if he finds out where Mom is...” She paused, her voice breaking. “He might hurt her again.”
The silence that followed was chilling.