Chapter 255
Gisele understood. And for the first time, her voice came out in a frightened whisper.
“My God, Lilian... you're right. Leandro is capable of anything.”
Lilian took a deep breath.
“Then please, auntie. Don't tell anyone. I just need you to help me remember... the names of my mom's friends. People she trusted. Places where she could hide.”
Gisele hesitated, but agreed.
“All right. I'll think of all the names I can remember. I'll send them to you in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, auntie,” said Lilian, relieved. “And please... keep your phone close. I may need you at any time.”
When the call ended, Lilian stood still for a few seconds, the phone still in her hand.
She felt torn between fear and anger.
On the one hand, she was terrified of what might happen to her mother.
On the other... she wanted her father to pay.
For everything.
“Lilian, you're absolutely right,” said Gisele, her voice trembling on the other end of the line. “If that idiot Leandro finds Juci, he'll drag her back home... and do the unthinkable.”
“I know,” Lilian replied coldly, her eyes brimming with tears. “My father is capable of anything.”
Silence fell for a moment.
Each was drowning in her own thoughts—fear, anger, helplessness.
While Gisele tried to remember Juci's friends, Lilian found herself thinking of someone else.
Ethan. Her husband had always been her safe haven.
Maybe he could help her find her mother. Maybe...
Gisele's voice broke the silence.
“Okay, dear. I've remembered some names. I'll send them to you now. I hope this leads you to some clues.”
“Thank you, auntie, really...”
“Lilian...” Gisele interrupted firmly. “I'm flying to Araraquara today. I want to help you look for Juci.”
“What?” Lilian was speechless for a moment. “Auntie, you don't have to...”
“Yes, I do.” The woman's voice was firm. “If I stay at home, I'll go crazy. I need to do something.”
Lilian sighed, defeated.
“All right. But please be careful. And don't let anyone suspect anything.”
“Don't worry, dear. I know what I'm doing,” Gisele replied, with a firmness that hid her fear.
After a few more quick words, the call ended. Lilian put down the phone and stared at it thoughtfully.
Ethan.
She needed to hear his voice.
She dialed the number.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Nothing.
She frowned. Ethan always answered—even in meetings, even in the middle of a presentation.
Why not now?
A bad feeling formed in her chest.
Even so, she forced herself to focus. She received Gisele's message with the list of names and forwarded it to Benjamin, asking him to cross-reference the information with the city's security cameras.
She tried to immerse herself in some documents to distract her mind, but she just couldn't concentrate.
The silence was almost unbearable.
And then her cell phone vibrated.
Benjamin.
She answered before the second ring.
“Benjamin?” Her voice came out breathless.
“Lilian...” Her brother's voice sounded strange, cautious. “I found your mother.”
Lilian's heart raced.
She stood up so quickly that she almost knocked over her chair.
“Where is she!? Is she okay!?” she asked, breathless.
Benjamin hesitated.
“Sis... promise me you won't freak out.”
“Benjamin, just tell me!” she demanded, feeling her legs tremble.
“She's... in the hospital.”
Lilian froze.
“The hospital...?”
“Yes.” His voice faltered. “I tracked her records. She saw a doctor earlier today.”
Lilian clutched the phone tightly, feeling the world spin.
“What happened to her?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Is she hurt?”
Benjamin was silent for a moment before replying, quietly:
“No, it's not an injury. It's... an illness.”
The air seemed to disappear from the room.
“I checked the medical records,” Benjamin continued, his voice heavy. “Juci has been diagnosed with cancer. Stage three.”
The sound of the words cut through Lilian like a knife. She stopped breathing for a few seconds.
Everything went silent.
Not even Benjamin dared to speak.
“Sis... are you there?” he asked, distressed.
Nothing.
“Lilian? Talk to me, please. If you don't answer now, I'm coming down there.”
“I'm fine,” she finally murmured, her voice so soft it barely sounded like her own.
But her hand was shaking.
And the tears she tried to hold back flowed silently, betraying her usual strength.
Benjamin didn't quite believe her.
“Are you sure? Do you want me to—”
“I'm fine, Ben,” she interrupted, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “Thanks for telling me.”
On the other end of the line, he sighed. “Sis... there's something else,” he said hesitantly. “Something else I found in her records.”
Lilian's heart skipped a beat.
She knew from her brother's tone that the next revelation could change everything—once again.
“Sis...” Benjamin's voice sounded shaky on the other end of the line. “I... I found something else.”
Lilian felt her stomach churn. The silence that followed was suffocating.
“What is it, Benjamin?” she asked, her voice cold and controlled.
“The autopsy revealed... that Mom suffered physical abuse.” He hesitated before continuing. “Almost her entire body was covered in bruises... including internal injuries.”
For a moment, time stood still.
Lilian didn't breathe. She didn't blink.
Until hatred began to pulse inside her—dense, hot, uncontrollable.
Her jaw tightened.
Her heart beat so hard it felt like it was going to tear her chest apart.
He hit her.
Again.
Until the end.
“How dare he?” she thought, clenching her fists. “How could he?”
She tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. The anger turned into something physical, burning every part of her body.
Benjamin, sensing the weight of the silence, murmured:
“I'm sorry, sis... I didn't mean to upset you. Is there anything I can do?”
Lilian took a deep breath, struggling not to scream.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice firm and sharp. “Send me Mom's complete medical report. Now.”
“Of course,” he replied without hesitation.
“And Benjamin...” she added coldly. “Find out where she went after the hospital. I want the exact location.” Dinho and the men will protect her.
“Understood, sis. Don't worry.”
The call ended, but the echo of Benjamin's words continued to hammer in Lilian's mind.
She slowly lowered her cell phone, feeling her hands tremble.
A sigh escaped her lips.
Then another.
But nothing lessened the pain that tightened her chest.
She picked up the phone again and tried to call Ethan.
Once again, there was no answer.
The number was disconnected.
“Ethan... where are you?” she muttered, frustrated.
She put her cell phone in her bag, taking a deep breath, trying to regain control.
There was no time for despair.
She needed to act.