Chapter 91Mary decided to help Letícia and the other employee in charge of the bedrooms that afternoon by removing the water decanters from Dona Amélia’s and Jussara’s rooms. As she carried them to the kitchen, something caught her attention: the water in Dona Amélia’s decanter had a slightly different shade, as if something were unusual. She frowned but eventually convinced herself it was just her imagination.As soon as she reached the kitchen, Mary carefully washed the decanters and filled them with fresh water. Meanwhile, Júlio was already there, chopping the seasonings he had harvested earlier from the garden, working quickly and efficiently. The atmosphere was busy, but the sense of unity among everyone was evident.Mary decided to stay in the kitchen, since any help was welcome so they could finish the preparations early and rest before dinner.Dona Amélia, on the other hand, could not hide the persistent drowsiness she felt. During the day, she took advantage of a break betwe

Chapter 93Jussara woke up startled by the noise, sensing someone’s presence in the room. Before she could react, Letícia grabbed her by the arm, a look of pure fury on her face."Your time has come, Jussara!" Letícia growled, holding the vial of poison tightly.Jussara struggled to free herself and managed to strike Letícia’s arm. The vial slipped from her hands, falling to the floor and shattering."You wretch!" Letícia screamed, losing her patience.Letícia pulled Jussara forcefully out of bed and dragged her down the hallway. Jussara stumbled at every step, trying to resist."Letícia, what are you doing?" Jussara cried desperately."Ending you, you cursed woman!" Letícia shouted, pushing Jussara toward the staircase.Jussara tried to grab the handrail, but Letícia pulled her hard, her anger boiling over."No one will stand in my way! You have to die!"---Meanwhile, in another part of the house, Júlio was restless. Mary had disappeared, and he felt a growing knot in his stomach. H

Chapter 95The next morning, the staff—who hadn’t noticed the chaos of the previous night because of the heavy rain—found clear signs of the turmoil: furniture out of place, bloodstains drying on the floor, and the police still analyzing the scene.Dona Amélia, who had woken up with unbearable dizziness, was quickly taken to the hospital by one of the most trusted employees. After detailed tests, doctors found a substance in her blood: an extremely strong sedative."This could have killed you," the doctor said, adjusting his glasses as he reviewed the results. "Fortunately, your physical resilience was enough to withstand it."Dona Amélia was pale, still unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation."How could this have happened?" she murmured, holding her head in her hands.The doctor sighed."That’s a matter the police will need to investigate. For now, you need to rest."Meanwhile, Gabriel hurried out to retrieve the phone he had left in the car. As soon as he picked it up, he

Chapter 97Júlio woke up with a start, his eyes wide open. Her hand was still resting on his head, her fingers delicate and trembling. He leaned closer, his heart racing."Mary? Are you awake?" he asked, his voice filled with relief and emotion.She opened her eyes slowly, still looking fragile, but her gaze was full of tenderness."Júlio…" she repeated, her voice weak but enough to make his heart tighten.He held her hand between his, leaning in until their foreheads almost touched."Thank God, Mary. I was so worried…" His voice broke with emotion.Mary tried to smile, despite the visible exhaustion on her face."Were you here the whole time?"Júlio nodded, his face marked by fatigue."I couldn’t leave, Mary. Not after what happened."She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again."Letícia… She…"Júlio gently squeezed her hand, interrupting her."You don’t need to talk about that now. The police have already taken care of her, and you’re safe. That’s what matter

Chapter 99Jussara walked into the office and found Gabriel sitting at the desk, his expression serious and his body visibly tense. The image reminded her of when she first met him, when he always carried that rigid, reserved air."What is it, dear?" she asked, worried, approaching slowly.Gabriel looked up, surprised by the interruption, but quickly softened his expression, trying to hide his discomfort."It’s nothing important, my love," he replied, forcing a smile.Jussara narrowed her eyes, realizing he was trying to mask something. She crossed her arms and walked over to him, stopping beside his chair."Do you think you can fool me? I know you well enough to understand that this is not ‘nothing important.’"Gabriel sighed, running a hand over the back of his neck and looking away for a moment."I don’t want to worry you, Jussara. You just got out of the hospital. You need to rest and focus on yourself and our daughter."She gently held his face, making him look at her."I am your