Chapter 11The next day, Gabriel arrived at the company at dawn, determined to better understand Jussara’s situation. He knew the telemarketing department operated 24 hours a day, so he wanted to make sure he was around as soon as she arrived. Taking advantage of the morning silence, he got ahead on some documents and organized his desk, trying to distract his mind from what truly troubled him.When his secretary walked in, she was so used to finding the office empty at that hour that she let out a small cry of surprise when she saw him there.“Mr. Gabriel! I’m sorry, you startled me,” she said, placing a hand over her chest as she turned on the computers at the desk beside him.He gave a brief smile, trying to ease the tension in the air.“It’s all right. I came in early to take care of a few pending matters.”She nodded, though she was curious about his presence so early. Gabriel returned to his work, but deep down, he was waiting for the right moment to check whether Jussara was in

Chapter 13In the days that followed, Gabriel seemed like nothing more than a shadow of the man he once was. Each day, his mother noticed the tired, distant look on her son’s face, and her concern began to grow. During dinner, she finally decided to bring it up. They were sitting in silence, with only the sound of cutlery filling the room, until she looked at him tenderly and said:"Son, why are you so sad, my love?"Gabriel tried to brush it off, lowering his gaze to his plate and pushing the food around with his fork."Oh, Mom, I’m just… dealing with a few work worries, nothing serious."But she knew he was hiding something deeper, something that was tormenting him."If it’s about Jussara, go after her," she insisted gently. "You’re a millionaire, Gabriel. You can hire whoever you need to find her. Someone can locate her for you."He lifted his gaze, surprised by his mother’s insight. Her eyes were full of understanding and affection, as if she knew exactly what he was feeling, even

Chapter 15Gabriel sighed, feeling the weight of frustration on his shoulders. It had been almost two months since he had started looking for Jussara, but she seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. That woman truly did not want to be found, and although his hope was fading more each day, he did not want to give up. He felt that he needed, at the very least, to try to see her one last time and, if possible, explain everything. Deep down, he still held the illusion that he could fix what he had done.While he was lost in his thoughts, the office door opened with a hesitant knock. It was his son, Marcos, who entered carrying a stack of documents."Dad, here are the papers for you to sign," Marcos said, seeming slightly nervous, which caught Gabriel’s attention.Gabriel glanced at the documents for only a few seconds before signing them, his mind still elsewhere. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the relieved and excited smile on his son’s face as he signed, but he did

Chapter 17Jussara followed him to the inn, her heart racing and her mind still confused and surprised at the same time. As soon as they went in and the reception cleared them, they headed to the room. She was still trying to understand what he really wanted by bringing her there. Maybe it was just to talk in a more private place, away from the curious eyes of the small town.“Gabriel…” she called as he opened the door to the room. “How long have you been staying here?”He stepped inside and looked at her, his face serious, but his eyes revealed an intense anxiety that was consuming him.“I arrived not long ago,” he replied, closing the door behind them.She watched him, growing increasingly uneasy with his silence.“How did you find out where I was?” she asked, curious.He stepped closer, cupping her face in his hands and staring at her intensely.“We’ll talk about that later. Now,” he said in a firm, decisive tone as he pulled off his shirt, kicked off his shoes, and took off his pa

Chapter 19From a distance, Mr. Mendes, the owner of the ranch, watched them with an understanding look. Beside him, Otávio observed the scene in silence."It seems I’ve lost my best employee…" Mr. Mendes commented with a sigh."It looks like it, sir," Otávio agreed. "Mr. Monteiro is a millionaire. I remember seeing his photo in the news."Mr. Mendes cast a curious glance at Otávio, then looked back at the couple embracing and slowly nodded."So he really is in love," he reflected aloud. "With the money you say he has, he could have countless women. And yet, he came after her.""True, sir. Not just anyone leaves everything behind to come all this way for love."Mr. Mendes smiled faintly, approving of the relationship unfolding before him. With a gesture toward Otávio, he gave him a message."Let Jussara know that, when she has time, I’d like to see her. I have a few words to share before she leaves."Otávio nodded and approached Gabriel and Jussara with a respectful smile."Jussara, M