Chapter 1 The silence in the room was almost oppressive, broken only by the rhythmic sound of the machines and the deep breathing of the man lying in the bed. Rafael entered the room slowly, as if afraid to disturb the peace that surrounded the place. The dim morning light filtered through the half-open curtains, casting soft shadows over his father’s face. With slow steps, he approached the bed and sat beside him. His eyes, always firm when facing the world, now shimmered with the threat of tears. He reached out, lacing his fingers with his father’s, feeling the warmth still there—the only proof that he was alive. “Wake up, Dad…” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I miss you so much…” For a moment, he stayed there, observing every detail of his father’s face: the deep dark circles under his eyes, the hair longer than usual, the grown beard that had nothing to do with the impeccable image of the powerful CEO everyone knew. Rafael made a point of calling a barber every fif

Chapter 3 After hours of reading aloud, Patrícia ended up dozing off in the armchair beside the bed. She woke with a start when she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, she found Rafael standing there. For a moment, she feared he would scold her, but his expression was calm. “Go have dinner,” he said simply. “I’ll stay with my father for a while.” Patrícia sat up straighter and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself. “I need to bathe him first, sir.” “I do that every day. Today will be no different.” She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, sir.” As he watched her leave the room, Rafael sighed, running a hand through his hair. He did not doubt Patrícia’s intentions, but he did not want her taking on more than she could handle. His father was a large man, 1.85 meters tall and weighing over 100 kilos, while she seemed so small and delicate. Moving him required strength and practice, something Rafael had been doing for two years. He knew that at some poi

Chapter 5Patrícia woke with a start, her heart racing. She looked around, confused. She did not remember leaving Mr. Avelar’s side. How had she ended up in her own room?Without wasting time, she got up quickly and ran to his bedroom. Seeing him still motionless, she felt a tightness in her chest. She approached and, instinctively, ran her fingers over his, trying to sense any movement. Nothing.Frustrated, she began to gently massage his hand, as if she could encourage him to react.“Come on, Mr. Avelar… Move your fingers for me… Just a little…”But there was no response.She sighed but refused to feel discouraged. Forcing a smile, she spoke gently.“All right, maybe not today, but I know it will happen. I can feel it.”She looked around and had an idea.“I’m going to turn on the TV and put on the news for you. I bet you miss keeping up with what’s going on, don’t you?”She picked up the remote control and turned on the television, tuning it to the news channel.“Let’s see what’s ha

Chapter 7Rafael rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together, watching Patrícia intently."I know you’re here because you need the job," he began bluntly. "Your grandfather is ill, and the hospital costs are high."Patrícia felt a tightness in her chest. She hadn’t expected him to know about her situation."Yes," she replied cautiously.Rafael nodded, as if he had already expected that answer."I need you to accept a deal with me."She frowned."What kind of deal?"He took a deep breath before continuing."My father, Augusto Avelar, could wake up at any moment. But there’s someone I don’t want anywhere near him. And to make sure of that, I need you to pretend to be… his wife."The silence that followed was absolute.Patrícia blinked, thinking she had misunderstood."What?" she asked, mouth agape.Rafael kept his posture firm."I know it sounds absurd, but that woman, Estela, cannot return to my father’s life. He was close to death, and I don’t want her taking advanta

Chapter 9The day passed peacefully, and Patrícia tried to get used to her new reality. Now that she was officially Mrs. Avelar, she put away her lab coat and changed into ordinary clothes, something more comfortable.When hunger began to bother her, she went down to the kitchen to get something to eat. However, as soon as she entered, the butler saw her and immediately approached, keeping his polite and respectful tone.“Mrs. Avelar, please allow me to escort you to the dining room.”Patrícia blinked, surprised.“Oh… I was just going to grab something quick…”“With all due respect, ma’am, your position in this house is different now. The dining room is ready to receive you.”She hesitated for a moment, still feeling out of place with this sudden change in status, but soon gave in and nodded with a small smile.“All right, then. Thank you.”The butler showed the way, and Patrícia followed him. Upon entering the imposing dining room, she felt a slight chill in her stomach. The table wa