Chapter 91Night fell peacefully over Fazenda Avelar do Sol Nascente, and Augusto, in a good mood about how things were going, made a point of inviting Júnior and the helicopter pilot to spend the night there. The house was spacious, with guest rooms ready, and the living room fireplace was already lit, creating a cozy atmosphere. After Dona Iraci’s hearty dinner, the men settled in with a glass of wine and light conversation, while Patrícia prepared a hot bath before turning in.But tranquility did not extend to every corner of the Avelar world.A few hours away, in a beach house forgotten by time, the detective hired by Rafael finally found a valuable clue. After weeks following Estela’s nearly invisible trail, he managed to deceive an old employee of her family by posing as a real estate appraiser. That gave him access to the inside of the house, and there, among old papers and personal belongings, he found a locked box at the back of a built-in closet. The padlock was fragile, and

Chapter 93Augusto sat at the dining room table with the envelope in his hands. The house was silent, except for Júnior’s hurried footsteps as he spoke on the phone with the doctor and the distant sounds of the first animals waking up on the farm.With trembling hands, he carefully opened the envelope. The paper was folded into four parts and carried the lingering scent of a sweet, unmistakably feminine perfume.He unfolded the sheet slowly, as if each movement weighed a ton.“Dear Augusto,” began Estela’s delicate, rounded handwriting.“If you are reading this, it means the truth has finally come to light, and perhaps, somehow, I may still find forgiveness, even if I do not deserve it.”Augusto took a deep breath and continued.“I was pregnant. But the child was not yours. It was a mistake, a lapse I regretted every single day… I planned to hide it forever. But punishment came swiftly: I lost the baby alone, in a silent dawn at that beach house. But what I did afterward… was far wors

Chapter 95With every floor the elevator descended, the image of Estela falling replayed in his mind like a nightmare. The sound of her body hitting the ground still hammered in his ears.When he reached the lobby, time seemed to slow down.A few people were there, shocked and frozen. The night-shift receptionist was holding the phone with trembling hands, her voice breaking as she spoke to emergency services.“Yes… she fell… I think she’s dead. We’re at the Avelar Building, Business Center. Please send someone quickly!”Augusto crossed the lobby like a bolt of lightning. When he saw Estela’s body sprawled on the floor, her empty eyes staring at nothing, he felt a knot tighten in his throat.“Estela…” he murmured, kneeling beside her, unable to look away from the scene. The red dress was now soaked, not only with blood, but with all the pain she had carried and caused.The ambulance arrived in less than ten minutes, red lights cutting through the darkness of the night. Soon after, the

Chapter 97More than two months had passed since Estela’s tragic death, and the trial that had been postponed was finally beginning. The courtroom was packed. On one side, the Avelar family was gathered: Augusto with a firm expression, Patrícia sitting beside him, discreetly holding his hand, and Rafael with tense, attentive eyes. On the other side, Estela’s father, his face closed off, wearing a dark suit, radiating grief and anger.The judge entered, followed by the prosecutor and the defense attorney. After the initial proceedings, the first to testify was Estela’s father.He walked to the podium with slow, heavy steps, and when he began to speak, his voice was loaded with emotion and rage.“Augusto Avelar killed my daughter. He pushed her. He had motives, he felt hatred. She was intense, yes, but she was my little girl. And this man destroyed our family!”A murmur ran through the audience. Patrícia closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of the pain and injustice in that

Chapter 99Five years later…The morning began lazily on the veranda of the big house, the smell of fresh coffee blending with the soft scent of the garden flowers. Patrícia was cutting slices of cake for the children’s snack while her mother, sitting in the rocking chair nearby, watched the yard with a serene smile on her face.“Did I tell you about your sister?” her mother asked. Patrícia shook her head. “She left everything behind and went off to Italy with that rich guy. Didn’t even say a proper goodbye.”Patrícia laughed with a touch of irony.“Rich guy… who, by coincidence, was Estela’s father. Life really has these twists, Mom.”“I still can’t believe it. That girl always said she didn’t care about rich men, that she wanted true love… One visa and a European passport later, and she forgot everything.”“She went for luxury, Mom. But I’m not sure she’ll find peace. That man… well, Estela was who she was. And he… apparently, learned nothing.”Her mother sighed, looking up at the s