Chapter 71Patrícia stared at the images on her phone, stunned. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Her stomach churned, a bitter taste rising in her throat. She felt disgust. Disgust toward the man she had married. She had suspected it… Augusto had never gotten over Estela.“If she’s the one you want… then she’s the one you’ll have,” she murmured, her voice thick with disappointment.With trembling hands, she took off her wedding ring and left it on the coffee table. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote only one sentence: “I want a divorce.” Nothing else. No explanations. No goodbyes.She went upstairs, grabbed her purse, and left the house without looking back. Outside, the cold wind cut across her face, but she didn’t stop. She walked to the bus stop and boarded the first bus that came along. The destination didn’t matter. She just wanted to leave. To get away.The bus continued down the avenue, heading in the opposite direction of the limousine approaching the mansion.

Chapter 73Nine hours later, Patrícia got off at the Belo Horizonte bus terminal, in Minas Gerais. Her body ached from the long journey, and exhaustion weighed on her—but not as heavily as the anguish lodged in her chest.She entered the terminal almost silently, heading straight for the restroom. She needed to wash her face, to breathe. Even without an appetite, she knew she had to eat something—not for herself, but for the tiny hearts beating inside her.In front of the mirror, she splashed water on her face, took a deep breath, and rested both hands on the sink. Her eyes were swollen. The ultrasound came back to her like a bittersweet whisper—the two tiny dots blinking on the screen. Twins. She remembered Letícia swearing not to tell Augusto. She had wanted to tell him. She wanted him to hear it from her. But now… now everything felt so distant.She lifted her gaze and gently touched her belly."I will take care of both of you. Don’t worry. Mommy isn’t afraid of hard work. I’ll giv

Chapter 75Augusto watched the landscape pass by through the window of the private jet, but his thoughts were miles away. As soon as he boarded for the return to São Paulo, he opened the new phone, now with his old number reactivated. The first thing he did was write to Patrícia."Patrícia, please answer me. Where are you?"He waited a few minutes. No reply. He tried again."I need to hear your voice, to know that you’re okay…"More silence.With his eyes fixed on the screen, he typed another message."For God’s sake, I need to know if you’re okay."His heart clenched painfully in his chest. The pain of Patrícia’s absence seemed to grow with every kilometer that carried him back home—a home that no longer made any sense without her.He tried to call."This number is not accepting calls at the moment."He tried again. The same cold, automatic message.Augusto let the phone slip from his hands, feeling a mix of frustration, anger, and despair. He ran his hands through his hair, taking a

Chapter 77Almost a month had passed, and Augusto was on the verge of a breakdown. He stormed into his son’s office like a hurricane, his eyes blazing."Your detective must be hibernating if he still hasn’t found Patrícia!"Rafael raised an eyebrow, trying to stay calm in the face of his father’s fury."Calm down, Dad…""Calm down?" Augusto repeated with a bitter laugh. "I’m furious!""I’ll call him right now, put some pressure on him. Maybe he has something…""No, Rafael. Hire another one. Someone competent. I want answers yesterday!""Of course, Dad. I’ll take care of it."Without waiting for anything else, Augusto turned on his heel and left the room with the same intensity with which he had entered. The door slammed behind him, echoing through the office. In the elevator, he pressed the ground-floor button and glanced at his watch, the hands seeming to mock his anxiety.As soon as the elevator doors opened, he hurried through the company lobby. That was when he saw her. Estela. Sh

Chapter 79Augusto arrived at the airport like a lightning bolt, his carry-on swinging as he crossed the terminal in long strides. His heart beat to the rhythm of urgency and hope. He couldn’t waste any more time, not now that he knew where she was.He went straight to the private hangar, where his jet was already waiting with the engines prepared. As soon as he got inside, he tossed his coat onto the seat and sat down, restless. He looked out the window and huffed impatiently; lightning streaked across the sky like fiery whips, and rain pounded hard against the fuselage.A short while later, the pilot entered the cabin and approached with a tense expression."Mr. Augusto… unfortunately, we can’t take off right now. The storm is too strong, and the tower hasn’t cleared any flights."Augusto stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing."I’m not leaving this plane," he said firmly, with determination. "I’ll only set foot outside when we’re on Minas Gerais soil. Do you understand?"The pilot hes