Chapter 9

The 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 was perfectly set, and the refined china made it clear that the meal was not just a necessity, but a ritual of elegance in that house.

She sat down and, before even touching the cutlery, took a deep breath.

“Mrs. Avelar…” she murmured to herself, still trying to get used to that reality.

After having lunch alone, Patrícia quickly returned to the bedroom. The weight of the previous day’s events still rested on her shoulders, and exhaustion took over. She lay down on the bed, planning to take just a short nap, but her body had other plans. Sleep enveloped her completely, and without realizing it, she slept through the rest of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bed, a small movement happened.

Augusto sighed softly, the first audible sound in a long time, and his head moved slightly, tilting toward Patrícia’s face.

Patrícia woke with a start, her heart racing in fright when she found Augusto’s face so close to hers.

“He’s really still sleeping…” she thought, relieved and at the same time uneasy.

Before she could continue her thoughts, a sound from outside caught her attention. A woman’s screams echoed through the mansion, filled with impatience and desperation.

Without hesitation, she quickly got up and went down the stairs, heading to the door to see what was happening.

“Let me in! I need to see my man!” the woman shouted, trying to break free from the butler who was blocking her entry.

Patrícia stepped forward, positioning herself in front of her with a firm look.

“What do you want here?” she asked, studying the stranger.

The woman looked her up and down, her face filled with confusion and disbelief.

“Who are you? Rafael’s girlfriend?”

Patrícia lifted her chin slightly before answering firmly.

“No. I am Augusto Avelar’s wife.”

Silence fell between them. The woman’s expression turned to shock and disbelief, her eyes widening as if she had just heard something impossible.

She froze, as if Patrícia had just said the most absurd thing in the world. Her wide eyes swept over her again, assessing her with anger.

“You’re lying!” she said, her voice faltering for a second before steadying again. “Augusto would never get married without telling me!”

Patrícia kept her posture firm, crossing her arms.

“I’m sorry if this comes as a surprise, but it’s the truth. I am Patrícia Avelar, Augusto’s lawful wife.”

The woman frowned, her expression hardening.

“Is this some kind of scam? Because I know very well that Augusto Avelar was in a coma until yesterday!”

“And he still is,” Patrícia replied, unfazed. “But I am his wife, and as such, I will not allow anyone to enter this house without permission.”

The woman took a step forward, clearly irritated.

“You think you can stop me? I am Estela!”

The name set off an alarm in Patrícia’s mind. Rafael had mentioned this woman before, the reason he had devised that whole marriage plan.

“If that’s the case, then you should know that you have nothing more to do with him,” Patrícia replied, gripping the doorknob.

“You think you can erase me from his life that easily?” Estela narrowed her eyes, a mocking smile curving her lips. “Let’s see what Augusto has to say when he wakes up.”

Patrícia held her gaze for a moment and, without another word, shut the door in her face. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest.

She knew that wasn’t the end. Estela would be back. And when Augusto woke up, he would need to know the whole truth.

That night, during dinner, Patrícia decided it was time to tell Rafael everything.

She sat at the table. The butler served the meal, and silence settled for a few moments as Rafael tasted the food.

“You’re unusually quiet,” he commented, watching her closely.

Patrícia sighed, placing her cutlery on the plate.

“Estela showed up at the mansion door this afternoon.”

Rafael stopped eating immediately, his gaze sharpening.

“What? What did she want?”

“To come in. She said she needed to see ‘her man,’” Patrícia replied, mimicking the woman’s tone with disdain.

Rafael let out a short, humorless laugh.

“That’s typical of her. She always thought she had some claim over my father, even after everything.”

Patrícia nodded, remembering the anger in Estela’s voice.

“She didn’t believe me when I said I’m Augusto’s wife. She thought it was some kind of scam.”

“And what did you do?” he asked, resting his elbows on the table.

“I slammed the door in her face.”

A small smile formed on Rafael’s lips.

“Good choice. But that means she’ll be back.”

“I know,” Patrícia murmured, running a hand through her hair. “And when Augusto wakes up, she’ll do everything she can to poison his mind against me.”

Rafael narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful.

“Leave Estela to me. I know exactly how to deal with her.”

“I just hope he doesn’t have feelings for her when he wakes up…”

Rafael let out a heavy sigh.

“Patrícia, my father isn’t stupid. He may have been charmed by Estela in the past, but he distanced himself for a reason. And now, married to you, he’ll have to face a new reality.”

She bit her lip, still uneasy.

“I just want to know how he’s going to react to all of this…”

Rafael gave a half smile.

“That’s something we’ll only find out when he wakes up. Until then, stay strong. You are Mrs. Avelar now. And Estela is going to have to swallow that.”

Patrícia took a deep breath, absorbing his words. Rafael was right. She needed to stand firm.

And above all, she needed to be prepared for the moment when Augusto opened his eyes.