Chapter 68
SIXTY-EIGHT
ENRICO FERRARA
I spent a few minutes watching Valentina sleep. She had fallen into a deep sleep, emotionally exhausted after everything that had happened over the past few hours.
I gently stroked her hair, silently promising that I would do everything within my power to put an end to that absurd situation once and for all.
Clara had spent the night at Júlia’s and wouldn’t be coming back home until we called and asked Valentina’s friend to bring her over. It was midmorning, and I had no intention of doing that yet.
Carefully, I got out of bed so I wouldn’t wake Valentina, grabbed my phone, and walked toward the home office. The quiet hallway and the dim light filtering through the window were my only company. Valentina had started giving all the staff Sundays off.
The clock showed just after nine in the morning when I sat at the desk and opened my laptop, determined to act immediately.
My first call was to Gabriel, the other lawyer who handled my personal matters alongside André. My brother needed a break, and I knew Gabriel would already be awake—he was the kind of man who started his day early and often worked late, especially in critical situations like this one.
“Henrique?” I asked as soon as he answered, getting straight to the point. “I need you to come here with the legal team as soon as possible. We have a serious problem.”
“I figured you’d say that. I’ve already gathered everyone, and we’ll be at the airport in an hour. We should reach you around noon. I saw the news. Do you have any idea what happened?”
“No,” I replied. “And that’s exactly what we need to find out.”
He sighed heavily on the other end of the line.
“Alright. I’ve already started preparing for a possible defamation and slander lawsuit, and I’m adding a few investigators to the team I’m bringing.”
“Good. Thank you, Henrique. I’ll be waiting here.”
After hanging up, I made another call—this time to Fábio, the head of the security team I’d recently hired after the latest incidents. He answered immediately, always alert.
“Good morning, Mr. Ferrara. How can I help?”
“I need you at my house this morning. I want your team to start investigating Marcos Albuquerque immediately. I want everything you can find—personal history, financial transactions, professional and personal connections. I want concrete proof of any link between him and Eloá Ferrara.”
He didn’t hesitate.
“Understood. I’ll activate our best private investigator. I’ll be there in about forty minutes so we can go over the details.”
“Perfect, Fábio. I’ll see you here.”
Next, I called my head of press relations, Marília Moreira, who answered almost instantly.
“Good morning, Enrico. I’m following the news. I assume you want to talk about the press situation?”
“Exactly. I need you to gather your team and prepare a clear strategy immediately. I want detailed official statements denying these allegations—without sounding desperate. We’re going to present a united, calm, but firm front. Understood?”
“Perfectly. How soon can you meet with us?”
I glanced at my watch.
“In an hour, here at the house. I need time to take care of a few things first.”
“Alright. We’ll be there.”
Once the calls were done, I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my face. Fatigue tried to take over—I’d spent the entire night intoxicated with Valentina, believing we would fall into an exhausted sleep by morning.
But my determination to resolve this was stronger than any tiredness.
I needed to act quickly, yes—but with efficiency and composure, to make sure nothing slipped through our fingers this time.
An hour later, Marília arrived. We aligned on what needed to be done, and at twelve twenty, as she was leaving, Gabriel arrived with two other lawyers from the legal team and two investigators.
A few minutes later, Fábio arrived as well, carrying preliminary documents he’d already managed to obtain.
We gathered in the large meeting room of the house—a space rarely used, but perfect that day for the urgency and importance of what was at stake. I sat at the head of the table, watching my people take their seats, ready to work.
“Alright, gentlemen. Let’s begin.”
***
The jet took off just after seven on Monday morning, cutting through the sky toward S?o Paulo.
As I watched the clouds through the aircraft window, my stomach churned with a dense mix of anger, anxiety, and determination. Part of it came from being forced to leave my family—even if only for a few hours.
I’d barely slept, spending most of the night on the phone with Gabriel and Fábio, reviewing every detail uncovered by the initial investigation.
Even with my team working at full speed since the day before, we knew that solid, definitive results would take more time to fully uncover.
Still, the early findings were already enough to give me the confidence I needed to confront Eloá personally. The final proof would come in time—but that first step couldn’t wait.
“Are you alright?” Gabriel asked, seated beside me on the private jet, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I took a deep breath and looked at him honestly.
“No. But I will be—once we’re done with this.”
He nodded slowly, fully aware of the weight of the visit I was about to make.
“You’re right about the approach, Enrico.”
I nodded in silence, mentally replaying everything Fábio had revealed during the early hours of the morning. The investigators had traced substantial deposits made recently to Marcos Albuquerque through a shell company registered under third-party names.
One of that company’s bank accounts had been opened at the same law firm frequently used by Eloá. We didn’t yet have definitive proof directly tying her signature to the transactions—but the trail, combined with what I knew about my grandmother, was already clear enough.
In addition, surveillance footage obtained by the investigators showed Marcos entering and leaving Eloá’s personal office in S?o Paulo just three days before the press conference. The timing and frequency of the visits were impossible to ignore.
“The team needs to keep digging,” I said firmly. “We need the definitive link between Eloá and those transactions. A signature, a recording—anything concrete. We have enough to pressure her, but I want more.”
“They’re working on it,” Gabriel replied. “These things require caution—especially considering who we’re dealing with.”
“I know. Just make sure no one stops until we have everything,” I reinforced. “Eloá can’t have any room to deny a single thing this time.”
“You can count on it,” he said without hesitation. “They’ve been instructed to keep the investigation active until we have definitive material in hand.”
When we landed in S?o Paulo around eight thirty, a car with a driver was already waiting.
The drive to Eloá’s mansion was silent. I used the time to rehearse what I would say to my grandmother. The city passed outside, indifferent to the storm building inside me.
When we arrived, Gabriel gave me one last steady look.
“I’m here to back you up. If you need me to step in, just signal.”
I nodded slightly, making it clear this had to be handled directly by me.
I entered Eloá’s house with determined steps. One of the guards recognized me and didn’t even attempt to stop me, simply pointing me toward the room where she was.
I walked in without ceremony, opening the door calmly but without announcing myself.
Eloá was seated in her usual armchair, a cup of coffee in hand. She looked up when she noticed me, her eyes showing only mild interest.
“Enrico? What a surprise—so early, and without warning.”
I closed the door behind me with a firm sound, making it clear this was not a friendly visit.
“I’m sure it’s no surprise at all, Eloá. You know exactly why I’m here. In fact, I’m almost certain you were expecting me.”
She frowned slightly, donning her well-practiced mask of innocence. She took a slow breath, delicately setting her cup down before lifting a condescending gaze toward me.
“My dear, I can’t say I expected you this soon, but I’m glad you’re here. I know you must be suffering after the public humiliation that woman caused you. I’m truly sorry.”
She spoke each word with calculated softness, almost as if she genuinely believed her own lie. My stomach clenched, but I forced myself to remain still, my expression unreadable as I waited for her performance to continue.
“I know we’ve had our differences lately, Enrico.
And I know I made mistakes trying to warn you about the kind of woman you brought into our family.
Perhaps I was too harsh in my attempt to protect you.
But everything I did, I did out of love.
I hope now you can finally see what I tried to show you from the beginning. ”
I crossed my arms, watching her calmly, letting her talk. The more she spoke, the more exposed her manipulation became.
Eloá continued, apparently convinced that my silence meant she was finally getting through to me.
“You need to understand, my grandson, that some people simply don’t belong in our world.
They pretend, they manipulate, and sooner or later they reveal their true nature.
I regret that you had to learn this the hard way.
But look at the bright side—you’re free of her now.
I’m here to support you as you recover. We can finally put all this behind us, don’t you think?
Just the two of us—and your daughter, of course.
We’ll need to keep an eye on her to make sure her mother’s poisonous nature doesn’t take root in her, but Clara is your daughter too.
With the right upbringing, she’ll flourish. ”
Controlled fury simmered beneath my skin. For years, I’d fallen for that manipulative rhetoric, na?vely believing Eloá wanted what was best for me.
Now, I saw every nuance of her emotional control clearly.
I took a deep breath, ensuring my voice came out low and steady.