LOGINChapter 100Meanwhile, Luiz was sitting on the old couch in the living room, his elbows resting on his knees, staring fixedly at the cement floor."She didn’t come back…" he said in a low tone, letting out a humorless laugh. "She must be with that damn handsome cowboy. She wouldn’t spread her legs for me… but she sure did for him."His eyes turned red with rage."Bitch…"Luiz stood up abruptly and went to the kitchen. He opened the cabinet roughly and grabbed a bottle of cachaça.He took a deep breath and tilted the bottle, drinking straight from the neck, feeling the alcohol burn down his throat and into his stomach."You’ll regret it…" he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You’ll regret trading me for some young guy with a six-pack."He tipped the bottle again and took an even bigger gulp. He placed his hands on the kitchen table, breathing heavily."I’m going to ruin that pretty boy’s life. Tomorrow I’m going to the police station."He laughed again, cold and ca
Chapter 99After the veterinarian left, the corral returned to its usual silence. Robson leaned his back against a tall bale, leaving his arms crossed behind his head and his hat tossed on the ground. The afternoon sweat clung to the open shirt on his chest, but he didn’t care. His body was tired from work, but his mind… his mind was worse.He felt lonely. In a way that wasn’t only physical. Even though he was the outgoing brother, the one who laughed loudly and teased Rafael just to see his expression tighten, Robson wasn’t the kind of man who spent every night in bars or went to brothels to drown what hurt. The drinking the day before had been an exception, Luana’s fault, always Luana’s. He still couldn’t swallow the fact that she had someone else now. Someone who took her out for drives in the city, who posted pictures with her smiling as if the world were perfect. Someone who wasn’t him.Robson closed his eyes and saw her in his thoughts. The last time he had seen her without that
Chapter 98Robson pulled out a chair, sat down, and poured himself a cup of coffee."Well, brother," Robson began, blowing on the steam from the cup, "are you coming with me to the corral today? There’s a fence to fix in lot 7 and the vet arrives at ten to vaccinate the new cattle."Rafael didn’t even lift his eyes from the plate as he cut a piece of cheese."No. I’m staying here today."Robson raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slow smile."Staying here..." he repeated, glancing briefly at Pâmela. "I see."Pâmela felt a blush creep up her neck again."I have a lot to deal with here," Rafael added dryly. "And Pâmela is still recovering. I’m not leaving her alone."Robson took a long sip of coffee, his eyes gleaming with amusement over the rim of the cup."Of course. Priorities." He stood up, stretching his arms. "Then I’ll get going. Someone has to do the dirty work while the boss takes care of the farm’s... hospitality."João laughed at the brothers and disguised
Chapter 97The sound of the approaching car engine seemed to beg for mercy, gears shifting erratically."What the hell…" he muttered, rising from the chair. He narrowed his eyes against the cloud of dust rising from the dirt road.The pickup truck zigzagged dangerously. It burst through the open gate with a jolt, skidded on the gravel, and stopped with the bumper scraping against the wall, scratching the paint.Pâmela placed a hand over her chest, her heart racing."My God!"Rafael stepped out of the barbecue area, jaw tight and brow furrowed.The driver’s door opened with difficulty. A man climbed out, almost tripping over his own feet, the smell of burnt oil and alcohol spreading before he even began to speak. Three workers got out of the back seat, sweaty, stained with grease, laughing quietly."Thanks, guys," the driver said, patting their shoulders. "Without you I’d be sleeping on the roadside tonight."They waved, exchanging pats on the back, and headed toward the ranch hands’ h
Chapter 96After the commotion, the doctor returned to the room to check on Pâmela again. They repeated the tests, did a new CT scan, and assessed her vital signs.Rafael waited by her side, paying attention to every detail. Almost an hour later, the doctor came back with the chart in his hands.“The tests are normal. The concussion was mild, there’s no internal bleeding. She should rest and take pain medication. She’s cleared for discharge.”For Pâmela, being discharged could only mean one thing: danger.As soon as the doctor left, silence filled the room. She stared at her own hands.“I don’t know where to go.”The fragility in her voice squeezed Rafael’s chest. He thought for a few seconds.“We can go to the police station and file a report. Register everything. The threat, the break-in here at the hospital…”She shook her head.“He’ll kill me.”Rafael frowned.“He won’t.”“You don’t know him,” her voice began to tremble. “He has friends. He knows people. If I do that, he’ll finish
Chapter 95She was taken for examinations, the cut on her head was stitched, and they checked for possible fractures. Rafael waited outside, pacing back and forth, feeling guilt crush his chest.Almost an hour later, the doctor came out of the room."She is out of danger. She had a mild concussion and some bruises, but she’ll be fine. We just need to observe her for a few hours."Rafael felt his legs weaken with relief."Can I see her?""You can. But don’t stress her."He entered the room slowly. The young woman was lying down, her red hair spread across the white pillow. Even pale, there was something about her that held his gaze.He sat in the chair beside the bed. He stayed there, waiting, and two hours passed.Then, slowly, her eyelashes fluttered and she opened her eyes.For a few seconds, she was confused. The ceiling was not her bedroom’s. The smell was not her home’s. She frowned. She didn’t remember lying down. In fact… that was not her room.Was she dreaming?She turned her







