All Chapters of MY FATHER'S BEST FRIEND IS MY LOVE: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Alexandre nodded. We didn't need to argue. It was clear, I wanted to stay too. I wanted him. But I knew that the consequences of that might not be undeniable."But how am I supposed to leave with this?" I asked, pulling the hem of his shirt that was now covering my body. It was too loose, but soft, smelling of him. His gaze traveled over the fabric, and his lips curved into a slight smile."I can buy you something," he replied confidently, but his eyes betrayed that the idea amused him. "But... I have to admit that this shirt looks better on you than it does on me."I laughed, following his tone. But honestly, I didn't find anything sexy about my appearance at that moment, with my hair tangled and my eyes still puffy from the night before."You'd better buy a dress similar to the one you tore yesterday," I replied teasingly, seeing him tilt his head slightly, an almost guilty gesture."And what else?" he asked, coming closer. "Can I give you anything else?"I didn't wait for an answer

I reached the entrance of the house with short, hesitant steps. I looked toward the living room, afraid. A strange feeling rushed through me. I had never had a father. And realizing it now made me straighten my back and walk like a grown woman.My mother would ask me how it went, pull me to the couch and want to know every detail. I climbed the stairs thinking about how much I missed her. But my father… that still felt so foreign.I reached for my bedroom door, my hand hesitating on the knob, when the door at the end of the hallway opened. And there he was. Wearing nothing but loose, navy-blue shorts. My heart leapt in my chest.Shirtless, a few stray hairs around his nipples, his hair a mess, like someone who’d just rolled out of bed.“Well, Sleeping Beauty finally woke up,” Heitor said, smiling kindly as he opened his arms to hug me.I was still cautious. “Dad?” I asked, as if the word itself betrayed me. He wrapped his arms around me, and in that embrace, I felt the worst emotions:

I hit the road without thinking of the consequences. Heitor had called me several times. And I... I didn’t have the courage to answer. How could I explain? How could I tell him what happened?What was going on between Mavi and me was fleeting — I knew that. But what I had sworn was eternal, my marriage to Maria Clara, had ended. And in the worst way possible. She hated me. And she had every reason to.After Laura Bocci was prepped in the resident hospital's OR, I analyzed all the exams. She needed an emergency C-section. Otherwise... she wouldn’t make it.When I returned to the room, I saw Heitor. He was there, standing, watching me. I pretended not to see him. I stepped away as the anesthesiologist began the sedation process. I watched everything from a distance, like a body present. A doctor absent.I knew I looked cold. Unapproachable. But inside, I was imploding.Heitor. Of all people.The guy who always trusted me. Who shared the dirtiest thoughts, the guilt, the fears. And me? I

— Since you’re here, I’m leaving. If anything comes up, let me know. — Heitor entered the room coldly, without even looking at me. He stood still, indifferent, outside the door. I nodded, too tired for more. — Alright.How could I face him after everything? I didn’t even know what he thought. I saw him leave. It was all too much for him — rushing to the road, spending two nights in a hospital, and now heading home, over four hundred kilometers away. I stood up from the chair and followed him.— Rest before you leave, — I asked, watching him turn to me, looking into my eyes... but he didn’t say anything. He was respecting the moment, and I knew that.The police were still in Laura’s room when I returned. She was deeply asleep but could wake up any minute. After talking to Helena and confirming that she would stay at the hospital, I left one of the officers at the door. I took Maria Vitória with me. She needed care.— And my father? — she asked as we reached the exit.— I told him to re

The moment I had been avoiding — or maybe secretly hoping for — finally arrived. I returned to the city. I returned to the hospital. I presented a decent divorce proposal to Maria Clara, trying at least to preserve the dignity that was left between us.But talking to Heitor... that seemed more and more impossible.He had traveled for a conference. Ana Liz, as far as I could tell, knew nothing. The days were passing too quickly. The routine swallowed me whole. I was away for days, and when I returned, it felt as if nothing had changed — work piled up, patients came and went, and I barely had time to breathe between surgeries.I hadn't heard much from Maria Vitória since her mother's discharge. Maybe she was avoiding me. Maybe for my own good. And me... I didn’t know what I really wanted anymore.Fifteen days. Fifteen days without a word.I wanted news from her. But if nothing was coming from there... why should I chase after it? I didn’t want to suffocate her. I didn’t want to seem dep