“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 São 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 São 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, naïvely believing Eloá wanted what was best for me.
Now, I saw every nuance of her emotional control clearly.
