“I hope you’re calling to tell me you have the results of the investigation I asked for.”
My brother let out a breath on the other end.
“So that’s what we’re calling the cryptic, completely out-of-nowhere message you sent ten minutes ago? An ‘investigation request’?”
“André,” I growled, and he released a long sigh.
“What is going on, Enrico? You go to Tiradentes for a Dreamland meeting, and I get a demand for the last five years of your ex’s life. That doesn’t make any sense, I—”
“I saw her,” I cut in, with zero interest in explaining myself.
André went silent.
“She’s here,” I continued, my voice flat with contained violence. “In Tiradentes. And she had the nerve to look me in the eyes and threaten me.” I took a slow breath, my control stretched razor-thin. “I want every damn detail of that woman’s life. Every mistake, every step, every debt—anything I can use to destroy her.”
On the other end, André exhaled slowly, careful with his words.
“Enrico, you need to breathe and think. I know this hits you personally, but we have to act rationally. You can’t let personal resentment interfere with your decisions.”
I laughed—sharp and ugly.
“Personal resentment? Do I need to remind you what she did?” My voice trembled at the edges, even as I fought to keep it controlled. “Do you have any idea what it would’ve cost—not only me, but all of us—if I hadn’t found out in time that she was carrying my last name?” My jaw tightened. “I warned her. I warned her to never eventhinkmy name again. And she chose to stand in my way. Then she can deal with the consequences.”
A beat of silence followed. André hesitated, choosing his words like they were glass.
“Are you sure the story is exactly what you think it is, Enrico?” he asked carefully. “Have you ever considered there might be more behind it? That maybe she isn’t exactly who you believe she is?”
My jaw locked so hard it ached. André’s suggestion didn’t calm me—it fed the fire.
“You’re defending her now?” I said, my voice turning arctic. “You, André?” I let the words hang like a threat. “Don’t waste my time—or yours—trying to soften the character of that opportunist. I already know exactly what she is. I lived it.”
“I’m saying it might be worth digging deeper before you act on impulse,” André insisted, calm. “Not everything is what it looks like at first glance. What if we investigate more than just the past five years—”
“I don’t want to hear another word,” I cut him off, brutal. “Just do what I asked. I want everything. I don’t care what you have to pay or who you have to pressure.” My voice sharpened. “And I want it fast, André. I’m not spending a second longer than necessary in a town that’s been contaminated by her presence.”
A pause. Then, resigned—
“All right, Enrico,” he said. “I’ll handle it. Immediately.”
I ended the call, angrier than before.
André usually supported my decisions without hesitation—especially on matters this personal. The fact that he’d even attempted to defend Valentina, even slightly, only fueled my fury.
Before I could fully process it, a discreet knock at the door snapped me out of the trance.
“Come in,” I bit out.
The door opened, revealing Pedro’s anxious face. My assistant looked like he’d rather be anywhere else on earth than standing in front of me.
“Mr. Ferrara, I apologize for the interruption, but the mayor has arrived. He’s here.”
“Finally.”
As if it weren’t enough that incompetence had allowed my access to city hall to be blocked—now he’d made me wait.
“I left him in the ground-floor office,” Pedro added.
I strode out with firm, controlled steps into the room Pedro indicated. The moment I opened the door, Márcio Penhaz stood to greet me.
