Chapter 8 - THE MOTEL
Luisa survived.
Sedatives.
Alcohol.
No lasting damage.
When she woke, she was terrified.
She refused to speak until police promised protective custody.
Then everything came out.
Samantha had orchestrated the fake security video.
The forged screenshots.
The side agreement.
The attack on Bernardo’s reputation.
Eduardo knew about some of it.
Not all.
He cared mainly about saving Vale Development.
Samantha cared about Heitor.
Not love exactly.
Possession.
Status.
The wedding represented survival.
Luisa said Samantha once told her.
“If I lose Heitor, I go back to being Eduardo Vale’s daughter with debt.”
“With him, I become untouchable.”
Aline heard that from Mariana.
She felt no satisfaction.
Just tired.
Heitor felt something else.
Shame.
He had enjoyed being needed by Samantha.
He had mistaken dependence for intimacy.
Bernardo’s account fraud unraveled.
The money had been routed through a shell company linked to Vale Development’s treasury team.
Bernardo was cleared.
He returned to work.
His first act was to recommend Vale Development enter supervised restructuring.
The committee approved.
Eduardo lost control of the company.
Payroll was protected.
Projects were sold.
Workers kept jobs under new management.
Eduardo called Heitor a traitor in the courthouse hallway.
Heitor answered.
“You borrowed money.”
“You lied.”
“You defaulted.”
“That’s not betrayal.”
“That’s math.”
Then Eduardo punched him.
Cameras caught it.
Heitor stumbled.
Bernardo grabbed Eduardo before security did.
For one ridiculous second, all three men stood tangled near a metal detector while reporters shouted.
Aline saw the clip later.
She laughed.
Then felt guilty.
Then laughed again.
Human.
Samantha was charged with fraud, witness tampering, and obstruction.
Her civil lawsuit against Aline was dismissed.
But before the criminal arraignment, Samantha requested a private meeting with Aline.
Aline refused.
Samantha sent a letter instead.
ONE CONVERSATION.
THEN I WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE.
Mariana said.
“Absolutely not.”
Aline agreed.
Then changed her mind.
“Why?”
“I want to hear what she thinks she can still say.”
They met through glass at a detention facility.
Samantha looked smaller.
No makeup.
No silk.
Still Samantha.
She picked up the phone.
“You won.”
Aline shook her head.
“I lost six months of my life.”
“You got Heitor.”
“No.”
Samantha smiled.
“You think he doesn’t love you?”
Aline said nothing.
Samantha leaned closer.
“He does.”
“That’s why you should ask him about Rosa Albuquerque.”
Aline frowned.
“Who?”
Samantha’s smile returned.
“His first fiancée.”
Then she hung up.
Heitor had never told Aline he had been engaged before.
May you like
And Rosa Albuquerque had died seven years earlier.
