Episode 3

She draws closer to the door and recognizes Nicole and Renato's voices as they both chat and laugh. An impulse to burst in and surprise them seizes her, but she pauses when she hears them talking about her.

Nicole: "Can you believe she called me to help with her wedding preparations? Haha."

Renato: "Once I get my hands on her father's land, I'll find a way to get out of this marriage, and then we can be together."

Nicole: "I expect a very nice gift because watching you marry her won't be easy. I need something to cheer me up."

Renato: "Of course, my love, anything you want."

Nicole: "I don't know how you can sleep with her. Alessandra is so bland."

Renato: "It's a sacrifice I must make to get what I want, but don’t worry, it’s been over a month since we’ve been together."

Alessandra overhears the whole conversation and is paralyzed: her fiance and her best friend are lovers, and he is only pursuing this marriage for her father’s land. She finally regains her composure and leaves quietly, asking the reception girls not to mention her presence. She gets into her car and drives off aimlessly, trying to process all that she has heard.

In a car not too far away,

David: "So, how are you feeling?"

Guilherme: "I'm fine."

David: "I know that's not true. I know you well enough to see you're hurting about your brother marrying Barbara."

Guilherme: "She chose him, knowing my father doesn’t see me as his successor in the company. He thinks I'm not capable of running the business, always sidelining me. It seems like Gustavo is his only son."

David: "But we both know what you're capable of. Are you aware of the discovery you’ve made? You're going to make a fortune, and our company is going to be one of the biggest in the market."

Guilherme: "No matter what I do, my father will never acknowledge my worth. I always topped my class, skipped grades because I was ahead, but none of that mattered to him. Gustavo, however, just had to participate in school sports, and there he’d be, cheering on the 'perfect son'."

David: "One day he'll see your worth."

Guilherme: "Barbara shouldn’t have done this to me."

David: "She wasn’t the only one to blame; your brother knew you were dating and still pursued her."

Guilherme: "He's always been like this. Whatever or whoever I'm interested in, he swoops in and takes it from me. He didn’t even want to take over the company. It was only after I started studying business administration that he did too."

David: "But he had to retake some courses while you excelled. I don't even know why you pursued business since your father clearly wants Gustavo as his successor. I think you should focus on chemical engineering—your work is already approved by ANVISA. Man, you developed a revolutionary treatment at twenty-four. Can you grasp the magnitude of your achievement? I just don’t understand why you haven't told your family; I would've put up billboards all over town."

Guilherme: "It's not the right time for them to know. I’ll just wrap up this work for my father's company and then concentrate on our business."

David: "That’s the spirit! With your talent, we'll be the youngest billionaires around before you hit thirty. I can't wait to see the girls who wouldn't give us the time of day. I’ll have no interest in those who are just after money."

Guilherme: "Then you'll end up alone, because all women are like that, approaching you for some reason or another."

David: "I don’t believe that. There are decent women out there. Just because Barbara betrayed you when she found out your brother was the successor doesn’t mean all women are the same."

Guilherme: "Let's change the subject. We're almost at the hotel; tomorrow I have a meeting."

David: "What are you even doing here and why drag me along?"

Guilherme: "My father wants to invest in mining and asked me to entertain a proposal from someone with land rich in iron ore. And I brought you for the company."

They arrive at the hotel.

Upon their arrival, the receptionist greets Guilherme and David with a friendly smile. She informs Guilherme that his room is number nine but cautions him about the room numbers being upside down, which can be confusing.

With patience and attention to detail, she explains to Guilherme exactly where his room is located, pointing him in the correct direction.

Receptionist: "Your room is number nine, but pay close attention. The numbers are inverted and might look like a six at first glance. It’s down the left corridor, past the elevator. It's the third room from the white door with the 'No Smoking' sign."

Guilherme thanks the receptionist for her detailed directions, as David pays careful attention to avoid any confusion. With the clear instructions in mind, they make their way down the corridor to find room number nine.

David: "Mine is number seven. I'll take a shower and rest. It's been a long journey."

Guilherme: "I'm going to take a shower too. The meeting isn't until tomorrow; there’s plenty of time to relax."

He feels relieved as he enters his room, finding everything clean and orderly, despite the hotel's simplicity. Still upset over his brother and ex-girlfriend's double betrayal, he showers.

Meanwhile, after driving around for a long time, Alessandra decides to check into the same hotel. She isn't ready to face her family and explain that the wedding is off.

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