The morning rush at Café Montanha had just begun to taper off when Neilton burst in through the front door, breathless and disheveled.“Sorry I’m late, Rod,” he said, trying to catch his breath.Rodrigo waved it off. “No worries, Neil. Just take care of the guy at the counter,” he added, gesturing subtly toward Jason.As Neilton moved behind the counter, he caught sight of the imposing man waiting there. The aura around him was enough to make anyone tense.“I’m Attorney Meyer,” the man said, his voice calm, deliberate. “And no, I don’t belong to the famed Damascene law firm.”Henrique, seated nearby, raised an eyebrow. “Do you think you can save your client?”Jason didn’t flinch. “Of course. He told me who actually ran over Mr. Simeon Campos.”Neilton blinked, stunned. “But... you can’t say that, right?”Jason’s mouth curved into a half-smile. “I’m just waiting for the right time.”Rodrigo placed a cappuccino on the counter. Jason took a sip, nodded approvingly, and said nothing more.

The smell of chamomile filled the living room when Eugenio stepped into the Cogo apartment that morning. Suzy sat curled up on the couch, cradling what had to be her third cup of tea, her eyes glassy and her expression theatrically miserable.“I hope you’re not drowning yourself in calming tea,” Eugenio said, leaning against the doorway.Suzy shot him a look of exaggerated despair. “My nerves are on fire, Uncle!”He sighed. He had dealt with his niece’s dramatics before, but this time felt different. He could tell that whatever she was spiraling over was going to take real patience.“Listen, Suzy,” he began carefully. “Josias Rocha spoke to me.”“And what does that have to do with me?” she asked, too quickly.Eugenio took a breath. “He’s made it very clear he doesn’t want you returning to the Rocha Hotel.”Her jaw dropped. “Fine. I don’t need a steady job anyway.”“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he said, crossing his arms. “Josias thinks it’d be best for all of us to leave the city.”Suzy fr