Ella spent hours locked in that room, unsure of how much time had passed. The only certainty she had was that Helena would not suffer for much longer at Otávio's hands; soon, her brother would be another man killed by her husband. Estéfano hadn't knocked on the door like he used to, and hunger was starting to bother her. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to leave. She knew the soldier would protect her, but she also knew that Xavier was his boss, and Estéfano's loyalty was, above all, to him.
Ella wondered whether Estéfano would defy Xavier's orders to protect her. She was immersed in these thoughts when she heard knocks on the door. Finally, the soldier returned to say it was safe to unlock the door.
But when she opened it, it wasn't Estéfano who was there.
It was Xavier, arms crossed, l
