My Father's Protégée

The First Night

Clara

The Ferraz mansion gleamed under golden lights that looked like they belonged in a dream far too expensive for someone like me. From the garden came laughter, toasts, and the refined clinking of crystal glasses. It was one of those parties you only see in magazines or soap operas, yet there I was, trying to look like I belonged among politicians, businessmen, and women who walked in heels like they were floating.

I clutched the silver necklace I’d inherited from my mother. I always do that when I’m nervous. The heels I’d borrowed from my godmother felt like they were conspiring against me, and the black dress, though elegant, seemed to scream that I didn’t belong in that world.

“Breathe, sweetheart,” Teresa whispered, gently fixing the collar of my dress. Her gaze held both pride and concern. “You’ve already won over Roberto. Now just don’t spill wine on anyone.”

Won over Roberto… That was an exaggeration. He had been kind to me, yes, and said, “Teresa always recommends the best.” But that was it. Now, his wife… Viviane Ferraz looked like she’d stepped out of a twisted fairytale. Beautiful? Yes. Elegant? Absolutely. But her eyes, sharp, piercing—analyzed everything as if the world were always beneath her.

When she greeted me, her cold fingers wrapped around mine with a venomous smile.

“How sweet,” she said, throwing a glance at her husband. “Let’s hope you’re as efficient as… your predecessor.”

I swallowed hard. I tried to smile, but a tension settled in my shoulders and hasn’t left since.

The truth was, that night was important. I was celebrating my new job as Roberto Ferraz’s secretary, the most powerful man in Ferranópolis, and I’d gotten the position thanks to the woman I admire most in the world: my godmother, Teresa.

“To a brilliant future,” she said, raising her glass.

I accepted the first glass of champagne with a smile. The second, feeling a bit more at ease. But soon everything around me started to look... more golden. The sound grew louder, people’s laughter more intense, and my cheeks flushed warm.

“Go get some air, sweetheart. You’re too flushed,” Teresa said with a smile. “Use the back terrace. The one opposite the garden.”

I quickly agreed with the suggestion and left. The sound of my heels echoed too loudly on the marble floors. When I opened the glass door to the terrace, I was met with a soft breeze. I leaned against the railing and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to regain my balance.

“Waiting for Prince Charming, or trying to escape your own story?”

I opened my eyes suddenly. The shock twisted my stomach. I turned slowly, recognizing that voice even before I saw who it was.

Theo Ferraz.

Leaning against a column, a glass of whiskey in hand, and a crooked smile on his lips, he watched me like someone entertained by another’s stumble.

“Sorry, I didn’t see anyone here,” I said, trying to sound composed, even as the heat rose to my face.

“Strange. People always notice when there’s a Ferraz nearby.”

The urge to roll my eyes was strong, but I held it in.

“I just needed some air,” I murmured.

He tilted his head, as if studying me. He wore a white shirt, partially unbuttoned at the chest, with the sleeves rolled up to reveal tanned forearms. I felt dizzier than before, and this time it wasn’t just the wine.

“Air? People usually sneak out of this party for... more interesting reasons.”

“Like what?”

I didn’t know why I asked. Maybe because my filter was already slipping.

“Boredom. An existential crisis. Or to hook up in the bathrooms,” he answered, casually.

Then, without warning, he moved closer, and suddenly I was surrounded by his scent: wood, tobacco, and something sweet. I laughed, unintentionally, bringing my hand to my mouth.

“You’re as cynical as…”

“As?” he asked, now dangerously close.

“As someone who was born with everything could be.”

He let out a low laugh, almost a purr.

“You judge quickly, princess.”

“I’m not a princess.”

“But it suits you,” he said, leaning against the railing beside me, our shoulders nearly touching. “So, what’s your excuse for being here? Lost relative? Friend of someone’s daughter?”

I hesitated. Teresa had asked me not to mention the job until the official announcement the next day.

“My godmother brought me.”

“Ah… the famous godmother. Must be someone important, then.”

“She is,” I said proudly. “Teresa is exceptional.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“So, you must be Teresa’s replacement, then? The old man’s new victim? I bet he loved your… résumé.”

Anger surged through my veins.

“He hired me for my competence, not my personality.”

I tried to recover my posture, but he was already tossing out his next round of irony.

“So, you’re celebrating your grand ascent into the empire as a junior secretary?”

That stung. Because he knew who I was from the start. He was testing me.

“It’s just a job, Theo. And unlike you, I take it seriously.”

He gave a short laugh.

“So serious you’re already drunk in your first week. Brilliant.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped myself. Not worth it. I tried to leave, but the world tilted a little, making me lean back on the railing.

He watched me for a second. Then stepped closer.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I don’t need your help.”

“Good,” he said, stepping back into the shadows. “Because I didn’t come out here to play knight in shining armor. I’m just waiting for my cue to disappear from this ridiculous party.”

He left, and I was alone, with a racing heart and a mix of shame, anger, and… something I didn’t want to name.

When I composed myself and returned to the party, I passed a group of guys laughing with drinks in hand. And I heard his voice, that mocking tone that carried the weight of the world:

“The old man wants me to give a speech tonight. Bet he’ll cry if I say the word ‘responsibility.’”

Theo Ferraz had always been, and apparently would always be, a problem. A big one.

The fact that I’d been thinking about him since I was fifteen didn’t soften the feeling that was ready to overflow from my heart in that moment.

Years loving someone from afar, someone completely out of reach, and now, everything was about to change. Because now, Theo Ferraz wouldn’t be as far away as he always had been. He even seemed... accessible to a simple girl without a drop of aristocratic blood. And that dangerous thought was beyond reckless.

The alarm went off in my brain the moment Theo turned in my direction, and upon recognizing me, raised a glass of whiskey he wasn’t even holding a moment ago, in a mocking toast, and I swear I saw a glimmer of promise in those golden-brown eyes.