Chapter 2 Two years later...

Two years later...

"Governor, the inauguration of the first full-time school in the favelas is confirmed for a month from now," I was participating in my fourth meeting of the day. Two in the morning, followed by lunch, and now I was wrapping up my last meeting with some secretaries, which would conclude with a dinner at the hotel where the meeting was taking place. It had been two years since my first term began, and I had managed to handle the emerging problems well. I had to navigate away from people who were trying to corrupt me at all costs, and from Marcelo. That bastard, even in prison, continued to make my life miserable, always claiming that I had risen to power because of him. Otherwise, I would have remained just a community director in Estrela Guia.

"Lorenzo, I believe Estrela Guia is more than ready for this moment. I spoke with Pedro at our last meeting, and he told me that the Secretary of Education has been fulfilling all the promises. It's of utmost importance for us to continue our campaign work. We all know here that the residents of that place were crucial votes that got me elected."

I never stopped saying that. Without those people, I might never have reached the position I held now.

"Leonardo, you're always so concerned about those people," João, Marcelo's vice who had taken his place at the time of his imprisonment, was now the Chief Secretary of the Civil House. He always hinted at the affection he had for the community. For political reasons, I was forced to accept him as part of my government, but it was something I swallowed silently, knowing that if he could, he would take my place as Governor. In two years, I had achieved victories, but there were also intrigues and problems I solved without making a fuss. To the media and the public, I needed to maintain my image as a fair, upright man who wouldn't accept bribes or act outside the law. Many were surprised by how I dealt with Pedro. We ended up finding common ground, even though Viviane, my ex-wife, always kept her distance from me when we were in the same environment.

I checked the time on my watch. Dinner would be served soon, and I wanted to rest for a few minutes before continuing the meeting.

"Gentlemen, we've concluded this phase for now. We have a half-hour break until dinner is served, and then we'll wrap up today's proceedings."

As soon as I finished speaking, all the men in the room began to leave, leaving me alone in that room. I picked up my phone to check for calls or messages. My mother wanted to know how I was doing. After I was elected and because I was single, she played the role of the first lady, accompanying me to some events alongside my father and working alongside the Vice Governor's wife.

I replied to her message, and as I did, the door opened, and I didn't need to turn my head to know who it was. The sweet perfume filling the room already gave away her arrival.

"I thought you'd be locked in with all those men until God knows what time," Larissa stood behind me, massaging my tense shoulders due to the fatigue of the day. She was my assistant and personal secretary, as well as a bed partner when I needed to relax. Sara had decided to live in the United States permanently and only visited Brazil occasionally. Larissa had been Marcelo's former secretary, competent, and I had accepted her as my own. She worked well, was five years younger than me, and was good company. My mother disliked her, thinking she was opportunistic like all the other women who got close to me.

"Tomorrow, I plan to visit that new hospital to see how the new management is doing," I said, holding her hand and bringing her onto my lap.

"Your mother called, wanting to know if you would have dinner here," Larissa informed me, and I told her I had already responded to my mother before she entered.

"I can't stay with you tonight," I said as she kissed me, moving in my lap.

Our relationship was based solely on sex and nothing more. I didn't love her, and I knew she didn't feel the same way about me either. But we got involved because we spent too much time together, and it helped me forget my past. Viviane and Jessica, the two women who had passed through my life. Each had gone her own way. While Viviane, my ex-wife, had married Pedro, the leader of Estrela Guia, and they lived happily, I didn't even know if Jessica was still alive. She had disappeared, leaving only memories that resurfaced in my mind when something reminded me of what I had experienced with her. Maria, the aunt and the only relative that girl had, I later found out, had returned to live in the same place, sick and alone. Apparently, the money she had earned at my expense hadn't been put to good use.