"Won't you drink, Mr. Álvaro?"
Luis's voice broke the silence calmly.
The table was set.
Dishes served, wine already poured into the glasses… everything carefully prepared.
But no one there seemed interested in the food.
It was around eight in the evening. More than a week had passed since the meeting in Eduardo's office. During that time, Luis had explained what he intended to do and refined his plans. Eduardo had been in charge of organizing tonight's gathering.
Seated on the other side of the table was Álvaro Bittencourt.
He remained still.
He hadn't touched anything yet.
His eyes slowly scanned the scene before him.
First, Augusto de Bragança.
Then, Eduardo Vasconcelos.
And finally… Luis de Bragança.
That was where his gaze stopped.
Something didn't fit.
It wasn't just the meeting.
It was… the dynamic.
The center of that table wasn't Eduardo.
Nor Augusto.
It was the boy.
And that was wrong.
Completely wrong.
Álvaro narrowed his eyes slightly.
It bothered him more than he would like to admit.
But that wasn't all.
The letter from that morning still weighed on his mind.
Direct.
Blunt.
No room for interpretation.
An invitation… or an imposition.
He knew very well who he was dealing with.
And he also knew that, once discovered…
ignoring it was no longer an option.
So he came.
Prepared for pressure.
Perhaps threats.
Perhaps attempts to buy him off.
But this…
This was not what he expected.
His gaze returned to Eduardo.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
His voice was controlled, but harsh.
"Or have you decided to insult me outright?"
He paused.
"I expected more from you."
Before Eduardo could respond, Luis leaned slightly forward.
Calmly, he picked up the bottle and filled his own glass.
Only then did he speak:
"It's not a joke."
He raised his eyes to Álvaro.
"And it wasn't my grandfather who wanted this meeting."
A brief pause.
"It was me."
The silence that followed was subtle… but heavy.
Álvaro didn't look away.
Now he was truly paying attention.
Luis continued:
"I only asked him to facilitate it."
"I thought it would be more… efficient that way."
Álvaro picked up his glass.
Swirled the wine slowly.
Still watching.
"I see."
He took a small sip.
Unhurried.
"Then let's not waste time."
The glass returned to the table with a soft sound.
"If this is an attempt at threats, bribery, or any variation of that…"
His eyes hardened.
"You can stop now."
Luis didn't react immediately.
He simply listened.
"I don't yield to pressure."
"And more importantly…"
A brief pause.
"You don't have what I want."
A small silence formed.
Then—
Luis smiled.
It wasn't openly provocative.
But it wasn't kind either.
"That's where you're mistaken."
Álvaro frowned.
Luis rested his arm on the table, relaxed.
"Before anything else…"
"I don't intend to threaten you."
Álvaro let out a humorless chuckle.
"Curious. Your letter didn't seem very friendly."
Luis tilted his head slightly.
"The letter only said that you might regret it."
He paused.
"It didn't say how."
Álvaro's gaze hardened further.
"I'm not interested in word games."
"Get to the point."
Luis spoke:
"You said we can't give you what you want, right?"
"Well… I'm going to prove you wrong."
"We don't have to be enemies. Today, I'd like you to listen more than you speak."
Álvaro was about to respond—
But Eduardo spoke first.
"Patience. It's not time for negotiations yet."
Álvaro turned to him.
"What?"
Eduardo leaned back in his chair.
"I think it's better to wait."
"We're still expecting a few guests."
Silence.
Heavier this time.
Álvaro looked from one to the other.
"Guests?"
His eyes returned to Luis.
"You brought more people into this?"
Luis raised his glass slightly.
"I did."
"And I believe you'll want to hear what they all have to say."
Álvaro narrowed his eyes.
Now, finally…
He understood.
This wasn't a conversation.
At that moment, Álvaro's mind tried to grasp what was happening in that room—but he simply couldn't identify what the three of them were planning.
However, he had already realized one thing:
The initiative that should have been in his hands…
had slipped away at some point.
This was a stage.
And he…
had just stepped into it without knowing the rules.