Despite his young age, Felipe Mello, almost 25 years old, was already being prepared by his father to take over the business, a luxury hotel chain.

He liked the fast-paced life, full of meetings and important decisions, and in his free time, he trained. He kept his body in shape, enjoyed feeling the lustful gazes of women on him, even those who were taken. He changed flings as often as he changed clothes.

Carolina, or Carol as he called his 15-year-old sister, repeated this phrase constantly:

"One day you'll fall in love..."

"My heart is bulletproof," he would reply, ruffling his sweet sister's hair.

Now he was there, at the wedding of the only woman who almost pierced his "armor." He smiled as he watched her go to meet that jerk Brian Romero. Everything was fine... seeing the goofy smile on the "Ice Man's" face was priceless.

Suellen Marques was the sweetest woman he had ever met, unlike the models on his endless list, including the exuberant blonde who accompanied him.

He was always accompanied by blondes and never repeated, after taking them to bed, he would dismiss them. He didn't want to create bonds or false illusions. After all, he had a sister and wouldn't want some clown to hurt her heart.

When the bride's bouquet was thrown, it landed in the hands of a young woman in front of him, but she didn't think and quickly threw it at him. He knew how girls liked that and all its meaning, but that young woman was either married or had an aversion to marriage. So, he handed the arrangement to a little girl beside him, knowing that the blonde accompanying him would be disappointed.

FIVE YEARS AGO...

Helena Velasquez

The next day, Helena would turn 15, she had waited for this day, dreamed of a beautiful party... a beautiful pink dress... dancing a waltz with her father, she had even rehearsed some steps, using her pillow as a partner.

But nothing was as she dreamed...

Her mother had passed away five years ago, and her father, Antonio Velasquez, 50 years old, married his secretary, who brought a 16-year-old daughter and a son in her belly.

Her stepmother was not kind, but her father didn't see it, he was blinded by love.

Glaucia, her stepmother, was 36 years old, her 16-year-old daughter, Kelly, started using her father's name, legally becoming the businessman's eldest daughter. Benito was her brother, the result of her father's marriage to the secretary, but she couldn't be with him or interact, Glaucia didn't accept it, and she reigned in the house where her mother had once been the queen.

Helena learned to be silent and thus not have her days of punishment. She learned not to expect anything and much less love, she was no longer disappointed with her father's distance or the intrigues of her stepmother and her daughter.

But, leaving for a family trip right on her birthday weekend was sad. Glaucia even gave the house's four employees time off.

There she was, walking around the house alone, having frozen food for her dinner. She went into her father's room, but there was nothing there that reminded her of her mother, no pictures.

She took her stepmother's red lipstick and put it on her lips. She liked it! She ended up trying her first makeup, using her stepmother's things.

She would have her own party that Saturday, she took a dress from Glaucia's closet. It was a little loose, she didn't have curves and her breasts were just budding, she saw everything as a game...

She went down the stairs barefoot and all dolled up. She was alone and would do whatever she wanted. She went to where her father kept the drinks, a beautiful glass and filled it with that yellow liquid.... it was horrible, but she was already 15 and almost an adult.

After drinking several shots from different bottles, the music was loud in her head while she danced, thinking she was happy. That's when the door opened and she ran towards the person arriving.

"Her father came to dance her 15th birthday waltz"! That's what her alcohol-numbed mind imagined.

But, to her surprise, it was Marcelo, Glaucia's brother who insisted on saying he was her uncle. Helena stopped in the same instant, with her head "heavy" from the alcohol, she didn't have much notion of what was happening.

"Hello uncle's princess! I heard today is your birthday... I came to bring you a beautiful cake."

In his hands he carried a small cake box and his eyes were on the neckline of the dress, which showed off her small breasts.

Helena, who never liked those sticky hands and the looks of her stepmother's brother on her, took a few steps back.

"Who gave you the key?"

"Glaucia thought I better see how you were." he left the cake on the sideboard "You're beautiful, my Helena..."

Helena felt fear. Maybe the alcohol did that.

"Come give your uncle a hug..."

Something in his eyes made Helena think of running, but he quickly grabbed her. With the sound of the glass falling from her hands, she knew she had lost...

The only thing she remembered was the pain of having her face pressed into the sofa cushions and the hands squeezing her small breasts.

When she woke up, the house was dark, the music was still playing, but now it seemed to mock her. Her head hurt.

Curled up on the sofa, she tried to understand how this happened. She felt dirty!

She turned on the light and to her despair saw all the mess, her reflection in the glass made it clear how her celebration was.

Her black and wavy hair was a mess, the smeared makeup made her look like a clown from the circus of horrors. The torn dress... She looked around and saw the birthday cake fallen on the living room rug, went to it and, used her trembling fingers to eat.

"Happy birthday to me..."

Bitter tears came out of her eyes, mixing with the sweetness of the cake.

At that moment she had a glimpse of what her life was and what she meant to her sh*tty family.

She spent a good time lying near that cake, crying in pain and sadness, knowing that Glaucia would not listen to her and her father would not believe her, Kelly would simply mock her.

At dusk, she made a decision.

Now she was 15 and discovered that fairy tales did not exist and she should live for herself. She cleaned up the mess then went up to her room and took a bath for hours, trying to cleanse her body and her soul. She would ask her father to send her to boarding school. This was what Glaucia wanted most and there, would be her freedom...

CURRENT DAYS...

Helena arrived at the apartment and felt an enormous emptiness for the first time. She was happy that her only friend had found love, but she had no one else, and the apartment that once seemed small now felt huge.

She took off her high-heeled sandals and let her hair down...

Suellen insisted that she stay there, that it was a gift. She had to accept, she had nowhere else to go, and the little money left from her mother's inheritance was not enough to support herself. She needed a job.

She threw herself onto the sofa. She didn't stay for the wedding party. She left without saying goodbye, wanting to be alone.

She was restless, the makeup irritated her; she hadn't worn anything like that in many years… it brought back terrible memories.

She took a shower and went to make something for dinner, but she discovered that cooking just for herself was not a good thing. She grilled a steak and washed some leaves to prepare a salad, made her plate, looked at the table she used to share with Suellen, and went to the small balcony. She ate there, standing, looking at the little movement on the street, in that neighborhood far from the center.

Whenever she felt alone, she looked at the stars. She didn't know which one, but one of them was her mother, and that comforted her.

Now she was alone once again, on her own. Her friend had a family to take care of, and she would now have to get used to loneliness again and find any job, or soon she wouldn't be able to afford to eat.

She would end up accepting the job at the coffee shop, the only one that offered a good salary and, at the same time, she wouldn't be stuck there, complaining about her misfortune; she would have someone to talk to…

Thus, a few weeks passed; her work was tiring, but she couldn't complain. Without the influence of the Velasquez family, her diploma wasn't worth much. But deep down, Helena preferred to be in a place without much prominence; she didn't like to draw attention to herself.

Helena always wore her hair tied up in a casual bun and loose clothes. She didn't like to receive men's looks on herself. Suellen called daily to find out how Helena was doing. In the daily calls, she always wanted to know about her friend, and when she found out she was working in a coffee shop, she was inconsolable.

"Helena... you're wasting your talent, your education! Helena, you are capable!"

Helena knew her ability; she was competent. But she knew that no one would hire a secretary of her level who didn't wear elegant and feminine clothes.

She knew this when a contractor made it clear what he expected from an assistant, and she didn't want that. She wouldn't be used again.

......................

Felipe Mello was late, and his father wouldn't let him forget that detail.

The blonde who had been in his arms that night was tireless. She could even be a good option since his father wanted heir grandchildren.

He opened the door of the coffee shop a block away from the office. His father followed him, still repeating how important responsibility and stability were.

Felipe went to a table in a corner. He wasn't quite awake yet, but from that place, he could see through the glass the beautiful legs of the women who passed on the sidewalk, since the floor of the coffee shop was lower than outside. Thus, his father's words could wander without entering his head and stressing him out for the rest of the day.

"Good morning, gentlemen. You can place your order."

Felipe didn't even bother to look at the attendant, he ordered his coffee without taking his eyes off the legs that dripped outside.

Helena didn't care about the client's discourteous manner. After all, when he appeared, it was always like that. He had a good appearance, he caught the attention of the women in the place, but that only inflated his ego, and for Helena, that was already a big flaw.

She went to the counter to separate the order, and when she returned with the tray, she pretended not to hear how unhappy the older gentleman was with the younger one. She served that gentleman first, and when she was about to hand the cup to the other client, she heard something that destabilized her.

"Felipe Mello! Can you pay attention to your father?"

Helena was startled. Perhaps the stern tone of that gentleman or perhaps knowing that she was in front of Felipe Mello, was the reason for everything...

"Ahh..."

The groan of pain was inevitable, Helena turned the cup of coffee over the man's lap. Desperate, she grabbed the napkin and began to clean Felipe's clothes.

"I'm so sorry... sir…"

Felipe was static in the chair. The young attendant was red, and her hands slid frantically over his lap. It was an unusual situation, perhaps even comical, but what he felt was none of that. He wasn't thinking about the damage to his clothes or the heat on his skin. He was thinking about how a woman without a hint of attractiveness made him excited first thing in the morning...

The attendant in question wore a dark uniform and seemed to be two sizes bigger than hers. Her hair was severely tied high on her head, covered by an equally dark cap. She wore no makeup or any adornment, not even a piece of jewelry. But he was erect like a teenager. The girl seemed not to know what she was doing, and the smile on his father's face made it clear that he noticed his discomfort.

Felipe got up quickly, causing the girl to lose her balance and bump into another attendant, falling to the ground with cups and mugs falling on her head. He simply left, leaving his father and the chaos behind him.

......................

Helena entered her apartment slamming the door.

She was a fool! She lost a good job for offending "Mr. Mello."

They didn't think twice about settling up and sending her to the street...

She hated Felipe Mello!

She should have recognized him. But the few times she was in his presence, she didn't approach or look. Now, because of her stupidity, she was unemployed again. She always knew he was trouble, and there was the proof.

Because he was the "all-powerful of the Mello family," her job went down the drain in less than 30 days. She didn't know why her friend Suellen admired that preppy.

She hated Felipe Mello!

It's been three days since she left the apartment and pretended not to notice Suellen's notifications, so it was no surprise for Helena to see her friend and her already apparent belly standing in front of her door.

"Can I come in?"

Helena looked at her friend, who was making a puppy-dog face, asking permission to enter her own apartment.

"Hi..."

"How could you ignore my calls?" Suellen hugged her. "You're still my only friend!"

"That's not what the gossip sites say."

"You silly thing. That's not friendship, that's convenience," Suellen said dismissively. "I'm here to eat your perfect rice," Suellen said, throwing herself unceremoniously on the living room sofa.

Helena was happy with the visit. She loved Suellen like a sister, but now she was the wife of a millionaire, they wouldn't be eating hot dogs in the mall food court anymore.

While she cooked for her friend, they talked, and Suellen was furious when her friend told her that she had been fired because of an arrogant client, but Helena didn't say that Felipe Mello was her tormentor.

She didn't want to upset her friend because she was already used to it. After all, her own father belittled her, treating her stepdaughter Kelly like a daughter. If it were for Benito, her half-brother, she would even understand being replaced by her father in this way.

She tried to get these thoughts out of her head and forced a smile so that Suellen wouldn't worry. Her friend was pregnant and it wasn't good to have negative thoughts.

They sat in the kitchen and Suellen was happy:

"I missed your seasoning..."

"Seasoning with love... in fact, I'm all love."

They both laughed. Helena liked to see her friend's joy, even though she wished she had her by her side, she knew that she was happy with her husband, who pampered her all the time.

"I'll ask Felipe to get something for you. He already said that there would be a vacancy in the office. It will be more in your work area there."

"There's no need." Helena didn't want to tell her friend how much she hated Felipe Mello.

"Yes, there is! There you will earn much more than in the cafeteria and you will do what you like."

"Suellen..."

"No Suellen. It's decided. You're my friend!" Making a suffering face, she continued, "How will I have peace to carry Deise to the end of my pregnancy? If you're okay, everything will be okay."

"Blackmailer!"

Helena knew it was a lost battle. Her friend was worried and had even offered to help financially, but she wouldn't accept that and for Suellen's peace, Helena decided to accept that her friend would talk to Felipe Mello.

For the sake of her goddaughter, she would accept her friend's help.

They spent the afternoon together, watching series and eating popcorn, like before. Every now and then Suellen messed with her cell phone.

"I knew it!" Suellen exclaimed with satisfaction.

"What happened?"

"Felipe didn't disappoint me!" The friend said, smiling contentedly. He asked for your details to pass on to HR. You'll start on Monday!"

Helena feigned happiness. But she knew that arrangement wouldn't work.

"That's good..."

"It will be wonderful!" Suellen clapped her hands full of excitement. "He promised to put you to work close to him and you will be well paid!"

"Hmm..."

Helena didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Felipe Mello wouldn't like it at all, at all, to have the "clumsy aggressor from the cafeteria" working for him. But she knew that if she tried not to get too close, if she wore a disguise... he would never recognize her. A confident smile sprouted on her lips.

"Helena... it will be something much better than being a waitress in the cafeteria. You know your potential," the friend smiled sweetly without knowing the other's thoughts. "Your salary will be great, an executive secretary's salary..."

"But I don't work in that area..."

"Forget it. Stop worrying. As far as I know, you'll just have to accompany him and pass on his schedule. It will be like Eduardo is to Brian, don't worry."

Helena tried to remain neutral. After all, the salary would be great, but in short, she would be like a trained dog of Felipe Mello's...

......................

Felipe Mello couldn't refuse a request from Suellen Marques. Now, Suellen Romero. Having a woman stuck to him wasn't all that worrying, especially if she was a goddess, which she certainly would be. A friend of Suellen's could only be a beautiful woman. It didn't matter if the girl was brainless, he had his own secretary and she was excellent at her job. This Helena would be a decorative piece in his office.

Felipe didn't consider himself a jerk. He had a sister of almost 15 years old, the sweet Carol, he would never disrespect a woman. Even though he used them only to satisfy himself, he always made it clear that it was nothing serious, he wouldn't fall in love, that wasn't in his plans.

Heir to a hotel chain, he knew he was disputed by several women who would like to be Mrs. Mello.

He ran away as much as possible so as not to be hooked and went out with varied beauties, his preference was for blondes, parading each night with a different one.

He attracted attention wherever he went, he knew that.

His body was all worked out due to his daily practice of exercises and martial arts classes. His muscles combined with his almost 6'3" height, black hair and the smile that he knew melted hearts. All this was what his sister Carolina repeated constantly.

But he didn't let his love life interfere with business. He didn't flirt with employees, he didn't have relationships with the daughters of business partners. He preferred women linked to the artistic environment and models, who liked the shine that his presence gave to their careers.

Now, to please Suellen, he agreed to hire the friend. He even invented an extra position.

His secretary Francisca was able to take care of everything, but he didn't refuse to put this Helena on the staff. He would put a table in his office, so looking at the girl would give him encouragement and inspiration in his investments. He knew that his father would kill him if he knew his thoughts.

And that night, in a Pub at the end of the day, between one drink and another, he told his plans to his two best friends from college: Bruno Satti and Diego Malta, both also heirs like Felipe.

The two were anxious about the new secretary and wanted to be with him to welcome the girl, even though Felipe made it clear that his office was not a spectacle.