Episode 1

Gael Mancini — CEO, widowed and reserved father. Controlling and demanding, but with a protective side for his children. He has difficulty dealing with emotions, especially after his wife's death.

Isabela — Hired nanny, young, cheerful, and full of energy. She arrives to transform the rigid atmosphere of the house with games, affection, and attention to the children.

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Luna, 13 years old – The oldest. Intelligent, observant, somewhat closed off at first. Carries more of the pain of her mother's loss.

Lucca, 9 years old – Agitated, inquisitive, full of energy. He is the middle one, feels like no one pays attention to him.

Caio, 4 years old – Affectionate, needy, the one who gets closest to Isabela right away.

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Housekeeper (Valeria) — Responsible for the organization of the house. Tries to seduce Gael, but he doesn't give in. She used to take care of the children, but didn't win their hearts.

Cook (Dona Marlene) — A sweetheart, always with a kind word and a dish ready to comfort.

Cleaning lady (Dona Neide) — Friendly and always there for everyone, helps maintain the house and the family's routine.

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The Mancini mansion was too silent for a house with three children.

The main hallway shone with cleanliness, the aroma of freshly baked cake wafted from the kitchen, and the clock on the wall read exactly 8 a.m. when Gael Mancini came down the stairs, in an impeccable suit and with an inscrutable expression.

"Breakfast is ready, sir," said Dona Marlene, the cook, with a warm smile.

"Thank you," he replied, without looking up from his cell phone.

Sitting at the table, little Caio, 4 years old, was pushing the strawberry around on his plate. Next to him, Lucca, 9 years old, was drawing on the napkin with a blue pen. Luna, 13, was watching everything in silence, as if trying to guess what her father's mood would be that morning.

The fragile harmony was broken when Valeria, the housekeeper, entered with her high heels cutting through the silence of the room.

"Did you sleep well, Gael?" she asked, adjusting her tight blouse and brushed hair with a forced smile.

He didn't even look up. "Valeria, I need you to organize the school reports. I have a meeting at ten."

She forced a soft laugh. "Of course, darling… I mean, sir."

The children exchanged glances. Luna let out a bored sigh. Lucca rolled his eyes. Caio simply crossed his little arms and rested his chin on the table.

"Dad... do we really have to stay with Valeria again today?" Luna murmured, without looking at her father.

Gael heard. And that was enough.

He got up from the chair, adjusted his jacket, and replied dryly:

"I've made a decision. The new nanny will be hired today."

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At 10 a.m., the living room was organized for the selection process. Three women sat on the sofa, resumes in hand, exchanging tense glances. The housekeeper paced back and forth, visibly displeased.

The door opened slowly.

And then she entered.

Isabela. Light blouse, simple jeans, casually styled hair. A discreet smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes that none of the other candidates had.

Valeria wrinkled her nose.

At the top of the stairs, three little faces peeked out from between the steps.

Caio's eyes widened.

Lucca let out a curious "hm…"

Luna just watched, as always.

"Who is she?" Caio whispered, with his eyes glued to her.

"I don't know... but she seems different," said Lucca.

"Let's see if she can handle us," Luna murmured.

The backyard of the mansion was huge, but rarely used. Manicured lawn, covered pool, and toys that seemed more like decoration than fun.

Valeria made a point of keeping everything clean… and empty.

"The children shouldn't run around too much," she would say. "They might sweat, get hurt, or, worse, mess up the house."

But Isabela, even still in the interview phase, already looked at it all strangely.

"And they don't play here?" she asked, walking lightly to the backyard.

Valeria huffed. "This is a respectable house. Not a daycare."

But the children were listening — and Caio, 4 years old, with his little eyes sparkling with curiosity, decided to test the candidate.

Without warning anyone, he darted towards the swing.

"Caio!" Luna shouted from the top of the stairs. "You're going to fall!"

Too late. He tripped on a hidden root and went straight to the ground. A scraped knee, teary eyes, and the silence that precedes crying came like a punch to the chest of those watching.

Before anyone could react, Isabela ran to him. She knelt down, without thinking twice, and slowly pulled him close.

"Hey, hey, it's okay..." she said, with a sweet and firm voice. "It's just a scratch, champ. We'll take care of it quickly, okay?"

Caio looked at her with watery eyes and a trembling chin. But he didn't cry. He just rested his little face on her shoulder, staying quiet, as if he already knew: there was comfort there.

Isabela carried the boy in her arms to the kitchen, talking to him as if he were an old friend. Dona Marlene was already coming with the first aid kit.

While cleaning the injured knee, Isabela made faces, imitated voices, and even blew lightly on the wound.

"It's going to sting just a little... But then you'll become a hero, deal?"

Caio smiled. A toothless, small… but sincere laugh.

From upstairs, Gael had stopped in the middle of the hallway. He was on his way to the office to interview the candidates, but the scene in the backyard caught his attention.

He saw Caio get hurt. He saw Isabela run. He saw his son... accept comfort.

And then, he saw something he hadn't seen in a long time.

Neediness.

It was in his son's eyes, in the way he clung to that stranger with immediate trust. It was in the silence of Lucca and Luna, who watched from afar, not knowing how to react.

And it was in him too.

In the bitter realization that, even surrounded by employees, the essential was missing in that house: affection.

"Mr. Gael?" Valeria called, approaching with a forced smile. "The next candidate is waiting."

He blinked, coming out of his trance. He looked again at the empty garden, and went to the office.

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