A Fair Trade

Tiago Gaúcho is an impulsive young adult, suffocated by debt and the pressure of a family that no longer trusts him. About to be kicked out of the house after crossing unforgivable boundaries, he sees his world crumble and understands that he needs money fast to start over far away, no matter the cost. With no options, Tiago seeks out his uncle, Paulo Vegas, known for his understated charm and for always seeing beyond appearances. Paulo immediately perceives Tiago’s vulnerability – not only financial, but emotional – and offers help, making it clear that nothing there would be completely free. The initial agreement seems simple: money in exchange for submission to Uncle Paulo’s gaze, a silent game of power, shame, and poorly disguised desire. Tiago accepts, convincing himself that it is only a temporary price to pay for his own freedom, but soon discovers that the line between need and surrender is much thinner than he imagined. As Tiagos’s desperation grows, Paulo increases his demands, not with violence, but with words, insinuations, and promises that mix threat and seduction. Each offer comes with a new condition, and Tiago, already too involved to back down, realizes that he is trapped in a web that he himself helped to weave. In the final confrontation, Tiago understands that money was never the true payment – the real price was facing his own limitations, his repressed desires, and the ease with which power can corrupt. Between guilt and excitement, he must decide whether to flee to save what remains of himself or to accept, once and for all, the role that fate has thrust upon him.