Episode 2 of "Rivers of Fate" kicks off with Pedro and his companion, Amandeu, scouring the length and breadth of Balem in search of Janalice. Amandeu, in his quest to locate Dionete, crosses paths with Miltiniho, who guides the former law enforcement officer to Dionete's aunt's residence.
Elsewhere, Janalice turns to Preá for assistance, her plea resonating deeply with him. Preá, increasingly captivated by Janalice's presence, escorts her and the other girls to the opulent vessel of his father and boss, Tabaco.
Concurrently, Mariangel bears the sorrowful task of bringing her son's lifeless body back home. There, her son's boyfriend, Zé Do Boi, confronts her, requesting her to dispose of the bodies of the thieves who left their mark on her household. Haunted by memories of how Gigante's brother violated him during a boat hijacking, Zé Do Boi realizes that this same perpetrator was responsible for her son's demise. He vows to seek justice for her son, but Mariangel, steadfast in her resolve, refuses to let vengeance consume her.
Meanwhile, Preá finds himself in deep conversation with Janalice, capturing her essence in a photograph. He approaches his father, Tabaco, with a plea to lend him money to acquire her. Tabaco, however, stands firm in his opposition, declaring that the girls are strictly off-limits.
Amandeu's search for Dionete takes a grim turn as he learns of her tragic demise due to a drug overdose. Amidst this sorrowful revelation, Preá seizes an opportunity to speak with Zé Elídio, the man who intends to purchase the girls from Tabaco. Unfortunately, Etelvina, Zé Elídio's assistant, dismisses Preá's request, ushering Janalice and the other girls away without a second glance....
Back aboard Tabaco's boat, Tabaco summarily dismisses Gigante for the fatalities incurred among his men during a routine operation. Gigante, seething with rage, places the blame squarely on Perá, accusing him of his brother's untimely demise. Elsewhere, Pedro gleans from Amandeu that Romiro intends to assault Janalice. In a fit of fury, Pedro confronts Romiro and lambasts Lizete for considering her aunt's care more beneficial for their daughter than her own parents'.
At Zé Elídio's lair, the girls are confined in a chamber, destined to be further trafficked into prostitution. Etelvina meticulously prepares Janalice to Zé Elídio's exact specifications. Janalice is subsequently led to Zé Elídio's chambers, where he brutally rapes her. Afterward, Etelvina informs the predecessor of Zé Elídio's sexual prey that she has been reassigned to kitchen duties, as he has discovered a fresh face to bed.
At the precinct, Amandeu encounters Mariangel, who has come to report Tabaco and his gang for the murders of her husband and son. Detective Camões informs Mariangel that, in the absence of concrete evidence tying the gang to the crime, they cannot be charged. Mariangel is devastated to realize that the police prioritize the disappearance of a gang member's body over the slaying of her loved ones. Amandeu later consults with Camões, discussing Tabaco's role in Janalice's abduction.
Later, amidst a conversation with her friend urging her to move on, Mariangel receives crucial information from Amandeu about Tabaco's whereabouts. Defying her friend's advice, Mariangel resolves to confront Tabaco alongside Zé Do Boi. Meanwhile, Janalice makes a daring decision to escape and endeavors to liberate the other girls from their captors. She begins scouting for an opportune moment to flee while Zé Elídio slumbers.
Concurrently, Amandeu enlists Miltinho's assistance in searching for Dionete's beau. Camões informs Amandeu that several complaints have been logged regarding the disappearance of teenage girls in the vicinity, adding an eerie undertone to the unfolding drama.
On the fateful night when Mariangel ventures out of her abode to confront Tabaco, Amandeu stumbles upon police records detailing the disappearances of numerous girls. Meanwhile, Janalice, seizing her moment while Zé Elídio slumbers, surreptitiously abstracts the key from his purse. She gently rouses her fellow captives, and together, they bolt outside, their hearts pounding with the thrill of impending liberty. Their spirits soar as they celebrate their hard-won freedom, imploring a kindly passerby in a car to guide them beyond the town's confines.
However, their joy is brutally curtailed as Zé Elídio and Etelvina storm the scene, meting out a grim punishment by slaying one of the girls for daring to escape. The surviving girls, Janalice among them, are relentlessly reclaimed by Zé Elídio's clutches. Desperation gnaws at Janalice, fuelling her resolve to devise an escape plan.
Elsewhere, Pedro is consumed by self-recrimination, berating himself for falling short as Janalice's guardian. Preá, desperation etched on his face, appeals to Tabaco for assistance in locating Janalice, only to be met with a stone-cold refusal. That very night, Mariangel and Zé Do Boi descend upon Tabaco's boat, launching a ferocious assault. They demand he divulge Gigante's whereabouts, to which Tabaco reluctantly confesses – Tucuruí.
Mariangel presses further, insisting Tabaco name the other two men who accompanied Gigante on the night her son was murdered. Tabaco concedes Player's identity but draws the line at betraying Preá. Overwhelmed by a tsunami of guilt, Pedro takes his own life, plunging off a boat in a tragic act of self-punishment for failing to shield Janalice.
Later, Preá and Player stumble upon Tabaco's lifeless body dangling from a tree, a stark testament to their world's unforgiving brutality. Preá, now the de facto leader following his father's demise, decrees that the gang henceforth address him as Jonas. In a dark twist, Zé Elídio discovers Janalice asleep in her bed, his sinister intentions once again focused on violating her. But Janalice, armed with a stolen knife, strikes with the ferocity of a cornered animal, leaving Zé Elídio reeling as the episode concludes in a cliffhanger of raw emotion and impending justice.
