After kicking Germano out of Sterling Mansion, Matthew went to the dining room to have breakfast. Patricia was already halfway through, drinking skim milk coffee.“Darling, where were you?” Patricia wanted Matthew to tell her.Matthew sat next to her and began to serve himself. “Can you believe I was still with old Cardoso?”“Does he still insist on thinking his daughter is innocent?” Patricia smiled in contempt, “Look at the difference. When my father found out about me and Jackson, he scolded us as if we were ten years old. My father never stopped disciplining and guiding us.”“Is that so?” Matthew smiled lightly, choosing sweet potato bread to eat, “Congratulations to Seu Hélio.”“Darling, I’m getting worried.” Patricia wiped the smile off her face, “It seems that the Cardoso family is determined not to leave us alone.”“Why would that be a great concern?” Matthew shook his head, “They can’t do anything besides what they’re doing: whining and complaining.”“One day, someone from LC

Ronaldo is working at his desk, but his mind occasionally wanders from the company to the conversation he had with Hélio. He frowns and scratches his forehead, uneasy with what he discovered.The door opened and Fernando appeared. “Hello, son. How is the price of a barrel of oil today?”“It’s fine, Dad.” Ronaldo’s response wanted to indicate the opposite.“What happened?” Fernando closed the door and approached his son. “Is this about the text message you sent?”Ronaldo was even more surprised. “You knew?”“Well, I saw you up there in the penthouse, and then I found out you didn’t come straight to the company.” Fernando smiled slightly, “Do you want to share with me?”“I sent a message to Mr. Hélio.” Ronaldo explains, “We met at the Gibraltar Club and talked about what I told you earlier.”Fernando looked embarrassed, “Son, did you have to tell that gentleman that his daughter was sleeping with another guy...”“Exactly. But instead of Hélio getting upset or denying it, he, very embarr

Matthew never felt as enraged at Cindy as he did on this day.Is this Cindy Cardoso, his first girlfriend, the sweet girl who loved him when he was a fry cook?Has Matthew been in a relationship with an alternative version of Cindy?Who is this hysterical woman airing all the dirty laundry and secrets to people who weren’t even involved?This needs to stop!But before Matthew could do anything, he watched in apprehension as Evan lost his temper and pulled out his revolver, shooting Cindy.“AHHH!” Jacqueline screamed as Zachary covered her eyes.Patricia felt a mix of relief seeing her rival being shot and concern about how this would affect her boyfriend.Cindy collapsed to the ground, blood starting to seep through her blouse.“Someone, quick, call an ambulance!” Matthew ordered.Evan realized he had gone too far. “Young Matthew... I’m sorry. I got carried away.”“Is she...?” Zachary felt his heart in his throat.“I didn’t hit any vital organs,” Evan replied knowingly.Still, blood w

Cindy was moved from the intensive care center to a private wing room.The operation was a success. Now, all that was left was for her to rest and wake up.But deep down, Cindy wished to remain in eternal coma just so she wouldn’t have to wake up and face the consequences of her actions.Once she wakes up, she’ll have to explain herself to her parents and Matthew about her irrational and irascible behavior.Germano and Zilda appeared and stayed by her side for a few hours.“And now, husband?” Zilda asks in a low tone.“I don’t know what to do, wife,” Germano complained, “As much as I want revenge, Matthew has a point. Our daughter needed to confront that damn Patty Borges, but not the way she did.”“Spilling the secret in front of others...” Zilda shakes her head, “I should have been with her. But I got carried away and wanted to act alone too.”“Now Matthew will be all righteous and protect Patty Borges even more.” Germano sighs discontentedly.“Let’s give it time. First, our daughte

Zilda and Germano are stunned by Abner offering them money to shut up and stop being annoying, leaving Matthew and Patricia alone once and for all.Abner approached the dresser and laid out the checkbook. “I’m waiting, folks. How much do you want to forget about this incident and move on with your lives?”Zilda smirked sarcastically. “I knew this money wouldn’t come for free.”“What do you want, Mr. Sterling?” Germano asked somewhat roughly.“Well, I want you, after receiving this amount, to disappear from my grandson’s life and from Patty.” Abner stared at them with a neutral, indifferent expression, as if he were dealing with something very easy. “I want Cindy to focus on being a successful journalist and grow in her career, but without having Matt as hope. Wasn’t she dating Ricardo Montegrande? He would be a great option.”Zilda shook her head. “We won’t dictate who Cindy will be in a relationship with. And what if she wants to have a serious relationship with Jackson Borges?”Germ