Meanwhile, at Urbano Magazine, Andreia sat comfortably at her desk, her hands resting on her pregnant belly as she waited for her guest. The door swung open, and Cindy stormed in like a whirlwind.Andreia chuckled. “I thought you’d be more relaxed.”Cindy exhaled sharply. “Oh, my dear, I can’t calm down at all!” She threw up her hands. “Who said only the poor don’t get a minute of peace?”Andreia tilted her head, amused. “I’m all ears.”Cindy’s words faltered as her eyes landed on Andreia’s belly, now quite pronounced beneath her white blouse. The editor-in-chief gently rubbed it, feeling the baby’s kick.Cindy hesitated. “Um... I don’t want to cause a miscarriage.”Andreia smiled reassuringly. “I’m feeling calmer now. That whole mess with Nate and the escort is finally over.”Cindy pulled out a chair and sank into it. “Over for them?”“Believe it or not, I have to give credit to my son,” Andreia admitted. “He understood what was at stake.”Cindy took a deep breath and allowed herself

Police Station, afternoon.Karl read the note carefully, his brow furrowed in concentration. The message, scrawled by the so-called “boys” from the Bento family, left little room for doubt.Carvalho stood on the other side of the desk, watching him closely, waiting for a reaction.“So, everything has been resolved,” Karl finally said.Carvalho nodded. “Yes, everything has been resolved. It seems the kidnappers received the worst punishment.”Karl handed the note back to the sergeant, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. “So my girlfriend is safe.”“Exactly,” Carvalho confirmed. “You can rest easy, Mr. Vieira. And once again, we thank you for finding the hideout where Mrs. Sterling was being held.”Karl smiled, a rare expression of relief. “I’m grateful as well, to God.”He was about to leave when he noticed Carvalho hesitating, as if there was more on his mind.“Uh... Mr. Vieira, do you have any idea what your girlfriend — or your future stepson — is going to do about Elaine Sterl

At Andrade Clinic, in Walter’s office, Ernesto sat before Walter and Jacqueline, still dressed in his dockworker attire. Neither of the Andrade siblings minded his clothing, showing no hint of social prejudice.“Walter, Miss Andrade...” Ernesto began hesitantly.Jacqueline smiled sweetly. “You can call me Jacqueline, Mr. Alvares.”Visibly nervous, Ernesto took a breath. “If your father doesn’t hang me afterward... well, I came to personally thank you for taking care of my daughter.”Walter ran his index finger along his collar while Jacqueline’s smile broadened even further.“Mr. Alvares, the pleasure was all ours in helping,” she assured him. “We are happy to have protected her after that incident.”Walter grinned. “And that means we can finally have that lunch or dinner at your place.”Ernesto suddenly coughed violently, startling Jacqueline.“Mr. Alvares, are you okay?”“Cough, cough... Guys, such an arrangement is IMPOSSIBLE!”The siblings exchanged puzzled glances. “Where is the

As dusk settled over the beach house, Vicente and Nathan continued their conversation in the kitchen. This time, it was Vicente who poured himself a glass of water from the filter. Nathan, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, finally spoke.“I need to take a shower before heading to the kiosk,” he said.Vicente took a sip, eyeing his son carefully. “You still haven’t answered my question.”Nathan inhaled deeply, as if bracing himself. “No, Dad. I don’t want to go to war again.”“That means you need to stay away from Elaine Sterling,” Vicente warned. He took another sip before placing the glass in the sink.Nathan remained silent, lost in thought.“If you return to hostility,” Vicente continued, “Matt will kick you out of the kiosk without a second thought. And then, son, the only way you’ll find work is by leaving Blue Cove — if your bad reputation doesn’t spread all over Brazil first.”Nathan scoffed. “I can’t be that unlucky.”“It’s not always about luck,” Vicente said, f

Elaine paced in circles inside her office at Golden Letters, fury burning in her eyes as she occasionally kicked at the shattered remains of her computer. The pieces scattered across the floor, remnants of her frustration. Phone pressed to her ear, she spoke frantically.“I know, Liz, I KNOW! But what else can be done?” she snapped, listening intently before continuing. “Did you hear what he said at the end of the video? CRUISE IN THE BAHAMAS!” Another pause, another surge of anger. “Your son must have paid a hefty sum to convince him! We should’ve paid him to be loyal to us! The commitment agreement wasn’t enough!”The office door swung open, and Kirk appeared in his uniform.“Mrs. Sterling...?” he called hesitantly, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on the broken computer.He knelt to start gathering the shards.Elaine, still engrossed in her conversation, hadn’t even noticed his presence. “But this won’t stand. We’re going to find out what happened!” she vowed before finall