Bernardo is outraged to see Vernon's brazenness in asking if the magazine sold well with Marcia Pinheiro's bizarre and ridiculous story.
"Vernon, get that clumsy writer over here and tell her directly that we are no longer publishing her story!" Bernardo yells with his hands shaking with anger, "Here are the sales reports!"
Bernardo takes the sheets and throws them at Vernon. Vernon crouches down and picks up the sheets from the floor.
Upon reading the result, Vernon's eyes widen: the sale of Maggiezine was two-thirds less than the sale of the edition with Isabel Freire's last chapter.
Bernardo smiles with pleasure as he sees Vernon contrite at the dashed expectation, "So what, convinced that your protected writer sucks as a novelist?"
Vernon faces his boss fearlessly, "I don't have the guts to ruin Miss Pinheiro's dreams."
"I will not risk the future of my wife's magazine!" Bernardo stands up, "It's already decided, and Caesar is aware of m
Uélton is walking through the halls of Marçal Publishing to get revenge on the Queiroz family. He doesn't know exactly what to do yet, but he walks through the company dressed as if he is going to work.The other employees look in astonishment at this fellow with a vest, helmet, toolbox, and ladder. They conclude that he has come to make some electrical repairs in the company.Uélton decides to use this as a disguise. He finds Maggie walking and concludes that she is someone important.He gestures to her to stop walking, "Excuse me, ma'am! I see that you are a powerful woman here at the company, so you must know Vernon Queiroz's office."Maggie smiles at the compliment, "Thank you, sir, you have a good eye."Uélton had noticed the black pantsuit and tight knee-length skirt, the Scarpin shoes, and the discreet makeup worn by Maggie. How could he not guess that she has power in the publishing house?The other women
At the entrance of the residential complex, a platform was set up for Mayor Ibrahim to make his inauguration speech. The residents and the press came to register the moment."With this residential complex, I make it clear that during my administration the poor and least favored people will have their turn!" the mayor exclaims into the microphones that make his voice echo and reverberate.The audience cheers and applauds with tears in their eyes.Josias just watches, smiling. Will he ever be this acclaimed?Tobias pats him twice on the shoulder, "Get ready, it's your turn."His father closes the speech, "Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen!"Ibrahim beckons and walks away from the stage. Josias greets the mayor with a nod and takes his place.Not far away, next to Mrs. Ibrahim, Melissa follows her husband with evident pride and approval.Josias places the draft of the speech on the rostrum and begins to speak, "Dear those
Josias is outraged when he hears Adrian address Moacyr and the memory of Teodoro Reis disrespectfully. Melissa wavers and remains at her husband's side holding his right arm. Ernesto has his hand in the holster hidden under his suit, ready to shoot Adrian to kill. "Don't you have any more insulting terms for your father?" Josias asks wryly, "That must be why you two never get along." "We've never gotten along since 1982, eight years you've been meddling in our lives, you bastard!" Adrian vociferates. "Enough!" Melissa trembles with dread, "Honey, let's go home, I want to see Caroline." Adrian commiserates with Melissa's condition, "He's keeping you as a prisoner, isn't he? Why do you tremble with fear in front of this ruthless man, Melissa? I'm here to save you!" Josias bursts into laughter, "She's just scared of you, you asshole!" He turns to Ernesto, "Ernesto, take Mrs. Rocha to the car!" Melissa obediently follows Ernesto to
Maggie is standing in Bernardo's office reading with a scowl the Maggiezine financial report. She lays the spreadsheets on her husband's desk, "Honey, we need to do something! I don't want to shut down the circulation of my magazine! Think how many people would be out of work, even more so in this calamitous time in the country!" Bernardo gets up feeling sorry for his wife. The two of them embrace, "Calm down, dear, I've already told them to take care of it. It seems that there is something else that is bothering you. Can I help?" "Can you convince my mother that I didn't marry you to gold digger you?" Maggie asks nestled into his chest. Bernardo giggles and strokes her red hair, "Oh, Maggie... your mother will understand one day." "She won't. I can't visit her without her calling me a slut. She demands that I marry someone my own age and work as a waitress at Crystal Blue." Bernardo undoes the hug, no longer feeling funny at the clown
Beto carefully reads the bank contract made by Raymond so that Pamela takes a loan. He warns in disagreement. "Honey, how are you going to pay for the tuition? You don’t have to do that." "Have you ever heard of something called 'job'?" Pamela asks mockingly. Beto twists his lips, "I don’t know... Pedro is walking and talking 'mommy' and 'daddy'. He still needs special care. Don’t burden Cristina with this." "My mother has no objection to taking care of her grandchildren and still has the help of that Moacyr." Pamela promptly replied, "And I have worked as a cashier in this supermarket." "No, honey, I can’t recommend any work here because we don’t have any openings." Beto rejects shaking his head, "So return this paperwork, we can’t take loans." "What we can’t do is not pay the other debts!" Pamela roars, "Why did you buy so much?" "Because we need it!" Beto replies with a touch of slight sarcasm, "Even, your mother will receiv
William is calling Dora and informing her what Josias ordered.At the penthouse, Dora answers the phone as the radio plays Lauren Wood’s song "Fallen".Elza is on the couch approving the song and drinking some cider tea."Mother, you must see how it is!" William says in amazement, "I call the newspapers saying that Josias ordered them not to publish about the opening of the residential complex and they obey like lambs! Josias Rocha has power!"Dora smiles, "Absolutely, my son, so the best thing that happened was that Melissa married him. Look at how our lives have changed. See how quickly our problems are solved when Josias is around. We should be thankful and avoid giving him grief; so give your all in this job, son.""Okay, Mom, I need to call The Tribune now. Bye!""Bye, son!" Dora hangs up and turns to Elza, "Your son is dominating Lagoon City and Espírito Santo, Elza! He ordered exclusivity in Maggiezine to publish the open
The week the next issue of Maggiezine came out, all the fans of Josias Rocha went to the stands to buy the issue before it sold out. The owners of the newsstands went crazy and called Marçal Publishing demanding more copies."My quota only lasted three days!" The owner of the newsstand next to Crystal Blue complained about it on the phone, "Bring more magazines now!"The female readers got into such frenzy when they saw Josias Rocha very sexy and seductive on the cover of Maggiezine and their husbands were corroded with jealousy.Melissa, the number one fan, had Ernesto frame the magazine cover and put it in the living room.Josias, on the other hand, was purple with shame, "Honey, stop thinking like that about your husband! The photographer told me to do that pose. I didn’t know it was going to be so... exciting in the picture...""It had to be a female photographer because a man wouldn’t tell you to look so sexy and hot," Melis
Days later, Josias appears at Rocha Constructions thinking that everyone has forgotten his triumph on the cover of Maggiezine.No way. Wherever he goes, people applaud him. During the elevator ride, a girl held out a copy of the magazine asking for an autograph.Upon entering the company, Carmen greets him effusively, "Good morning, heartthrob! How does it feel to be the Lagoon City sensation? Melissa sure is very proud, huh?"Josias disguises his nervousness with a silly smile, "In the next issue there will be a prettier guy than me and the readers will forget about me.""Even if another guy comes out, they'll never forget you, Josias. You don't seem to be aware of the power you have and the attraction you exude." Carmen extends his mail.Impressed by the secretary's beautiful words, Josias goes to his office.******Raymond and Junior have breakfast at his house. The son is eating his cereal with his head down."Did something
Josias visits the Rocha Hotel since he didn’t have a day off for the staff. In the management room, Eugenio gathered David, Benjamin, and Sybil. “Why is that mere cook present at this meeting?” David asked disparagingly. “Because that’s how our boss ordered it,” Eugenio replied dryly. “I didn’t say anything and didn’t call this meeting, so if you’ll excuse me...” Benjamin and Sybil were horrified to see David leaving the meeting just like that. However, when he opened the door, David came face to face with his father. “David, where do you think you’re going?” “DAD!” David exclaimed, extremely surprised. “I didn’t know you were coming!” “Didn’t Eugenio tell you I was coming?” Josias asked with a scowl. David understood who the ‘boss’ was. Benjamin and Sybil felt vindicated. Josias sat down at the desk, taking Eugenio’s seat, while the manager remained humbly standing. “Very well,” Josias began the meeting in a formal tone, “I’m here just to make things crystal clear. First
Melissa and Mary visit the Mountain Café.“A guava juice for me, Mr. Mountain!” Mary requested, smiling sweetly.“Of course, my princess!” Rodrigo replied, thinking Mary was very adorable. “Neil will make a delicious cup for you.”“Thank you. But the princess is Carol,” Mary responded, striking a serious pose.Melissa and Rodrigo laughed heartily. Mary is something else...“Rod, how has it been managing the café in your father’s absence?” Melissa asked seriously.Rodrigo served a baked chicken pastry with ketchup to Mary. “I'm getting by, Melissa. Josias was here earlier, more concerned about my loss than his own, as always. Isn’t he supposed to be resting?”Melissa nodded. “My husband is like that: he only relaxes when all of us are relaxed.”“An impossible mission because of certain people.”Neilton approached with the glass. “Who ordered a guava juice?”“I DID!” Mary grabbed the glass and went to a table.Melissa leaned forward, “Neil, Rod, how are Daryl and Diane? Behaving?”“Cont
At João Paulo’s house, he and Josias were about to have a significant conversation.“Walter, do you want to go with your mom to the kitchen?” João Paulo asked, looking at Helen. “I think she made some walnut cake.”“It was carrot cake,” Sandra replied, already getting up from the couch.“You got it.” Helen appeared and picked up Walter in her arms. “Let’s let Dad and Uncle Josias talk.”“Bye, Uncle!” Walter waved goodbye to Josias.“Bye-bye, I want a piece later!” Josias chuckled.Once alone with João Paulo, Josias became serious. “Don’t let anything or anyone ruin this family scenario, little brother.”“I’m fine. No one wants to ruin anything,” João Paulo replied casually.“Well, I hope David hasn’t caused you any trouble.”“He probably doesn’t even know I exist, man.” João Paulo shrugged.“But I stopped by Café Montanha and found out that the Vasquez family has replaced the Mountain family as the ‘annoying people.’”João Paulo sighed in disappointment. “Yeah. They—”The doorbell ran
Josias visits Café Montanha for a coffee and finds Rodrigo there. “Rod, how have you been?” Rodrigo is taken aback. “How am I? You’re the one who suffered a horrific loss recently!” “But you also lost your father. We’re in the same situation,” Josias explained as he sat down on a stool. “I’m okay, Josias. Life has a way of cheering me up. For example, I’m back at the diner after Thierry decided to take his place at the supermarket.” Rodrigo smiled. “What about the photography studio?” Josias smiled back. “It’s still going to operate, and Thierry will make periodic visits. But he’s going to appoint one of the staff to manage the studio.” Rodrigo served a pizza pastry to Josias. “Thank you. Well, I hope everything is alright between you two. I need to visit Rosemary and meet Jean Luc — is that the name of the baby?” “Yes, the name of the supermarket heir. Meanwhile, Frank will be here or somewhere else.” Josias interjected, “If Frank wants to work at Rocha Constructions, count
At the Rocha Mansion, Josias receives a visit from Benjamin. “How have you been, Ben? Any news about your parents?” The two embrace. “Actually, that’s what I want to talk about.” Benjamin scratches the back of his neck. The embrace breaks. “Let’s go to my office.” The two gentlemen enter Josias’s imposing office. “Any problems with Adolfo?” Josias asks, becoming serious. “Not yet, but I hope not to have any,” Benjamin replies with some sadness. “You know, Josias, what happened with your father made me think about my family, about how important it is for all of us to be together in the final moments.” “That’s true. João Paulo can tell you that better than I can.” “I think you can say it too. Vernon was the father you never had.” Benjamin clears his throat. “So, I’ve been looking into some hotels and realized there’s a demand at the Rocha Hotel in Victoria.” Josias looks at Benjamin, understanding where he’s going with this. “You want to go to Victoria to be close to your pare
Someone rings the doorbell at João Paulo’s house. The homeowner goes to answer after taking a shower and putting on clean clothes. But when he opened the door, João Paulo felt like slamming it in the visitor’s face. “Don’t be rude!” Erasmo exclaimed. “What do you want, you old bore?” João Paulo shot back. Erasmo barged into João Paulo’s foyer. “The mourning is over. Let’s pick up where we left off.” “Are you crazy? Who decides how long mourning lasts? We just got back from the trip!” “Not exactly, it’s been a day. Life goes on, my friend!” Erasmo replied mockingly. João Paulo remained serious. “But I don’t want to continue living this way, where fights and intrigues are the order of the day. Mr. Vasquez, you have a business to run, and I have a family to raise.” “But you found time to slap my son-in-law when he was here defending his family, didn’t you?” “Alan was extremely rude, but that was some time ago.” João Paulo frowned. “I don’t feel the same anger as before.” “So a
At the Vasquez Mansion, Alan could hardly believe that the people were thinking about more intrigues and disputes. “Guys, don’t you understand that I even forgot the reason I slapped Uncle João Paulo?” “Ridiculous!” Erasmo gestured. “You just maintained respect because it was a difficult occasion. But now, the mourning is OVER!” “Do you think João Paulo will rest, dear?” Sofia asked, sitting next to him. Alan shook his head. “If Uncle João Paulo doesn’t want to rest, then he is truly despicable. But my dad is back in town. He wouldn’t dare to do that.” The news should have been uplifting, but the members of the Vasquez family merely exchanged silent glances. With Josias present, it’s quite likely that he will put a stop to their fighting. Alan turned to Olivia. “In the meantime, we should celebrate the recovery of my dear mother-in-law!” Olivia and Sofia smiled awkwardly because of the secret they were keeping. “That’s right, let’s celebrate life!” Erasmo wrapped his arm arou
Josias Rocha and his family returned to Lagoon City. Those who were waiting for them stayed in the mansion and greeted them cheerfully in the foyer. “WELCOME BACK!” Melissa, crying, embraced her parents, William, and the twins fervently. Josias greeted them with a light smile. “Where’s João Paulo?” William asked. “He went straight to his house. His kids needed to rest from the trip.” Melissa wiped her tears with her fingers. “Alan went straight to his mansion. Especially now that his mother-in-law has woken up from the coma.” “That was a scare; I thought we’d have two funerals,” Simeon commented. Everyone headed to the living room. “Is Paris very beautiful, Mom?” Mary asked. “Yes, sweetheart, it’s stunning. We’ll go shopping together another time, okay?” “Do you have pictures?” Ignacio asked anxiously. “Yes, son, we took some pictures.” Melissa sat on the couch, pulling out a package from her bag. Josias sat in the armchair, taking a deep breath. William approached him.
At Café Montanha, Daryl walks in for a coffee and finds Rodrigo at the counter while Neilton serves the others. “Hey, are we back to the old tradition?” “Don’t be a clown, man.” Rodrigo laughs. “Yes, Thierry is at the supermarket, as we agreed.” “Hi, Neil. Can you make me a cappuccino while I enjoy a natural sandwich?” Daryl places his order. “Sure thing, Mr. Mountain.” Neilton heads to the back. Daryl sits on the stool. “So, how do you feel after getting back to your element?” “I don’t regret at all helping my dear wife at the supermarket, Daryl,” Rodrigo admitted while preparing the natural sandwich. “I’m not talking about regrets.” Daryl joked. “But it’s undeniable that after Uncle Francisco’s passing, you prefer to stay here, carrying on the legacy he left.” “Just like Crystal Blue.” Rodrigo smiled. “Hey, I’m aware that you’re looking to open another restaurant in Sunset Village. Do you think you can manage it? How’s the prospecting going?” Daryl picks up the sandwich but