A few weeks go by. Cristina is getting healthier and healthier, recovering from the accident. A physical therapist recommended she should walk again to find out if her leg motor function had been affected.When Cristina starts walking with her hands on the iron bars, the physical therapist notices that she barely makes an effort.“Very well, Cristina.” He compliments her, “I can see you're just weak from the time you've been lying down, but soon you'll get that back too.”“Does that mean I won't be paralyzed?” Cristina asks anxiously.“Of course not, who told you such nonsense?”Cristina fades her smile, “I had the feeling when I saw my husband in the wheelchair. Looks like he doesn't get out of there.”“He is also recovering, my friend.” The doctor seems to be hiding something as he is not facing the patient.Cristina has the same feeling but decides to focus on walking between the bars.******At Angela's apartment, she enters with numerous plastic bags from the Ramos Supermarket. T
Dora is upset to see that William practically confessed to her why he got punched.“You said you were robbed and the thief punched you!” Dora complains.“Who told you such nonsense?” William still has the nerve to pretend.“I just got a call from your uncle, reporting you.” Dora approaches him, “Who punched you, Tiago or Igor?”“It was a thief, mother, I was robbed!” William screams in panic like he's the same crybaby from 1980.Dora has the same feeling, “How ironic. You in that expensive and social outfit, as if you were an adult businessman, you actually behave as if you were still that whiny kid from the past, that boring guy who wanted Melissa to be a spinster.”William reddens, “Yeah, what's the use? Now Melissa is destroyed because the bastard allowed himself to die when he went to shut up his lover! If Melissa had obeyed me, none of this would have happened!”Simeon appears in the living room and joins in the conversation, “Son, if Melissa hadn't married Josias, we wouldn't ha
Angela enters the bank branch where Raymond works. He calls her to attend to her.“Next!”Angela sits down with a smile, “Good afternoon, I came to open my savings account.”“Documents, please.” Raymond requests with a serious face.Angela is a little intimidated. Actually, Raymond is in a bad mood because of everything he's been going through.He types the data provided by the new client with extra force into the computer. The bank brought this technological novelty and Raymond was forced to take a computer course at night, making him more tired due to the tight routine.“Would you not be the same Angela Sousa who claimed to be pregnant with Josias Rocha?” Raymond narrows his eyes.Angela gets outraged, “I didn't claim; David IS the son of Josias!”“The newspapers said that Josias was in a car accident on his way back from the capital after visiting you.” Raymond smiles sarcastically.“Yes, and I will be eternally sad about it.” Angela snorts.“And you didn't stop giving interviews t
Maggie returns to Marçal Publishing and meets with her husband, always attentive to news and difficulties to solve.“Yes, Melissa Rocha allowed a new release of Josias's biography: a limited edition with some updates provided by her. Wait for my instructions.” Bernardo hangs up the phone and looks up when he feels someone enter the office, “Oh, it's you, my love. How was the interview with the sensation couple of the moment?”Maggie sits in the visitors' chair, dreamily, “Ah... how beautiful love is!”“You look like a teenager in love.” Bernardo jokes.“Well, I'm not that old yet.” Maggie chimed in, “The interview was a success. Mr. and Mrs. Barbosa love each other and are more united than ever. The face of Mr. Barbosa only withered away when he mentioned his son.”“His son?” Bernardo narrows his eyes.“I already had them search: Adrian Barbosa. This is the same nut who goes around saying he's going to marry Melissa Rocha.”“Careful, Maggie, we don't want to harm Widow Rocha,” Bernard
Tuesday. Melissa is standing in a graphite-colored pantsuit listening to the headlines on the radio.“And the residents of the Rocha residential complex had a little party yesterday in honor of the late Josias Rocha. Now enjoy Deborah Blando's new hit 'Innocence'!”The music starts to play, and the ballad leaves Melissa thoughtful, remembering the romantic and intimate moments she spent with Josias, the great love of her life.When Melissa was thinking about the night she asked Josias to perform a striptease dressed as a firefighter, the doorbell rang, and she decides to stop thinking to answer it.Upon opening the door, William appears without waiting for an invitation, “We need to talk, little sister!”Melissa rolls her eyes but closes the door and goes into the living room.She is shocked to see her younger brother turning off the radio, “Hey, why did you turn off the radio? The music is so beautiful...”“Sis, how long are you going to think and remember the guy who horned you?” Wi
At the Rocha penthouse, Dora arrives in time to see Melissa slap her younger brother.“Melissa! What the hell is going on here?”“Mother, did you correct my brother's crooked thoughts?” Melissa turns to her.Dora is also discouraged. Oh, damn, why did William decide to be so annoying?William massages his numb cheek, “Did you ladies agree to slap me?”“Will, don't you have to go to work?” Dora asks ironically.“I have, in the place I deserve.”“If you continue like this, Tiago will fire you!” Melissa asserts, “I want to see you try to get back into sports!”William feels extremely hurt, “I didn't need to appeal so low, sis.”“Will, just because Josias went from Head of Engineering to the president doesn't mean you have to go through the same promotion.” Melissa tries to explain with the patience of a teacher, “Tiago has been with the company since it started in 1981 and he knows all the details to run it.”“Okay, but the bastard who cheated on you with the luxury escort has appointed
In the Rocha penthouse, the tense and embarrassing situation continues. Alan approaches the others in the living room, stomping and scowling. “Uncle Will, how dare you to speak ill of my late father?” Melissa widens her eyes. Is the son speaking in the same firm tone as the father? William, however, just smiles petulantly, “Who are you to talk to me like that, brat?” “I am Alan Rocha, the heir of everything, so said my mother.” Alan boldly responds, “I still don't know what that means, but I don't like you cursing me, least of all my dad!” Dora approaches and takes Alan by the arm, “OK my grandson, don't get involved in the conversation, please.” “Ground him, Granny!” Alan demands of her. The two withdraw. Melissa smiles proudly for her son. “See why I wanted you single?” William doesn't turn the record, “Now you're alone and you're going to have to put up with two annoying kids.” “I ‘put up with’ both of them with the greatest pleasure.” Melissa counters, “The best thing I've
Melissa, Tiago, Igor, William, and Octavio are in the meeting room to discuss an important subject: the hotel. “Gentlemen, we need to talk about Rocha Hotel.” Melissa begins, “We need to move forward with my late husband's project.” “Bullshit...” William grumbles, frowning. “Melissa, do you think this is a good idea?” Tiago asks cautiously. Melissa hands them copies of the newspaper Carmen had taken for her, “See the news for yourselves. Josias told me that the construction of the hotel was in support of the expansion of the Lagoon City Journal which will soon become the Lagoon City Network. The construction of the studio where the news will be broadcast is at full speed. Later this year they will likely inaugurate the TV station.” “Yes, and Mayor Ibrahim commented that our city doesn't have a hotel that can accommodate people of this level.” Igor helps with the argument. Tiago smiles, “What do you say to us, Octavio?” “The floor plans are moldy in my living room drawers.” He re
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