Vera and Renan are having dinner. The sunset is evident on the urban horizon, but Renan kept the balcony door closed.“Renan, I'm hot.” Vera tries.“I’m going to turn on the air conditioning.” Renan gets up and turns on the air conditioning, irritating Vera.“Did you really think I was going to kill myself?” Vera tries to fish.“Yes, you are very foolish and extremist.” Renan sits down and picks up the knife and fork, “That's why I'm here, to help you.”“Help me with what, dammit?” Vera clatters her silverware onto her plate.“First, help you with table manners. Second, help you with your verbiage. Third, help you become a society lady of Lagoon City.” Renan smiles like the snake, “Don't you want to be famous and be on the cover of Maggiezine like Melissa Mountain and Katherine Rocha?”For a few seconds, Vera forgets everything and smiles at the possibility of being rich and famous. But the dream was short-lived, “NO, not in these conditions of slavery! I want my life back!”“What lif
In the Mountain Penthouse, Melissa's pregnancy is becoming evident. She is smiling and well-dressed for another prenatal exam.Alan and Caroline massage her belly.“Is our little brother kicking, Mommy?”“Once in a while, I feel it, honey. Today we will find out if he is a boy or a girl. Which do you prefer?"Caroline prefers a girl and Alan prefers a boy. Melissa bursts out laughing as she sees her kingdom divided.Kelvin walks over putting on his tie, “I think the knot is crooked.”“You fix it later, honey, I don’t want to be late.”The bell is rung. Kelvin will answer the door for Ernesto.“Are the kids ready for school?” Ernesto asks as he enters, “Ah, hello, Mrs. Mountain.”“Ernie, you can call me Melissa.” She asks gently.“Never. If Mr. Rocha finds out that I'm treating you very freely, he fires me. Sarah is enjoying living at the Rocha mansion with us.”“I guess so.” She laughs, “And what's new?”“My boss is really worried about Vera Reis living with that industrialist at the
Elza is in her office talking to Jane about her decision regarding Renan.“Jane, I am expelling Mr. Vasconcelos from our hotel. I don't want the police to arrest me accused of being an accomplice to kidnapping.”“Until now, no one has said it was kidnapping, ma'am.” Jane ponders calmly.“And you think I’m going to wait for him to ask for ransom?” Elza sits down at her desk and picks up the phone, “I’m getting ahead of myself.” She dials some number and waits to be answered, “Hello, security. Here is Mrs. Queiroz. I gave 24 hours to Mr. Vasconcelos to get out of here. After the deadline, if he remains here, expel him without mercy, keeping Miss Silva's physical integrity, OK? Thanks, bye!” She hangs up, satisfied.“I hope we're not making a lot of noise about nothing.” Jane sighs.Someone knocks on the door and Jane approaches her, “Who is it?”“Vera Reis!”Elza widens her eyes and orders Jane to open the door. Vera enters with a serious face.“Mrs. Queiroz, Renan informed me that you
William, Simeon, and Dora are horrified to find Vera standing on their doorstep.“Hey, what are you doing here?” William neighs, “Do you want to compromise us? Get outta here before your mob lover guns us down!”Vera, instead of obeying William, enters the living room with a smirk, “I was smart enough not to be followed. You underestimate me.”Dora goes back to looking for painkillers for Simeon, “Vera, what did you come here for?”“I need help, guys. I thought about going to Wally's house, but something tells me that his house will be the first place Renan will look for me.”“Stop calling the kidnapper by his first name, bitch!” William screams.Vera turns on William only to slap him, “You're still the same annoying brat! What happened to your soccer career?”“Did you go to Victoria or did you go to Mars?” William counters with a sore cheek, “I retired!”“Yes, but the newspapers can tell one story and the truth can be another.” Vera slyly hints.Dora turns off the radio and finds a p
Elza and Jane are momentarily terrified of Renan. But they decide to empower themselves and face the enemy.Elza responds dismissively, “I didn't know Mr. Vasconcelos is married.”“Cut this nonsense!” Renan roars, “I'm talking about Vera Reis, my woman! I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her!”“Ah, so you are not kidnapping her?” Jane jokes.Renan throws her a feverish look, “If I kidnapped Vera, why didn't anyone call the police?”“Perhaps the police are already aware, but they are working in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment.” Elza bravely replies, “Perhaps it was the police who found Vera and brought her to safety.”“For then I’ll have to clear up the misunderstanding—”“Save your saliva, my dear!” Elza scolds him, “My son, the powerful Josias Rocha, is an eyewitness that you took Vera Reis against her will in a limousine with bodyguards with guns drawn, threatening to shoot her brother. If you go to the police station, you will never leave there!”Bu
Francisco enters Shirley's apartment and is surprised by the open door.“Shirley? The door was open! Where are you?”The apartment was silent, making Francisco afraid. Did something happen with his sister-in-law and his ex-girlfriend?Francisco remembers the day he broke up with Shirley. After he went to his apartment, she tried to go back to reason with him.“Frank, you weren't serious. We cannot part if we love each other madly!”“Do you love me, Shirley?” He snaps back, “So you swear never to be that annoying, nasty woman again? Do you promise to make peace with Maggie and forget about this theory that Henry is Jack Motta's son? My daughter is dating the guy and you offend her with that insinuation!”“It's not innuendo, Frank, it's rock-solid truth!”“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?” Francisco roars.Shirley takes two steps back and replies in an uncertain tone, “I just know. I know my daughter.”“It seems to be the other way around.” Francisco shakes his head, “You don't know Margareth. So
Back at the Mountain Penthouse, Melissa happened to meet up with her husband.“Honey, how was the noon service?”“Lots of customers, lots of food served, lots of caviar and grilled salmon, and Diane didn't get wrong a single cocktail,” Kelvin responds by forcing good humor.“It's weird people showing up for drinks at noon.” Melissa sits on the couch.“Sometimes people want to celebrate a deal they made.” Kelvin sits down next to her.Melissa observes her husband's features, “Kelvin, I know you well enough to see there's something wrong with you.”Kelvin sighs, “It has. Melissa...” He looks at her, “My mother went to live with her family in Linhares.”Melissa widens her eyes, “Really? Since when? She didn't come to say goodbye...”“After the ice treatment we gave her, she was unlikely to say goodbye!” Kelvin exclaims.“And now you regret it?” Melissa asks cautiously.“I don't know, I have mixed emotions.” Kelvin crosses his arms, “My mom broke up with Uncle Francisco and since then she
Time is passing, and the construction of the new headquarters of Rocha Constructions is taking shape. Josias faces the construction of four floors plus private parking with a boyish smile.Tiago appears beside him, “Who would have thought, huh, master? In 1981, even I wouldn't have dreamed of getting this far. We started in that dilapidated building and will now continue in our own headquarters.”“I am very happy, Tiago. Everaldo didn't play around on duty.” Josias answers.“Speaking of mysterious things,” Tiago chuckles, “how is the matter with our rival?”“What rival?” Josias is genuinely scared.“That crazy person who won't leave Tiago Ibrahim's side.” Tiago gets serious, “He actually managed to build one of the factories not far from here.”Josias takes a deep breath, “Unfortunately, as an advocate of capitalism, I cannot stop anyone from starting any kind of commercial venture. I just need to know if Mr. Vasconcelos is expanding his business with the right mindset.”“What do you