After the first session is over, Vera leaves and is surrounded by journalists curious to get some testimony from her.“Miss Reis, are you confident that the kidnapper will be put behind bars?”“How do you feel after finally being able to vent?”“Do you believe the nightmare is over?”Vera finally responds with a confident smile, “I am convinced that the nightmare is over. I contributed to society by having a little peace by denouncing evil and rottenness. Now I’ll sleep more peacefully, thank you.”A cloud of flash pops over Vera as the journalists try to elicit more answers, but Vera walks away with a graceful wave.Beto finds her, “Little sister, you were amazing! The imbecile has completely lost control.”“I don't think he ever had control.” Vera says, “We are the ones who let ourselves be carried away by his magnetism. But he was just an empty package covering nothing.”“That's great. Take away the famous and industrial Renan and we’ll only see an idiot.” Beto laughs.Wallace walk
Josias and Tiago enter Ivan Moraes's office. The sergeant is handling another case, coincidentally, on the day of the Trial of the Year.“Sergeant!” Tiago exclaims, startling Moraes, “What are you doing here? Were you not summoned to testify?”“I have been scheduled for the next hearing.” Ivan blatantly lies, still staring at the computer.“O really?” Josias asks wryly, “That's cool, so you'll meet with my parents. They’ll report that the defendant used to bring harlots to my hotel as if he wanted to set up a net on my property. How absurd, right?”Ivan types so hard that the keyboard could break loose at any moment, “What do gentlemen want?”“Laugh in your face.” Tiago responds without fear of being detained for contempt, “You fought like hell to let Renan Vasconcelos free. When Mayor Tobias withdrew his support, you tried to delay the trial by getting my master into the mess, digging up an unrelated matter. Now we have the result.”“You are very brave to come here to mock an authori
Josias returns to Rocha Constructions and finds Katherine waiting for him.“Honey, shouldn't you be in the Teodoro building’s canteen eating with everyone else?”Katherine smiles romantically, “I'd rather celebrate with you.”“Are you prepared for the next action of our lives?” Josias asks softly, in her ear.Katherine feels goosebumps. Of course she's prepared! Being Mrs. Rocha is everything she's wanted since 1992.“My father called.” Katherine changes her tone, “He said he wants everything bad for our lives and that J.J. die.”Josias breaks the smile. The frown is so ugly that Katherine is even afraid of him.“I think I'll pay my father-in-law a visit.”Katherine already imagines the Bezerra Farm being set on fire while Ephraim is burned alive on a stake as if he were the scarecrow of the field, “NO, dear, don't stain your hands with blood! We are going to look for Everaldo so that he can pronounce a blessing instead of a curse.”“OK, let God take care of those who curse us.” Josia
The big day of Josias and Katherine's wedding arrived.As agreed when Josias was still engaged to Angela, the wedding this time took place at the Rocha Mansion.The weather was generous: it didn't rain a deluge, but it didn't give a scorching sun that would make everyone uncomfortable.The altar was set up in the garden. As often happens in Hollywood movies, split seats were positioned between the bride and groom's side, a white canvas canopy was mounted over the altar, and a sound system was installed so the priest's speech could be heard well by those present.Guests marvel at the luxury of the mansion and can't wait for the moment to be able to enter it. For now, they would have to watch the ceremony outside.Josias had isolation tape put up in the pool area so no child or clumsy guest would venture out and fall.He looks very elegant in his black tuxedo. It was agreed that Josias would be the only one to wear a matching vest to differentiate himself from the other groomsmen.Uélto
Melissa doesn't understand why Kelvin got upset with Uélton's question, “Honey, it's not a big deal. Let's check if the kids are ready.”Kelvin steps in front of Melissa's steps with a frown, “Honey, answer my question.”Melissa stares Kelvin deep into his eyes, “No, you're not crazy or stupid to think I won't leave you, because I never will. I don’t want to do that. Not after everything we've been through, not with twins who aren't even a year old. Anyone who thinks that doesn't know me.”“Then let Uélton know about it.” Kelvin turns off the radio, “I already told Daryl.”Melissa starts to fret, “Actually, these insinuations offend me. No one thinks I prefer to stay with you. As handsome as Josias is, he decided to marry someone else today, and I want to be there because I am the mother of his two children.”“Looks like we're even.” Kelvin smiles slightly, “I also have two of your children.”Melissa calms down as she feels that her husband is lighting the gloomy atmosphere, “Yes, lif
Katherine is in one of the bedrooms checking her dress and makeup in the mirror. She is emotional and tries hard not to cry. Finally, the day she's been looking forward to has finally arrived! It was ironic that until 1995 she thought the battle was lost, but when Angela decided to become a bad person, Josias boldly kicked Angela out and singled her out.One might imply that Katherine was the second choice, but she is too happy to care about that detail. So what if she was the second choice? It’s SHE who will walk down the aisle, confirm ‘I do’, and be Mrs. Rocha. What was the point of being the first and not getting the prize?The door opens and Melissa enters the room. She is impacted for a moment and analyzes the bride. The white, lacy dress, with golden details on the train, a defined waist, and a voluminous skirt gave Katherine the appearance of a princess.Melissa remembered that when it was her turn in 1984, her dress was much simpler. Is it '90s fashion, or did Josias take mor
Melissa meets with her family. Daryl and Diana arrive almost late and sit behind them.Kelvin leans towards her, “Where have you been, honey?”“I was talking to the bride, thinking she needed help.”Kelvin smiles, “How lovely, honey, you helped the bride...”“It wasn’t necessary.” Melissa responds dryly and faces the altar, “She was already dressed and made up by professionals. But I can't blame her. When I married Josias, I could count on my family and friends. Kate couldn't even count on the father who uttered curses when she tried to invite him.”“Glad you understand, sweetheart.” Kelvin kisses Melissa's cheek.Daryl is frowning and wanting to squeeze Melissa's neck, “Did you hear that, darling?” he whispered.“Yes, and I don't mean to make a fuss about it.” She whispers back.“She's comparing marriages—” Daryl cuts himself off as William takes a seat next to him, “Oh my God, did Josias invite you? I thought you hated him.”“And I hate him.” William snorts, “The invitation came on
1998Great commotion and agglomeration in the East Lagoon neighborhood. Today is the inauguration of the new headquarters of Rocha Constructions!Josias keeps pinching himself to see if he's dreaming or if he's fulfilling yet another dream. He looks up and thanks God for all the achievements he has had.When looking at the crowd that awaits him, he instinctively looks for Everaldo. Where is he? Isabel swore he was at the wedding, but he didn't see him either among those present or at the wedding feast.Tiago was at the entrance of the building, on an improvised platform, speaking with a microphone to the crowd.“My dears, many of you know me as the 'money man'.” Laughter among those present, “Yes, I was the one who provided the start-up capital. There was a man, Romualdo Silva, who believed in a dream. After seeing how skillfully he and his team built my house in Happiness Slum, I couldn't stay quiet, I had to help him. Well, look how far we've come!”Everyone applauds effusively. Tia
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