At Café Montanha, customers began to arrive. Francisco got up to answer them and Isabel went behind him at the counter. Their radio is playing “Be Alone No More” by Another Level.“And then, dear? What do you think of my idea?”“I thought it was sensational, honey.” Francisco winks, “It's too bad I can't be of help.”“Are you good at grammar? You can be my proofreader.” Isabel jokes.“I thought that Marçal Publishing House already made this available to you. You are the writer that keeps that company going.”“I pay for Henrique’s porridge.” Isabel boasts comically, making her boyfriend laugh as he prepares an espresso for one of the customers.Meanwhile, Wallace and Vera are still sitting.“You didn't say much, honey.” Wallace asserts.Vera is worried, “What can you say in situations like this, honey? I'm very worried about discouraging your mother, but I think the idea is absurd. At least she could just do the reporting and let someone else produce the book. But will she be the one t
At General Hospital, William feels entitled to be offended by what Simeon has said to him.“Father, I can't believe you think you've failed me. It's not enough that I had an accident, now you've decided to say that you despise me?”Simeon rolls his eyes. LCN is losing a telenovela actor, “Will, pay attention. I said that your mother and I failed you because we didn't know how to raise you. It's our fault, and now, we'll have to put up with your grumblings for the rest of our lives.”William swallows hard and softens his voice, “Dad, you and Mom raised me very well.”“O really?” Simeon lashes out, “Then why are you what you are?”“External factors.” William snorts, “If there were no Josias in our lives—”Simeon interrupts him, “If Josias hadn't existed in our lives, we'd still be in that shack in Happiness Slum, and your sister would be married to that rapist Fabrício, introduced by Pamela, remember?”“Or Melissa would have been married to WALLACE, and he wouldn't have ruined his life
Jack meets Octavio at Café Montanha. The big brother is sipping regular coffee while Mariah Carey's song “The Roof” doesn't get out of the radio charts.“Bro, how nice to meet you here.” Jack pulls up a chair and sits down, “I need to tell you something we decided.”“Yes. Jane and I also decided something.” Octavio smiles and places the cup on the saucer.“Veronica and I are thinking of taking our father to a quiet life in Sunset Village, or an apartment in the building where the Mountain Penthouse is located. The location is closer to the General Hospital.” Jack announces.Octavio is a little embarrassed, “Ehr... Jack, the idea is great. But Jane suggested that we live at home precisely to take care of our father.”Jack laughs. They are at an impasse.“Complicated...” Jack scratches the back of his head, “At least I know I don't want to live in Rainbow Garden anymore. And you, my brother, should think of another dwelling. You are the Head of architects at Rocha Constructions, your sa
“Shut up, WILLIAM?”This question was asked by Dora when she was with Simeon at home in the living room. The sportscaster was lamenting the loss of the Brazilian soccer team to the French in the World Cup final. Since Simeon and Dora didn't want to suffer defeat anymore, they decided to talk about what was going on in their family.“Exactly, dear.” Simeon nods, “I couldn't take it. I saw William through our grandson. So the best way to have ended that fight was to call Alan by the name of the person he hates the most.”“Kids don't hate, honey.” Dora shakes her head.“OK, let’s say this is about dislike.” Simeon gestures. He picks up the TV remote and turns it off, “Alan had a meltdown just like our son and locked himself in his room. Poor Reuben stood in the middle of the living room not understanding where he went wrong.”Dora laces her fingers together, worried, “I don't like this, honey. When Reuben understands that he is being snubbed by Alan, he will buy a revolver when he comes
Josias shows up at Rocha Constructions and is greeted by everyone, from the girls who work in the lobby to the elevator operator and the cleaning ladies. He is truly respected and revered by all.When he arrives at his office floor, Josias finds Tiago waiting for him in the hallway.“Master, can we speak in your office?”“And when we couldn’t talk?” Josias jokes.“The matter is serious. I understand that the succession of this company is open again. Would that be necessary... or prudent?”As they walk to the office, Josias replies, “My successor is still Alan, Tiago.”“But it's that word 'still' that concerns me, master.” Tiago asserts, “You don't want Angela and Katherine to fight again and be Melissa's enemies, do you?”Josias takes the key from his pocket and unlocks his office door. Pollyanna had left the air conditioning on and the room was cool, “No, I don't. But my son is not making it easy for me.”Tiago rolls his eyes, “What did he do now?”“My ex-father-in-law said he was be
In the Mountain Penthouse, Kelvin is outraged by a visitor mistreating the lady of the home.“Mrs. Rocha, Katherine, I don't know what you want to be called: don't come to my home to insult my wife.”Katherine smiles venomously and retorts rudely, “Don't you realize that none of this is really yours? You are living in the penthouse that was purchased by Josias and you are married to a woman who once slept with the same Josias, and to top it all off, you are raising two of Josias's children!”Melissa can't take it anymore and raises her hand to slap the insolent one, but Kelvin catches it in time.Katherine widens her eyes, “Let her go, Kelvin! Let's see if she has the nerve to slap me. In the next issue of Maggiezine, her reputation will be ruined!”“Maggie would never low herself to that role!” Melissa screams.“My dear, before she was your sister-in-law, she was editor-in-chief of the magazine that has grown the most in circulation. She wouldn't pass up this hot gossip.”Kelvin is d
Caio arrives from school still wearing his uniform, just in time to see his family arguing once more.“This is the height of absurdity!” Dora exclaims, “Caio said he would stay at the pizzeria helping you and you encouraged him. Now you want him to steal Alan's throne?”Caio widens his eyes at this information. But the adults have their backs to him. William could see him, but he's focused on pestering his parents.“Yes, I want the best for my child.” William asserts, “I agreed to let him stay with me at the pizzeria because I didn't see how he could own Rocha Constructions. But now that Alan is failing and proving to be an annoying guy, why can't I dream about the possibility? Josias is fond of my son and is sure to see to it if you ask—”Caio can't take it anymore and chimes in, “OK, let's stop this insane conversation now! What's going on here, can't you spend a week in peace in this family?”William smiles slyly, “Sonny, the position is open for you to succeed Josias in the compan
At Marçal Publishing, Bernardo is turning on his computer when the secretary appears in the doorway.“Excuse me, Mr. Marçal. Mr. Oliveira, from LCN, would like to speak with you.”“Send him in, even though we don’t have an appointment.” Bernardo is curious.Daniel enters the office in a suit and tie and with a sly smile, “Hello, Mr. Marçal!”“Mr. Oliveira, I am curious about your presence.” Bernardo greets him by shaking hands, “What can I do for you?”“Remember our proposal to adapt Isabel Freire’s latest book, ‘Love Spins the World’?”“Exactly. You came to give the answer.” Bernardo sits down.Daniel takes a seat in the visitors' seat, “Actually, I came to ask another question. Isabel Freire appeared on LCN announcing that she intends to write the biography of Uélton Freire.”“It's her late youngest son, you know.” Bernard nods.“The Board asked if it wouldn't be more interesting for us to do a limited series based on his biography instead of the other book.” Daniel smiles, showing
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