In the school playground, Alan approaches Pedro, Rosemary, and Patrick with the walkman in his hand.
“Guys, have you heard about the kidnapping of Lafayette's son? God, this guy is a lightning rod for confusion, huh?”
“I don't know, nor do I want to know!” Rosemary trembles with anger.
“What's the matter, Rose?”
“Alan, this imbecile is of legal age, but he keeps undressing Rose with his eyes.” Patrick retorts irritably, “And you remember where he was mugged.”
“Yes, close to where you live.”
Pedro adds, “Meaning, he was chasing my sister, in ambush, waiting for her to come out to kidnap her and—”
“STOP, guys!” Rosemary screams and shakes with fear.
Patrick hugs her, “Don't worry, honey. I’m here to protect you.”
“So the information Dad and Tess got makes sense.” Pedro continues, “The be
Moments later, Octavio finds the aforementioned wasteland. He goes looking for a young man who is probably hiding because of the shame of being naked and beaten.“Hello! If there's a guy here, I came to help you!”Octavio rummages through cardboard boxes and garbage cans. The stench is not comforting.As he turns toward a pile of abandoned bricks, he appears to have seen someone's foot.“I found you. Mr. Lafayette, I came on a mission of peace.”Upon hearing the name, Thierry allows himself to be seen. The aloof expression on his face scares Octavio.“Don't be like that. Come, wrap yourself in this blanket.”“Who are you and how did you know I was here?”“I’m Octavio Motta, best friend of Josias Rocha.” Octavio smiles gently.“How can you be best friends with that monster?” Thierry barks.“Josias Rocha is not a monster. He told me
At the Lafayette Mansion, the mood worsens with the discovery that Thierry won’t return home.“Stop your nonsense, you maniac kidnapper!” Jacques yells, “I want my son back home now!”“Mr. Lafayette, you must understand that Josias Rocha does everything – I mean EVERYTHING – to protect his people.”“I don't want to hear about it! I want my son safe and sound or I'll have to go back to the police! Josias Rocha prevented us from filing a complaint because he assured us that our son would come back! Why are you doing this, WHY?”Ingrid starts to cry when she understands that Thierry will not return.Octavio takes a deep breath, “Your son committed a crime and will pay, on my friend’s terms.”“Is he a businessman or does he work for the criminal underworld?” Jacques counters.“Think what you will, Mr. Lafayette, here's the thing: you fail
Jane is making breakfast as she pumps up to Mariah Carey's song “Never Too Far”. She deposits today's options: black coffee, skim milk, toast, honey, plum jam, potato bread, and rye bread.When the part of the whistle register comes, Jane tries to imitate the singer, but as she is not trained for this, she chokes and reacts as if she had an avocado pit stuck in her throat.Thierry only appears in boxer shorts that Octavio bought for him, terrified by the infernal noise, “MRS. MOTTA, what's going on?”Jane pulls herself together and laughs, “Ha, ha, ha! What is it, Thierry? I didn't know I sang so badly!”Jane takes advantage and smiles at Thierry's slender but toned body, “Now I understand why Rosemary fell in love with you.”Thierry is embarrassed and remembers his condition, “Ehr, sorry, I thought there was some robbery going on. And Rosemary fell in love with the beggar, not me.”“All of this will be resolved when you speak the truth.” Jane states, “Breakfast is ready.”“Then I’ll
At the Lafayette mansion, Jacques walks in with his arm still sore. Ingrid and Nadia are waiting anxiously in the foyer.But the head of the family is irritated precisely because of the two ladies waiting for him, “Why are you standing there? I'm not Batman, Jeez!”Ingrid rages, “So you couldn't rescue our son? What kind of father are you?”“Dad, what happened to your arm?” Nadia asks.“Thanks, at least someone cares, right?” Jacques goes to the kitchen, “Mr. Bento appeared, I tried to punch him, but he attacked me instead.”Nadia and Ingrid follow him.“This is outrageous!” Ingrid neighs, “We need to sue this Bento family or investigate what they're hiding under the rug!”“Despite Sergeant Moraes's best efforts, I feel he is no match for the big shots.” Jacques comments as he searches the fridge for something, “He doesn't have the slightest bit of power. The Rocha and Bento clans rule this town, and we made the biggest mistake of our lives in moving here.”Nadia senses where the conv
At the advertising agency, Nadia and Rodrigo meet to check out the recorded commercial. Both are seated at a round table, in a conference room, in front of a screen where the image of the commercial will be projected.As Nadia had requested, a family consisting of a husband, wife, and two children was shopping at the supermarket. The wife chose vegetables, the husband chose barbecue meat, and the children chose treats.Then Rodrigo appears smiling, in a navy blue polo shirt and freshly dyed jeans, with the aforementioned family in the background, “Lafayette Supermarket: ready to serve your whole family. Come check!”That simple sentence and Rodrigo's few seconds of acting were enough for Nadia to feel pregnant with triplets.The commercial ended, and the person responsible for the project turned on the lights. He was a docile, adorable, bespectacled boy with a good heart. It was probably his first job after graduating from UFES.“What then, Miss Lafayette? Is the commercial to your li
Days passed. Cláudio is in his apartment, lying on the sofa wrapped in a blanket from the waist down, reading the LCN newspaper.A piece of news that read more like a footnote from Vernon reported that Thierry Lafayette has been found and is safe.Cláudio frowns, “Such an important story that ran for days, suddenly disappeared from TV and newspapers, and now that the case has been resolved, they just write this tiny note? What does that mean? Could it be... could it be that the matter was truly resolved?”A malicious smile springs from Claudio's lips.He settles back into the pillows and continues to scan the headlines, but nothing else is said.“Why do I have the feeling that this has the hand of Josias Rocha?”******In Gabriela's apartment, the subject is the same.Gabriela is trying to feed baby food to a reluctant Sandra, “Darling, isn't there anything else in the papers about Th
Claudio visits the Lafayette Supermarket. He is enchanted by the place full of customers, filling the shopping carts, driven by the commercial that always runs in the intervals of ‘Sweet Love’, ‘Love Spins the World’, and on the TV news.Ronan Keating's song “Life Is A Rollercoaster” sets the mood for the supermarket.Claudio looks at the promotional prices, smiles assent, looking for someone from the Lafayette family. Nobody.So he sneaks through the direct access to the warehouse and finds Nadia walking into her office (which should be Thierry’s).Nadia is in awe of the effect the commercial has had. It was a necessary and wise investment.When she is smiling, remembering Rodrigo gesticulating when saying ‘Come check it out’, with his arm muscles flexing, with his chest marked in the polo collar shirt, behold, another attractive man clears his throat.“Caham, caham... Excuse me, M
At Lafayette Supermarket, the conversation between Nadia and Cláudio continues. Now they were both sitting opposite each other with their cup of coffee.“So, Miss Lafayette?”Nadia shakes the hand holding the cup, “Mr. Guzman...”“Call me Cláudio,” He said with an irresistible smile.“Cláudio… as I said, I don't think we should take any chances with the city's big shots. We’re only one year here, I don't know if I do well to face Josias Rocha.”“So, he has something to do with your brother's disappearance.” Cláudio concludes, still grinning, “I'm glad he reappeared. Can I talk to him?”“He didn't reappear!” Nadia blurts out, then widens her eyes.“Perfect!” Cláudio puts his cup on the saucer and applauds, “I was suspicious of that footnote left by Vernon Queiroz.”“Wha
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