Melissa is having a drink in Josias's office. The door opens and Melissa smiles."Hello, my dear. I was waiting for—”Melissa turns around, but her smile crumbles like a sandcastle.Lorraine was staring back at her.“Mrs. Rocha, we need to talk.”"Do we need?" Melissa mixes another drink with ice, “Would you like a whiskey?”“I don't want to drink on duty. Josias wouldn’t like it.” Lorraine speaks in a dangerous tone.Melissa has her eyes on the drink mix, “It's so funny how everyone uses the title except you. Whoever listens to you will think you’re someone close to the family.”“I ain’t someone close to the family.” Lorraine leans in closer, “But I want you to know that I have no reservations with Josias. And he never cared.”“Of course not, Josias is always kind and gentlemanly with women,” Melissa smirks, but Lorraine thinks Melissa is smiling in camaraderie.“So you weren't upset?” Lorraine smiles in relief, “Good. The last thing I want is to cause discord in the relationship bet
Josias goes to his office and first meets Pollyanna.“Hello, Pollyanna. Something happened?”“Sir, Mrs. Rocha is waiting for you in your office. I can already tell you that things are bad.”“Oh, damn, what happened this time?” Josias sighs impatiently.“She had a mini confrontation with Lorraine.” Pollyanna is vexed.“And why would the two of them have to clash?” Josias shrugs.“Sir, the custom of Mrs. Moraes calling you by your first name made your wife jealous. She loves you, you know that.”“Yes, I know.” Josias smiles from the corner of his mouth.He nods to the secretary and heads to his office.Melissa is waiting for him, sitting on the sofa, her glass of whiskey on the rocks in her hands, empty.“Good morning, my love! Shall we have lunch at Crystal Blue?” Josias greets her, placing the briefcase on the desk.“I’d rather go to your hotel restaurant, where Ben is killing it as a cook.” Melissa looks at the glass.Josias stands in front of her, “Pollyanna told me. And if you want
Josias and Melissa have already ordered. Melissa chose the carbonara.Now she is listening to Josias narrate his day with excitement.“When Flávia entered the orphanage, her eyes filled with tears, but it wasn’t from panic. She saw the portrait I had made of Uélton. Yes, I had the ears retouched and made them a little smaller, but she was grateful anyway.”Melissa nods, “Good, honey. And will she want to work in there?”“Yes, she will.” Josias guarantees, “She’ll be very happy to help. And I promised to pay a good salary.”“I hope she makes it. Now all that’s left is for Reuben to take a job at headquarters.” Melissa looks back to see if someone is bringing the white wine.However, when Melissa turns around, she sees Jane and the Chef conferring with worried faces.Jane spots Melissa and Josias and hurries over to their table.“Oh, when the chef told me you were here... This has to be a miracle!”“What is it, Jane?” Josias quickly transforms into the protective lion.“Daryl is here!”
At the Rocha Hotel, Benjamin meets Jane.“Jane, are you sure about this?”“Yes, Ben.” Jane winks, “Go talk and see what the moron wants with you.”“I don’t think we need to be fortune tellers to know what he wants,” Benjamin speaks with bitterness.“Then you already know what to answer him.” Jane takes Benjamin’s arm and leads him into the hallway, where Daryl is waiting anxiously.Daryl smiles like a snake when he sees Benjamin, “Ben! How long haven’t we seen each other?”Jane leaves, smiling sarcastically, not buying Daryl’s performance.Benjamin looks at Daryl indifferently, “Mr. Mountain, I need to get back to the kitchen quickly. They called me right in time for me to cook the carbonara Melissa ordered.”Daryl smirks, thinking he’s delaying Melissa’s order, unaware that Josias was the one who ordered it. He quips, “Oh, we can’t keep the hotel owner’s wife waiting, can we? Ben, I distinctly remember that when you first came to Lagoon City, you came to us, wanting to take a job at
Daryl visits Marçal Publishing and sees Thierry leaving the company after confirming his employment contract with the company, especially with Maggie’s magazine.“Mr. Lafayette? What did you come here for?” Daryl stops his steps, “No, wait, don’t tell me you’re here to sell your pictures for Maggiezine! Is that?”“And what would be the problem?” Thierry knits his eyebrow.“It’s just that if that’s true, it would be a tremendous injustice, don’t you think?” Daryl smirks, “I tried twice to buy your pictures and you refused to sell, but for everyone else...”“Mr. Mountain, I believe I own my photos and I sell them to whoever I want.” Thierry retorts.He gives Daryl a nice push and strides off.Daryl feels pain in his shoulder and massages it, “Ouch!”Then he goes straight to his sister’s office.Maggie is on the phone, “Yes, Cesar, let the others know. We got the collaboration of Thierry Lafayette, a promising photographer... Yes, from the family that runs the supermarket. For the time b
At Rocha Mansion, Melissa meets with Elza and Dora in her private office.“Good morning, ladies!” Melissa closes the door.“Good morning, Melissa.” Elza has a catalog in hand.Melissa views the catalog, “May I know what this is, mother-in-law?”“Yes. It’s for you to properly call me mother-in-law in the future.” Elza hands Melissa the catalog.As she reads it, Melissa catches her breath.“Elza... It’s the new Happy Bride catalog!”Dora sits on the same sofa as Melissa, next to her, “Daughter, look at these beautiful and modern models... But the price...”Melissa giggles, “We can’t get too baffled about the price, Mom. Josias will pay for everything with a big smile. The important thing is that we’re finally free to formalize our union.”Dora chirps, “I thought this day would never come! I’m glad I’m alive to witness my daughter reuniting with the true love of her life for the second time!”Melissa puts the catalog on her lap and begins to meditate on the twists and turns of her life,
Josias is walking through the corridors of Rocha Constructions with Octavio, discussing the news.“Is it serious?” Octavio frowns, “Did Daryl try to snatch Ben from your restaurant to his? Can’t he win by his own means?”“I think his restaurant is down in popularity.” Josias smirks, “People aren’t enjoying seeing him be my enemy.”“Josias, how long will you endure this unreasonable persecution?” Octavio asks in exasperation.“Until he raises the banner of peace,” Josias calmly answers, “He started it, so he’ll stop it.”“But this is absurd. So far he has only been defeated. And now, there’s still a chance he’ll be arrested for trying to kill you.” Octavio sighs.“Didn’t Jane tell you about this?” Josias raises an eyebrow.“No, she probably wanted to spare me.” Octavio scratches the back of his head.Reuben approaches Josias, panting from the rush, “Uncle Josias, thank God!”“What is it, Reuben, why are you panting like that?” Josias holds Reuben by his shoulders, “Did something happen
Josias and Francisco continue to talk about the letter.“Francisco, first of all, I don’t want you to be mad at Reuben.”“Reuben?” Francisco squints.“That’s right.” Josias gestures, “He was just trying to help.”“How Reuben wrote a letter to Shirley—” Francisco choked on the words, widening his eyes as if to say ‘I get it,’ “...He took the previous letter I threw in the trash.”“He read the first letter and was outraged by Shirley’s boldness.” Josias tries to smooth over the situation, “So he reached out to me, and I suggested he impersonate you, replying to the letter to ask Shirley not to come here.”“And now, she’s suspicious of the letter’s legitimacy and wants to come back to town to see me!” Francisco complains, “This is absurd, Josias! You two should have left the matter alone!”Josias crosses his arms, “Did you read the previous letter, Francisco?”“No, I crumpled it up into a ball of paper and threw it in the trash!”“That was your mistake.” Josias snaps his fingers, “You di