Cláudio Guzman is received with applause as soon as most of the guests see him enter the ballroom.Olivia, unaware of how obvious she is, approaches him, being the one who says the loudest, “Congratulations, CONGRATULATIONS! Claudio, we are very happy that you made it. May God bless you and give you many years of life to come to crush your enemies!”“How can you include ‘God’ in a bloodthirsty sentence like that, Mrs. Vasquez?” Claudio asks jokingly, making the others laugh.Erasmo drapes his arm around Olivia’s back, “Forgive my wife, Mr. Guzman. Come on, the champagne is delicious.”“Thank you, Mr. Guzman. You know, I’d like to chat...”The gentlemen walk away, leaving Olivia behind.Dora approaches her, “Olivia, are you a fan of Mr. Guzman? My daughter told me about the mess with the dressing rooms.”Olivia wakes up from the immoral daydreams she was having with Claudio and turns to Dora, trying not to offend her, “Did your daughter also say that this was all her brother’s fault?”
When Octavio, Jane, and Augusto show up at Rocha Mansion, they run into someone different.“We’re late!” Octavio complains, “We’re later than the bride.”“Honey, Augusto wasn’t to blame if he got sick while we were getting ready,” Jane explains to him.Augusto still looks green, wearing his suit.Octavio takes his son in his arms, “OK, champ. I know you ate something that didn’t make you feel good. I think you better have just one slice of cake, OK?”Augusto smiles. The cake is always what children most want to eat at a wedding.With that in mind, they enter the foyer and find a young man in a gray suit, seemingly lost.“Can we help you?” Octavio asks.“Hi, I’m Felipe Mountain.” Felipe identifies himself with a charismatic smile, “Where is the ballroom?”Octavio and Jane are stunned.“Who invited you, kid?” Octavio is quick to be rude.“Nobody, but I thought—”“You thought wrong!” Octavio growls, “Get out of here! Josias will hate it if you show up uninvited. The ceremony is for frien
Caroline is uncomfortable seeing Thierry again. She immediately remembers Rosemary and all she suffered from being hopelessly in love with someone who wasn’t real.So she tried to focus on the other guests, especially the ones she hadn’t seen in a while.“Carol, you are all grown up and beautiful!” Vera takes a good look at the Princess of Lagoon City, “What a beauty! The dress fit you very well. When did you come to town?”“I just came yesterday,” Caroline responds by laughing.“Isn’t she cute, bro?” Vera nudges Beto.“Guys, I’m getting old.” Beto laughs.“Mr. Reis, you continue as I remember.” Caroline comments gently, “They say you’re fifty-two, is that true?”“Better keep this secret between us: they think I’m forty.” Beto pretends he’s whispering in Caroline’s ear, making her laugh harder and harder.Josias and Melissa pose for photos at the cake table. Melissa prepares to cut the first slice.“Why do I feel like it’s 1984, love?” Melissa asks quietly, to her official husband.“I
The next issue of Maggiezine was by far the biggest seller of 2004.One of the newsstand owners ended up in General Hospital with cardiac arrest due to the stress of keeping his newsstand always supplied with issues of Maggiezine. Customers simply did not accept it when they went to the newsstand and did not find Josias and Melissa on the cover.On the Internet, the novelty caused a stir among younger people. Bernardo was satisfied with the online repercussions, and in a meeting with the editorial staff, he announced further investments in the website. Those who didn’t want the paper magazine could purchase a subscription online.Caroline surprised everyone when she announced that she would be staying at the mansion. Mary and Ignacio hugged her with emotion.“YEAH! The family will be almost complete!” Ignacio exclaims.“Now all we need is Dad!” Mary exclaims innocently.Caroline pats Mary on the head, “Yes, Mary, but he’s still in Victoria. You can visit it as many times as you like.”
At the Rocha Hotel, Diane is walking the halls, looking for Jane’s office. She meets Benjamin wearing a dolman, walking in the opposite direction.“Ben, so nice to see you! How are you?”“Mrs. Mountain...” Benjamin tenses, “I’m fine, thanks. Are you looking for Mrs. Queiroz’s office?”“I’m looking for Mrs. Motta’s office.” Diane tries to explain with a neutral smile. In fact, inside, she is seething with rage!“Continue straight and turn left. There will be a plaque with her name on the door, you can’t go wrong.” Benjamin emphasizes and walks away.Diane got the feeling she was called dumb, “‘Can’t go wrong’? Did he need to emphasize that?”After that, she followed the instructions, and indeed, she couldn’t go wrong. The ‘Jane Motta, management’ sign was clearly visible.“Our manager is so humble.” Diane scoffs wryly and enters without knocking.Jane was on the phone when she jumped out of her skin, “We need— Ehr... Wait a moment, we’ll continue the conversation later. In the meantime
At the Rocha Hotel, Jane decides to stand up to face Diane better.“Diane, I don’t have time for your antics. Tell me, what’s going on?”“Did you ‘forget’ that on Josias and Melissa’s wedding day you acted like one of the family, forbidding my boy to enter the ballroom until Bernie appeared to help him?” Diane adopts an aggressive posture.“Hey, wait a minute, it wasn’t like that!” Jane gestures, “Yes, Octavio didn’t want Felipe to come in, but I didn’t say anything!”“You didn’t say anything, but you didn’t stop your unreasonable husband either?” Diane crosses her arms.“Why would I meddle?” Jane retorts nonchalantly, “After all, it was none of my business. And I didn’t even understand what the boy was doing at the party. I know Josias didn’t invite him.”Diane smirks, “Funny, when the bride and groom saw my son, he didn’t get kicked out, did he?”Jane is forced to admit it. She is silent.Diane continues, “It defeats the thesis. My dear, next time do something against me or my husba
Days later, Josias and Melissa returned from their honeymoon.The family was anxiously waiting for them at the airport, with a huge sign written ‘Welcome, Rocha couple!’ in hand by the young people. Mary and Ignacio also helped.Josias and Melissa are applauded. They feel that someone has photographed them.“Hey, Thierry, get some rest!” Josias exclaims, making everyone laugh.“I can’t, it’s stronger than me!” Thierry responds jokingly.Simeon and Caio start picking up the bags, “My God, we have a lot of presents here! Josias, that must have been expensive for customs.”“Expensive? What’s expensive?” Josias pretends he is lost.“Come on, guys, let’s not get in the way of the others,” Melissa says, dying to go home. Paris is a beautiful city, what bothers her is the long plane ride.******At Bernardo’s apartment, Daryl is talking to Maggie about the possibility of Shirley returning to Lagoon City. The living room radio plays “Predictable” by Good Charlotte.“I hardly believe it. Am I
In the Mountain penthouse, Diane is waiting for the oven to bake shortbread cookies. Felipe appears, smelling it.“Mom, you’re outdoing yourself, huh? Did you copy the recipe from the Internet?”“I learned how to do it, and it’s all thanks to you,” Diane answers good-naturedly.“Yes, and the lady still had her reservations.” Felipe reminds her.“OK, I admit that I’m diving into the computer world.” Diane laughs, “Although I feel old and unqualified.”“Mother, you aren’t old.” Felipe asserts, nudging her, “I still don’t know how Dad lets you work in peace in that bar, with countless male customers harassing you.”“I try to take it in stride.” Diane sniffs some more, “Oh, I think they’re ready.”Diane turns off the oven. Afterward, she takes a kitchen glove and puts it on her hands to open the lid and take a closer look.Daryl appears and is surprised by what he sees, “Hey, isn’t that smell...?”“Buttery cookies!” Felipe exclaims anxiously.“STOP WAITING FOR THESE DAMN COOKIES NOW!” Dar
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