The day of the Lagoon City mayoral election has arrived.At Rocha Mansion, Josias and the adults returned from the Electoral College where they voted, obviously, for the candidate Tobias was supporting. Reuben appeared with them.Mary and Ignacio cheer with joy, “EEE! Reuben, YOU CAME!”“I’m here, kids! Did you miss me?”“YES!” They jump, “Let’s go to the game room!”Caroline goes downstairs and smiles at Reuben. She imagines he’ll be like this with the children they will have.Reuben visualizes Caroline and gestures to the twins, “One moment, my fans. I need to greet my future wife.”The twins giggle. As Caroline was not yet old enough to vote, she stayed at home.“Hi, Carol! Today I exercised my citizenship. Will there be cheating in the vote count?” Reuben worries.“I hope not.” Caroline laughs, “Are you going to venture into the tunnel again?”Reuben sticks out his chest, “Do what? My fans ask for it.”“OK, make sure you get out before lunch is served. The maids are preparing chic
At Rocha Mansion, Josias and his family gather for lunch. The maids serve the options and uncover pans and cloches. The penetrating smell of chicken pie fills everyone’s nostrils.“Hmm...” Josias sniffs theatrically, making the others laugh.“It’s delicious just to smell it,” Melissa comments.“And Carol advertised it for Reuben.” Josias looks around the table, “Where is he?”Mary and Ignacio enter the dining room led by Hector.Alan already knows what happened, but he asks anyway, “Kids, what happened to Reuben?”“He’s almost getting out, and he said we could have lunch while he finishes going through the tunnel,” Ignacio speaks as if he has the situation under control.Caroline laughs, “Did you guys wash your hands?”“Yes, sis.” Mary holds out her little hands. Caroline nods.“Sit down, children.” Melissa points to the free chairs and they sit down.Hector leaves. He calls two gardeners to move a trapped Reuben to the most secluded corner of the second floor.When the butler is comi
In the Teodoro Building, Pedro tries to go through the lobby to his apartment without being noticed by Beto.But Beto is still in front of the computer, trying to come up with a solution, “Pete!”Pedro freezes his steps and turns to him, aloof, “Yes, Dad?”“You’re young and understand these modernities better.” Beto smiles at him, “Can you tell me what happened to my computer? I’m trying to use it because of the tenants who are paying the monthly rent, but the thing is processing like hell.”Pedro swallows hard and approaches the counter, “Ehr... This could be a virus.”Beto narrows his eyes, staring at the monitor, “Pat said that, but I don’t understand how I was invaded by one. Didn’t you happen to click on something wrong?”“I didn’t click on anything lewd!” Pedro almost gives himself away.Beto smiles reassuringly, “I’m not accusing you of anything, son. I know you’re more careful than me. Anyway, I’m gonna have to look for something they call ‘antivirus’. But that’s only tomorrow
In Beto’s apartment, Pedro and Maycon are watching a football match on TV. Beto and Teresa enter next and find their children.“Maycon, will you help me make popcorn?” Teresa invites him.“Yes, Mom!” He turns to his brother, “Pause the game.”Pedro starts to laugh. How would he do such a thing? Maycon is confusing live broadcasts with DVD recordings.When Teresa and Maycon leave, Beto sits next to his son.“Pete, now that we’re alone, you can confess to your old Dad what really happened.”Pedro feels cornered, understanding why Teresa took Maycon to the kitchen, “Oh, of course...”“Pete, why didn’t you tell me that you were the one who caused my computer to become infected?” Beto asks paternally.“Shame. Nobody likes to admit they made a mistake.” Pedro responds humbly.“I understand. But you could have told me. I wasn’t going to make a scene among the tenants passing through the lobby.” Beto puts his hand on his shoulder, “You can trust me.”Pedro stares at Beto, “Dad, I swear I didn
The next day, the newspapers announced the victory of the new mayor of Lagoon City. Tobias was very happy, as this indirectly meant that he had won once again.The inauguration speech was given in Ibrahim Square and broadcast live. The new mayor promised to follow the same promptness and competence as his predecessor, governing the city with love and justice for all citizens, without distinction.Vernon was smiling in his office, waiting for the journalist responsible to cut out the best parts of the inauguration speech to publish in the newspaper. Meanwhile, João Paulo enters the room with an anxious smile.“Dad, I think I’ve given Erasmo Vasquez enough time to fix his company, correct?” He asks, leaning on the desk, “Why are the buses still rusty and out of date?”“I don’t know, son.” Vernon chuckles, “You’re the journalist to investigate this.”“But what should I do if Josias is offended by my work?” João Paulo becomes serious.“Talk to him first,” Vernon advises him.“No, that’s L
At Crystal Blue, Josias asks Daryl what Shirley’s situation will be like at the hotel. But Josias begins to suspect that Daryl doesn’t even know how Shirley has been messing around at the Rocha Hotel.“What?” Daryl stands up abruptly, “Her credit card was approved again? And for what limit?”Josias is stunned, “Daryl, I thought you could answer me. After all, haven’t you gotten back in touch?”“Not me, I only visited her once.” Daryl frowns, “She said she was making ends meet at the hotel by selling shortbread cookies.”Josias stifles a laugh with his hand, “You know she was taking you for a fool, don’t you?”Daryl wrinkles his nose, “I didn’t think your hotel’s VIP suite had a stove and kitchen. My Mom must have hit the jackpot, but she’s burning everything at the hotel. What a fool!”Josias was going to say that Shirley is foolish for being his mother, but decides to hold back the joke. Daryl is already upset enough.“And how is she?” Daryl asks, worried.“She’s being a bubonic plag
Olivia’s eyes widen when Erasmo asks if she told the secretaries that Alan would be their plan of action.And then, she bursts into laughter, despising her husband’s authority!“HA, HA, HA!” She holds on to the desk to keep from falling, “Erasmo, do you think I’m stupid? Why would I say something like that to them? I’m just celebrating that you’re going to pull the company out of the abyss, renew the fleet, and give employees a salary increase.”Erasmo feels like he’s going to have a stroke every time Olivia mentions ‘pay rise’, “Cut the talk. Our employees will receive the same fair wages that I pay them.”Olivia drops her smile. This will still be a problem... “Anyway, when will my son-in-law come?”“If he obeys our daughter, he must come after lunch.”Sofia appears smiling and triumphant, “Mom, Dad! Alan has arrived!”“And what is he waiting for?” Erasmo widens his eyes in excitement.“He is registering at the reception,” Sofia responds.“Argh, tell the doormen that Alan Campos Roc
Shirley feels entitled to be offended when Josias calls her trash that needs to be swept out of the hotel.“Josias, how dare you disrespect a guest? Is this how this hotel wants to be recognized, for its mistreatment of customers?”“Miss, don’t think about making any complaints.” Josias raises his index finger, “I can testify that you threw a broom at two maids! Do you think this is how we treat an employee?”“That’s how we see it in Hollywood movies!” Shirley screams like it’s the most normal thing in the world.Josias rubs his hands over his face, trying to dispel the stress, “Now I understand why your son went crazy and tried to kill me. Shirley, pack your bags. You won’t spend a second longer in my hotel.”“I just swiped my credit card for another week!” Shirley screams so much that she goes out of tune.“Don’t worry, we will refund you.” Josias smiles wryly, “In fact, I don’t even know how your card got approved in the first place.”“There are people who keep their accounts up to
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