At Café Montanha, Thierry leaves the men’s bathroom and comes across Neilton.“Mr. Lafayette? Can I have a word with you?”“Yes, you can, young man. What’s your name?” Thierry is curious.“My name is Neilton, but everyone calls me Neil. I wanted to show you something that can’t be done in public. It’s a very embarrassing picture, but it has to do with the late Mrs. Mountain.”Thierry looks back, “Look, it’s going to be weird two males in the bathroom, but if you want...”“There’s no better place, unfortunately.” Neilton also thought about how strange it would be, but the moment was urgent.Then the two men enter and close the door.Inside, Neilton takes the photo he carries with him from his jeans pocket.Thierry unfolds the photo and gets horrified, “Hey, is this...?”“It’s Shirley Mountain, the woman who racially abused me, thinking I was an ex-felon working on parole just because of my skin,” Neilton answers spitefully, “There she is, screaming in pain and pleasure, while another g
Josias is in his office at Rocha Mansion watching the news online. Shirley’s death has been the biggest sensation.“What a waste of life.” He shakes his head, “This woman came here to cause trouble and decided to end her life in a horrifying way.”Melissa enters the office, “Honey, Maggie informed me that Kelvin came. I sent the twins to see their father.”Josias smiles at her, “That’s good, sweetheart. They need to see their father.”“It’s a shame that they see their father in such a horrendous situation.” Melissa sighs.“Honey, since Shirley was your mother-in-law, you might want to show up at the funeral,” Josias speaks kindly.Melissa, however, refuses, “No, honey. I don’t want to cause discomfort. Daryl could cause a scandal.”“Why would Daryl make a fuss? Maybe he’ll accuse you of something if you DON’T show up.”“I don’t know yet. I’d rather stay here.” Melissa is insecure.Josias stands up and hugs her, “Calm down, my dear. You’re the Lady of Lagoon City, remember that.”Melis
Ulysses narrows his gaze as if he’s trying to read Melissa’s mind. But if he did, he wouldn’t read much. Melissa is just worried about the kids and the occasion.Melissa smiles when she sees her children and bends down to hug them, “Children, keep your voices down, we’re at a wake.”“Mom, did you also come to say goodbye to grandma?” Ignacio asks, “She never gave us gifts, right?”“Don’t worry, kids. Mom will buy some toys for you both when we go home.” Melissa straightens up, “Let’s sit over there.”“Daddy is coming.” Mary waves at him.Melissa turns to her ex-husband and is surprised to see him smiling. What?“Melissa, how have you been? Thanks for stopping by.”“I didn’t know if I would come.” Melissa admits, “Josias and my children convey their condolences.”“Thank you. How is Caroline? Is she really involved with Reuben Freire?” Kelvin asks, forgetting that he is no longer married to Melissa.“She’s fine. Strangely, I haven’t heard any requests for a date from Reuben, but they be
Melissa still didn’t know about the existence of another one of Kelvin’s uncles, “Are you one of Daryl’s relatives who lives in Linhares, on Shirley’s side?”“I am her brother-in-law. Her younger sister is my wife.” Ulysses responds charismatically.“And how is she?” Melissa asks worriedly, “I heard that she was present at the time of the accident and is hospitalized.”“Accident?” Ulysses chuckles, “Nothing like that happened, Mrs. Rocha. Shirley was depressed because everyone despised her and she committed suicide. No one can handle so much contempt in this life.”Melissa is startled. Is it serious that this old man is going to pull this theory out of his sleeve? “Mr. Cardozo, I hope I’m not rude, but Shirley Mountain wasn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with. Are you okay with her spending decades calling her daughter a whore?”Ulysses swallows hard, “OK, you have a point. But Maggie could have tried to resolve the situation, instead of growing further apart. When she retu
“Don’t hang up on you? But that’s exactly what I’ll do, bye!” Daryl barks.“NO, you can’t do that!” Octavio bellows, “How are you going to feel when you know that—”“Know what?” Daryl was about to end the call, but he heard that sentence and put the cell phone back to his ear. He goes back to the closet, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to blackmail me in a time of pain and mourning!”“You didn’t get along with your mother.” Octavio mocks him.“But I didn’t want her to die! Yes, she came here just to bother Uncle Francisco and Isabel, but I didn’t want her to become a mashed potato on the asphalt, how horrible!”“Thierry Lafayette took some photos... But it’s not your mother smashed on the asphalt that I want to talk about. I want to talk about your mother naked in bed with another man, the man who probably paid for the VIP suite at the Rocha Hotel.”Daryl’s eyes widen. After a few seconds of shock, he struggles not to shout so Diane doesn’t hear him, “What the hell are you talking about,
In the back of Crystal Blue, Daryl has the biggest revelation in his family’s history, something horrifying, controversial, and obscene. His head is spinning and his hands are shaking.“I... I don’t know what to say...”“Daryl, it’s not that hard to understand.” Octavio continues in a dark and icy tone, “Your mother was living in a luxury room at the Rocha Hotel for weeks. Have you ever wondered how much money she used to pay her daily rate? My wife Jane said she never missed a day of payment.”Daryl puts his hand on his glabella, “She never responded to me properly.”“Well, now you tell me about this uncle Ulysses... Who exactly is he?”“If your wife bought any perfume from the brand ‘Cardozo’, it’s from my uncles. They are the owners.” Daryl faces his enemy.“OK, so we’ve cracked this part. Your mother lived in the hotel because her uncle paid for it. These photos were probably taken in the suite, and it’s obvious that someone was investigating.”Daryl’s voice shakes, “Investigating
Daryl enters Crystal Blue’s office and kicks the desk, venting his anger.“DAMN IT! Why did you have to be so promiscuous, Mom? Why did you always accuse Maggie of being what you are? ‘Accuse him of what you do,’ that’s the motto, huh?”The door opens and Felipe enters, “Dad, why are you shouting? It seems like I heard your voice in the alley.”Daryl looks at Felipe impatiently. No, this time he won’t know that...“I was arguing with Octavio Motta. Don’t mind, son.”“It seems like you mentioned Grandma Shirley...” Felipe is confused.“Son, be careful when you talk to yourself.” Daryl leans over to the computer and turns it on, “Someone might hear you.”“Dad, what’s going on? Is this just mourning and grief over your mother’s death?”“FELIPE, please don’t ask me questions I can’t answer!” Daryl barks.Felipe doesn’t give up. He’s that annoying character who makes us have high blood pressure.“Dad, please talk to me! I know I’m not a Mountain of real blood, but I care about family! I di
At the police station, Josias is a little uncomfortable when he meets Kelvin after so many years. Amoreira, however, does not feel the strange atmosphere.“Mr. Mountain, hello! I’m glad you came as agreed.”“As agreed?” Josias raises an eyebrow.Kelvin smirks, “Yes, Josias. I’m spending time here, if you don’t mind.”“Of course—” Josias decides not to be rude, “If you need Hilton Amoreira’s services, who am I to say anything...?”“You’re just the owner of the city.” Kelvin responds, “But I’m employing Amoreira’s services to find out what really happened to my mother.”Josias is surprised, “Your uncle and Daryl are convinced that it was suicide.”Kelvin shakes his head, “No, I won’t accept a verdict like that. And Amoreira will seek the truth that will set us free.”Amoreira chirps, “At your service, Mr. Mountain.”“Then I better leave.” Josias greets the gentlemen with a nod.After he leaves, Amoreira closes the door, “Sit down, Mr. Mountain. Where do you want me to start?”Kelvin sit
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