Now, Alan and Sofia are at Café Montanha planning their engagement. They meet at a crucial moment: the guest list. “Whoever is invited to the engagement will automatically be invited to the wedding, correct?” Alan asks with a charming smile. Sofia melts with her boyfriend’s smile. “For sure.” “So let’s start.” Alan begins writing in a notebook, “We have our families, that’s for sure.” Sofia feels a lump in her throat. “Ehr... my dear, what does your family really consist of?” “What do you mean?” Alan asks, staring at the notebook, writing it down hurriedly. “Sometimes I get the impression that you’re related to the whole town,” Sofia remarks. Alan chuckles. “Not so much. The Rocha family is inevitably interconnected with the Queiroz and Campos families.” “Just then we have practically half of your social circle,” Sofia mumbles without Alan realizing it’s a mumble. “You can suggest some names for the bride’s side of the Church.” Dora enters the cafeteria and goes straight to t
Alan is now in Josias’s office, following his father’s instructions.“Son, as you may know, your grandparents are retiring. I don’t know who will replace your grandfather Vernon, but your grandmother Elza got Jane Motta to be the replacement at the hotel. With that, they’ll go on vacation and I intend to take a closer look at the hotel and other enterprises.”Alan smiles hopefully, “Are you going to check out Cardozo Perfumes? After all, you bought some shares.”“Yes, I’m going to stay closer for now, to help them in any way possible. In fact, Mrs. Cardozo managed to settle in my old office space, in the Vargas Building.”“Look, what an interesting coincidence.” Alan laughs.“So, son, I believe it’s time for you to take care of some matters of the company you’ll inherit.” Josias announces as he heads to the drinks table, “You’re old eno
Alan and Sofia’s engagement has arrived.As agreed, the ceremony took place at the Vasquez Mansion. Olivia hired the same decorators, not to replace the furniture, but to help her make the living room more presentable.The truth is that the decoration ordered by Olivia was so confusing that not even she knew what to do to make her house more presentable.Guests began to enter. The first thing they noticed was the pictures pinned up in the foyer that could be bought from amateur or fraudulent painters, but Olivia was ready to swear on her life that these works of ‘art’ were valuable.Josias and Melissa knew, however, that those paintings weren’t painted by Monet and went to the confusing living room.“Josias, Melissa, I’m glad you came!” Erasmo greets them with a glass of champagne in his left hand.“Erasmo, you reacted as if we weren’t going to show up,” Josias comments jokingly (or
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Bernardo found his wife with a perplexed expression. Something was wrong.Behind Maggie came some Maggiezine photographers to capture the legendary engagement of the Rocha Constructions heir. But she gestured for them to stop for a moment.“Wait a minute, guys. I need to have a serious talk with the owner of the residence.”Erasmo and Olivia were surprised. What was happening?Maggie approached them. Elza, cleverly, approached behind them and listened to the conversation.“Mrs. Marçal, what’s the matter?” Olivia smiled nervously, looking at the guests.“Are you going to start registering the engagement?” Erasmo asked anxiously.“You know I came for just that purpose.” Maggie responds respectfully, “But I simply can’t show my readers this confusing scenario. How is the article writer going to describe it here?”
With the engagement party moving to Rocha Mansion, the general atmosphere between everyone changed from water to wine.The malicious comments about the Vasquez family’s confusing and hideous furniture were forgotten. Everyone was delighted with Josias and Melissa’s tidying up in record time.But truth be told: Josias and Melissa, knowing the situation in advance, were prepared for a last-minute change.Alan just had to cry, “Dad, Mom... thank you so much. I can always count on you when I need you most!”“Always, son, always...” Josias allowed himself to get emotional and hug his son.Sofia was forced to admit that her future in-laws took more care in preparing an elegant engagement party. She approached Olivia, “Mom, starting tomorrow, I want the old decorations back!”Olivia pretends not to be offended anymore, “Why are you angry, my daughter? At least the modern furniture was useful for us to have the engagement party here!”Sofia frowned. Did her mother purposely choose horrible fu
In the Teodoro Building, Rosemary was reading the latest issue of Maggiezine. She smiles when she sees the article covering Alan’s engagement. The lobby radio complies with tradition by playing “Mas Que Nada”, by Sérgio Mendes and The Black Eyed Peas.Patrick went downstairs and found Rosemary thoughtful.“Good morning, Rose.”Rosemary notices the tenant’s presence, “Good morning, Pat. Are you going to work?”“Yes.” Patrick points to the magazine, “Must have been a good party, huh?”“Yes. Caroline was a little upset because she didn’t trust her sister-in-law, but everything went well.”Patrick smiles mischievously, “Is it true what Cláudio Guzman said? That the party was going to be at the Vasquez Mansion, but because of the bizarre decorations, they moved the party at the last minute to Josias Rocha’s house?”Rosemary looks like she doesn’t want to gossip but let it go anyway, “Look, I’m not one to create intrigue... but knowing Uncle Josias, I’d say he was already ready to suggest h
Simeon and Dora were chatting casually in their room. The bed was already made, but Dora, as always, was looking for things to do.Hector entered the room with a maid. “Mr. and Mrs. Campos, we came to tidy—”The butler stops by with everything clean and tidy.Simeon chuckles, “No need to worry, Hector. Madam Campos is clean and wants to give her employees less work.”The maid blushes, “Mrs. Campos, we’re here, especially for this. If Boss Rocha finds out about this...”“Leave Josias to us,” Dora comments happily as she organizes papers and documents on one of the dressers, “I like to keep busy. I’ll go to the kitchen later.”“As you wish, Mrs. Campos.” The maid smiled, curtsied, and left. Hector followed her.“Mrs. Campos meant that she’ll guide the cooks with today’s menu?” Hector asked.“No,” the maid still responds with a smile, “she’s going to the kitchen to peel potatoes, pound garlic, and choose beans TOGETHER with the cooks. Of course, we make her feel like she’s in charge of e
Josias and Octavio are stunned by Caio’s question. Should he call the police to report drug dealers?“What did William do?” Josias asks after a few seconds of bewilderment.“He didn’t do anything.” Caio responds, “Maybe that was the mistake, huh?”“Well, nephew, if you really want my opinion...” Josias takes a deep breath and answers seriously, “I’d tell you to report it to the police. The Happiness Slum police station wasn’t built so people wouldn’t use it. What’s the point of having police if we don’t open our mouths to report crimes? The police won’t know when to act.”Caio nods, “I understand. I confess that I was a little scared, even though my father resolved it calmly. As they now know that that land belongs to the family of the wife of the legendary Josias Rocha, if something goes wrong, they can blame us.”Josias and Octavio laugh respectfully.Octavio states, “Caio, it’s exactly the opposite. Now that they know that the land belongs to you, no miscreants will dare to bother