Kelvin showed up at the Lagoon City police station.“Excuse me, I need to report a missing person.”“Has it been twenty-four hours, sir?” The police officer who put Karen in Amoreira’s office is now the one who works at the front desk.“No, but she is the wife of João Paulo Rocha Queiroz. You don’t want her to appear dead floating in the river when you should’ve done something to prevent it, right?” Kelvin spoke with a smile, but the words were too threatening for the rookie.He got his legs shaking and got up. “Ehr... detective Amoreira is interrogating a lady vandal accused of having caused the biggest scandal in Ibrahim Square—”Kelvin opened his eyes wide and used the brain he has. “Scandal in Ibrahim Square? It probably has something to do with it! Helen Queiroz was last seen in the square!”“OK, follow me, sir...”“Kelvin Mountain.”The police officer promised to follow in Amoreira’s footsteps and read Maggiezine so as not to be rude to the celebrities who appear at the police s
Everyone enters Adelaide’s office to check on the call she received from Damascene Lawyers.As she picked up the mouthpiece, Josias got the idea. “Isn’t it Brigitte calling?”Adelaide smiles hopefully and answers the call. “Hello?”On the other side, Brigitte was calling on her cell phone. Helen was next to her, drinking passion fruit tea. “Hello, Addie. This is Brigitte.”“Brigitte, thank God! Mr. Rocha guessed it was you.” Adelaide sighed in relief. “We’re concerned about the whereabouts of Helen Queiroz.”“She’s here with me, wanting to sue this so-and-so named Karen,” Brigitte explained. “She is very upset and a nervous wreck.”“Her husband is here.” Adelaide puts her hand on the mouthpiece. “Helen is at Damascene Lawyers.”“Thank God!” João Paulo wipes the sweat from his forehead.“She wants to sue Karen.” Adelaide returns to the call, “Brigitte, can you explain to me what happened?”“I’ll summarize the story: Karen appeared at the sales stand in Ibrahim Square, insulted Helen, s
João Paulo and Helen return home together at night. Sandra was on the couch watching cartoons.“Mommy, Daddy! You’re here!”“Good, daughter. Fortunately.” Helen went to the sofa and hugged Sandra tightly.“What is it, Mommy?”“No big deal, daughter. Mom missed you.” Helen continued hugging Sandra.“OK. When I finish watching the cartoon, I’m going upstairs to take a shower. Do we have dinner?”João Paulo gives the idea, “Let’s order pizza at Pizzeria Campos, what do you think?”“YAY!” Sandra gets up from the sofa and runs to João Paulo, hugging him. “Thanks, Dad!”“Anytime, daughter. Now go up the stairs, no running, and go take your shower.”“OK!” Sandra obeyed. The cartoon wasn’t finished yet, but the desire to eat pizza spoke louder.Helen took advantage and grabbed the remote control, turning off the TV. João Paulo sat next to her.“I didn’t want to ask you during the ride.” João Paulo wrapped his arm around his wife. “Do you really intend to sue her?”“I want you to write the mos
The next morning, the doorbell at the Mountain Penthouse sounded too early for Felipe’s liking.He appeared in the living room, scratching his eyes sleepily, unwilling to answer the door.First, he decided to go to the landline and dial the building’s entrance.“Hello, concierge? Who did you let up? It’s too early for visitors, don’t you think?”“I’m sorry, Mr. Mountain, but the person assured you that you were waiting for him. It’s Octavio Motta. Should I call the police?”Felipe frowned. He wasn’t close to Octavio, so it was difficult for him to think of a reason for the Chief Architect to visit him. “It’s fine, I’ll answer it. But next time, don’t let anyone pass this hour of the day. My uncle is still sleeping.”After saying goodbye, Felipe answered the door before Octavio broke the doorbell.“The bell won’t make money if you press it over and over again!”“Good morning, Young Mountain!” Octavio smiles ironically, already dressed in a suit and tie. “God helps those who rise early,
At the Mountain Penthouse, Kelvin appeared, still wearing a terracotta-colored robe and scratching his eyes with sleep. Octavio was upset. Is today Sunday, so everyone wakes up this late?“Good morning, Mr. Motta.” Kelvin sat in the armchair. “Felipe said you wanted to talk to me?”“Exactly. I need you to listen to me and not make drama for Josias, please.” Octavio leaned forward, getting straight to the point.Kelvin smiled, raising the left corner of his mouth. “Does this have anything to do with you meddling in my brother Daryl’s affairs and Josias not liking it?”“I’m convinced that Josias wouldn’t mind now that your dangerous brother cannot harm me.” Octavio defends himself. “But I was always a loyal friend to Josias, unlike Daryl who decided to ruin everything.”“You didn’t come here to talk about my brother who isn’t here to defend himself, did you?” Kelvin yawned.“No, I came here to talk about you trying to ruin my best friend’s life by meddling in his family life, using the
Karen showed up at Café Montanha wanting a good cup of coffee after being released from prison. As Francisco, Isabel, and Neilton didn’t yet know her, they attended to her without prejudice. The radio played the song “Wiseman”, by James Blunt.“A cappuccino, please.”“Coming...” Francisco starts preparing the drink.“And what would you like to eat, my dear?” Isabel smiled gently.“Nothing for now, thank you,” Karen replied somewhat aloofly. She knows she’s talking to Kelvin’s relatives...She read Maggiezine enough to know that the elderly but still handsome man who prepared the cappuccino was the uncle of the man she wanted.Maggie and Henrique appeared and sat next to Karen. “Good morning, Izzy. Please, communicate with my writer to send summaries of upcoming episodes of ‘Love Spins the World’. Hey Neil, congratulations on the honor!”Neilton chuckles, “I don’t know where you got such a handsome actor to play ME. I’m nothing like that...”Maggie laughs heartily. “Don’t sell yourself
At Café Montanha, Karen finished her coffee and paid for it.“Come back often, darling!” Isabel said goodbye to her.Before Karen left, she heard Maggie’s voice.“Izzy, did you hear about the crazy woman who attacked Helen at my aunt’s company?”“Oh, Maggie, people have been talking. It seems that the scandal was right there in the square! As I work here, I didn’t see it... there aren’t any stands today.”“No, Helen must be resting at home. And they say there will be a lawsuit.”Karen opened her eyes wide and hurriedly withdrew.Isabel continued, “If Helen sues the crazy woman for moral damages, she’ll win without a doubt.”Maggie shook her head. “Where is the unity of women?”“Only Kelvin to explain something like that,” Isabel commented.By coincidence, Kelvin was approaching the coffee shop. And he caught a glimpse of Karen running away desperately as if she were running from a ghost or the police.But as her back was turned to him, Kelvin didn’t recognize her and entered Café Mont
A few days passed. Neither Adelaide nor Karen took the initiative to call to clarify and resolve the confusion. They are withdrawn, afraid of making the situation worse by exchanging insults and verbal – or even physical – aggression.With that, Helen felt encouraged to return to work, and there she was, looking beautiful and smiling at a sales stand, located in Ibrahim Square. It didn’t matter if it was hot, there was Helen Queiroz selling perfumes to those who walked around the street.João Paulo kissed her before going to work. “Honey, when you need me, I can give you a ride home.”“Don’t worry, dear. The company has someone who comes here to dismantle the stand.” Helen replied.“OK. Have a good day at work. And remember what we agreed...”“Call someone before you disappear.” Helen smiled slightly. “Again, I apologize for disappearing like that.”“I know there are times when we feel desperate and don’t know how to act, but do you understand me, dear?” João Paulo kissed her cheek ag
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