The next day, Octavio, Jane, Augusto, and Anne looked at their Rainbow Garden house for the last time.“Goodbye, home. It’s been nice living here most of my life.” Octavio sighed.“It was really nice,” Jane admitted.“So let’s go. You’ll see Grandpa again, Augusto.” Octavio turned to his son.“Are we coming back one day, Daddy?” Augusto asked with a sad face.“I don’t know, son. Maybe YOU will return to work as an architect.” Octavio strokes his head.“Maybe...” Augusto smiles hopefully.“Well, I won’t want Anne to be the hotel manager.” Jane joked, “Unless she kills Mr. Medeiros.”“Shhh! Honey...” Octavio scolded his wife for using strong words with their daughter in her arms.But Jane just laughed. Lauro Medeiros is probably already showing his claws, being reprimanded and neutralized by Alan.The Motta family gets into the car. Jane puts Anne in the baby seat. Augusto sits next to her.Jane closes the doors and sits in the passenger seat. Octavio is still staring at the house...“C
Another day at Café Montanha. Rodrigo lifted the iron door and opened the place, disarming the alarm.Neilton entered with him. “Now it’s the two of us, huh?”“So it is. I think I’ll have to hire more people. Could it be that in the orphanage where you came from...?” Rodrigo asks with a smile.“You’d better ask Mrs. Freire.” Neilton laughs, going behind the counter.“I’m happy for Felipe.” Rodrigo sighs, “I just hope he forgets that little detail.”“Conquer Caroline?” Neilton shakes his head, “I don’t think women are on Felipe’s mind right now. His new toy is the restaurant.”“God hear you.” Rodrigo sighs.He turns on the radio and the song “Foundations”, by Kate Nash, resonates through the cafeteria, waking the place up.The first customer arrives: Caroline.“Good morning, Princess of Lagoon City!” Neilton greets her, watching her frown.“Good morning, Neil. Sorry for the lack of humor. I’m waiting for Rose.”“And what can we serve you while you wait?” Rodrigo gives his best smile.“
At the Rocha Hotel, Alan was in Jane’s office. Josias left him a bomb to detonate...The door opened, and Lauro entered as if he were a child about to get his first PlayStation. Alan felt sorry for him for a few seconds.“Did you call me, Mr. Rocha? What happened? Did your father decide something?”Alan frowned. “How did you know I was talking to my father?”Lauro cleared his throat unnecessarily. “Ahem... Well, I assumed you were with your father for not showing up so early.”“You’re such a...” Alan refrained from swearing. He stood up from the management chair, “Well, here’s the thing: yes, I was with my father, but he made a decision contrary to what you always dreamed of.”Lauro doesn’t even waste time. “So, Mr. Rocha... it was a pleasure working here, but—”“Was it REALLY a pleasure, Mr. Medeiros?” Alan replied, “From what I heard from Jane Motta, you almost led her into a nervous breakdown! She was afraid to tell all of us that she was pregnant for fear you would pull some ruse
A few days passed. Josias received a call from João Paulo while he was still in the master suite getting dressed for work.“Hello, little brother? Any problems for me to solve?”“Is that all you think about, man?” João Paulo jokes, “Are we that problematic? That way, you’ll have a heart attack before you’re fifty, huh?”Josias laughs too. “OK, sorry. I always want to protect you, little brother.”“It’s fine. If you’re really interested, could you stop by my house?” João Paulo takes advantage of the opportunity.“Do you have any news for me?” Josias was curious.“Yes, come and bring Melissa. I think she will like it.” João Paulo leaves the suspense in the air.“We’re going there after breakfast.” Josias ends the call after saying goodbye, narrowing his eyes. What could it be?Melissa finds her husband with his cell phone in his hand and still shirtless.“Can’t you decide which shirt to wear?” She asked.Josias chooses a white striped shirt. “Here. In fact, I was pondering João Paulo’s
At João Paulo’s house, Helen welcomes the visitors with a hospitable smile.“Good morning, guys! It’s been a while since I’ve received such illustrious visitors!”“Thanks!” Olivia enters without waiting for the others.Erasmo is embarrassed and enters with his head down. Sofia doesn’t know what to say.Helen tries to break the awkwardness, “Does she want to check out my furniture? I didn’t change much.”“She wants to change it again, according to new decoration trends,” Erasmo muttered.Alan narrowed his eyes. Should he participate in this joke?“Nephew, come in.” Helen gestured for Alan to pass. He was still on the threshold.“How are you, Aunt Helen?” Alan hugged her lightly.“I’m wonderfully well. João Paulo is waiting for you in the living room.”Alan heads there. João Paulo sat majestically in the armchair while Sandra wore a sky-blue dress.“How beautiful this girl is looking.” Olivia taps her head, “She looks like—”Erasmo pokes her before Olivia completes ‘looks like her mothe
At the Teodoro Building, Reuben visited Pedro to talk about the crazy request he wanted. Both young people are in the canteen eating apple pie.“The tenants here are gaining pounds, it’s a joy.” Reuben still speaks with his mouth full.“Careful, man.” Pedro jokes, “Carol can’t be disappointed that you’re losing your flat stomach.”Reuben swallowed and lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing a perfect six-pack. “Never. If I fail, she will run into the arms of the idiot Felipe.”Pedro worries, “Is there still this risk?”Reuben lets go of his shirt because tenants have started to notice the boy’s bare torso, “He’s now running the Crystal Blue, and he’s sure to use that as bait to seduce my Caroline.”Pedro shrugs, “But what’s the big news? The restaurant has always been in the Mountain family! Uncle Josias just returned the restaurant to the original owners.”“When I was a toddler, the restaurant belonged to the Bento family.” Reuben added, “Anyway, Carol, as the angel she is, will visit
In the canteen, Daniela eats apple pie and makes friends.Pedro points to Rosemary, “Rose, this is our new neighbor Daniela Lombardi. You’ve heard of it, but now you’re being formally introduced.”“Nice to meet you, Daniela. We can be great friends.” Rosemary held out her hand.“Are you Benjamin’s sister?” Daniela stops eating and shakes the famous model’s hand.“No, but if you look closely, we’re almost from the same family.” Rosemary sits at the table and explains patiently, “I am the sister of Caio Campos, son of Will Campos, and Benjamin Teixeira is Melissa Rocha’s cousin.”Daniele felt a little dizzy but nodded. “It’s indeed a big family.”“We mingle ourselves by marriage over the years.” Reuben proudly declares, “The Rochas, Reis, Campos, and Freires will always be interconnected. Ben needs to find a girlfriend to join us.”Everyone laughs.Pedro comments, “Don’t forget the Mountain family. Melissa had Mary and Ignacio.”“Oh, sometimes I forget about the twins, but they’ll be my
Alan, Caio, and Brigitte’s graduation has arrived.The ceremony took place in the large auditorium of Saint Gabriel College. Because of Josias’s presence and the fact that the heir was one of the graduates, there was a press presence.An eager journalist from Lisandro’s Show spoke with admiration, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be listening to the moving speech from the heir of Rocha Constructions, Alan Campos Rocha!”Alan, wearing a typical graduation gown and cap, positioned himself on the stage and began to give his speech.In the seats, Melissa was barely holding back her pride. The third generation of the Campos family was graduating from Higher Education!Simeon and Dora were grateful to God for being able to witness this sublime moment.Caroline took photos while Reuben joked about the formality of the ceremony with Pedro and Neilton.“The next generation of graduates is committed to elevating the status of Lagoon City with seriousness and professionalism.” Alan said fir
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