The next day, Alan and Sofia visited Rocha Mansion to greet the fiancée.“Sister, I beg your pardon for not attending the engagement party.” Alan and Caroline hug.“It doesn’t matter, Alan. Reuben will definitely select you as his best man.” Caroline responded excitedly.Alan breaks the hug. “You won’t believe it. Lauro Medeiros suddenly disappeared, probably drinking all of them until daylight. I had to do his tasks as a supervisor, which was quite tiring. And my future brother-in-law warned me at the last minute.”Sofia responded with mild reprimand, “I wouldn’t have had time to pick out a suitable outfit at the time he sent the text message.”Caroline gulped. Reuben invited people at short notice, causing some people to be absent. Could this be what happened to David?Caroline clears her throat, “Ahem... Big brother, is that so what happened to David? He got the invitation at the last minute and couldn’t make it?”Alan asked in surprise, “He didn’t attend? Is he the one who complai
At Café Montanha, Caroline and Reuben were talking to each other about the repercussions of their engagement. They were at the table with Maggie on the other side.“Oh, what a shame I couldn’t send anyone from Maggiezine in time... but the wedding will be spectacular, do you agree with me?”“Yes, Maggie.” Reuben smiles eagerly, “We’ll send the photos we took for you to publish in the next issue of Maggiezine.”“It would be great.” Maggie nodded, “Tell me, guys, how do you feel? Carol, you were worried about your grandparents’ safety.”“Exactly.” Caroline smiles with relief, “I wanted a simple and hasty engagement, but my father decided on a more elaborate dinner so that this event wouldn’t go unnoticed.”“And he made it a surprise, arranging with the people at Crystal Blue.” Reuben joked, “I guess Cousin Melissa thought he was collecting concubines again.”“I’m not going to lie, she was suspicious.” Caroline giggles.“Perfect. I’ll include all of this in the article. I look forward to
Caroline entered Felipe’s office, opening the door very slowly, as if she were afraid of waking someone up. She saw Felipe at the desk, standing still and looking at the monitor. It didn’t seem like he was working, instead distracted by thoughts of the engagement.“Felipe?”Felipe’s face immediately lit up when he saw her, “Carol! Come in, come in! Why are you still standing at the door?”“What do you mean?” Caroline laughed and entered.Felipe was so excited that he didn’t notice that Caroline purposely left the door a little open so Patrick could hear them.“Glad you came. How can I help you?”“I wanted to know how you were,” Caroline admitted.“I’m fine. Better now, to know that you care about my feelings.” Felipe strokes Caroline’s hair, “Honey, don’t worry. I’ll be patient.”Caroline gulped. “I would hope you wouldn’t. Felipe... it’s time for you to stop nurturing vain hopes. Don’t extinguish the Mountain family by not having children, by not marrying another woman who could brin
At Isabel’s house, she and Francisco packed their bags and were saying goodbye to Rodrigo and Nadia.“Let’s go to São Paulo.” Francisco explained, “Veronica is not feeling well. The funeral must have already taken place, but you know how things are.”Rodrigo nods, “My little sister is very sensitive. She certainly became fond of her father-in-law and took care of him as best she could. And Jack needs comfort too.”Isabel smiles with pity, “Maybe it’s the case that we spend Christmas in São Paulo too.”Nadia reassured her, “Don’t worry, Izzy. The café is in good hands.”“Well, LCN filming has wrapped and we have a good batch of ‘Love Spins the World’ episodes to air over the next few weeks.” Isabel smiles, “Recordings will only return in 2008.”Isabel’s cell phone rings and she is surprised to see that it’s Josias.“Josias is calling.” She answers him, “Hello?”On the other side, Josias is in his presidential chair, “Hello, Isabel. I want to know if you need my jet.”Isabel is stunned
At Rocha Hotel, Josias received the long-awaited call from Everaldo.“Hello, prophet?”“Josias, all these years, you still haven’t stopped playing around, huh?” Everaldo chuckles, “How are you, my old friend?”“You know very well how I am, not just me, but several members of my family.” Josias grins.“Well, I know your son got married and had a great honeymoon.” Everaldo hinted, “And I know you’re taking great care of your son, David.”“Exactly. Any good prophecies for David?” Josias probed.“I think you better continue to worry about Caroline. Girls always attract more attention, more care.” Everaldo comments casually.Josias, however, takes this as a warning, “What will happen to her?”“She got engaged, right? It feels like I walked past the Crystal Blue window and saw you all celebrating.” Everaldo explained casually.However, Josias does not remember seeing anyone passing by the window at that dinner and is more convinced that Everaldo was present in spirit.“OK, I’ll take more ca
Caroline goes to the Rocha Hotel. She searches and finds David returning from carrying luggage for an important guest.“Carol? What is that sad face?”“David, I need your help! I don’t know what to do. Although I talked to our mother...”David smiled in pity when he heard Caroline make a mistake and consider Melissa his mother too. He decided not to correct her.“Let’s go to the hotel restaurant.”The mention of the restaurant gave Caroline goosebumps, but she didn’t know of a more appropriate location.There, the service had not yet started. Some guests were placing their orders. Benjamin watched the brothers heading to a table in the corner.“Tell me what ails you, little sister.”Caroline takes a deep breath, “Do you believe Felipe Mountain kissed me?”David’s eyes widen. “What? Why did the pervert do this?”“Calm down, David. I don’t want anyone to hate Felipe.” Caroline gestured.“Nonsense. We should cut his berries and hang him in Ibrahim Square to serve as an example to others.
In the Teodoro Building, Rosemary was helping manage the family building. She cleaned the counter while the radio played the song “Candyman” by Christina Aguilera.When it came to the upper belt ‘E’ note, Rosemary also reached it and held it without strain and added vibrato in the last seconds. Pedro appeared and was amazed at his sister’s talent.“Little sister! Please sign up for one of these reality shows NOW to become an artist! You’re already a model.”Rosemary bursts into laughter, “Ha, ha, ha... Don’t be a clown, Pete. I just sang by chance and improvised. I need to eat a lot of rice and beans to achieve Christina’s talent. It reminded me of something... our Grandmother Cristina.”Rosemary handed Pedro Christmas cards signed by Cristina and Moacyr.“We need to visit them,” Pedro stated longingly.“The hard part is we have to visit Victoria and dodge our damn mother all the time.” Rosemary sighed.Beto approached them, coming from the canteen. “Are you talking about your promisc
2008Caroline Campos Rocha (and probably Freire) was eagerly walking around the pool area wearing a white dress as fireworks welcomed the New Year. She was alone.Josias found her. He wore casual clothes, also white, and held a glass of champagne. It looked like a celebration was taking place in the ballroom, but his little princess was isolated.“Daughter?” He approached her with slow steps, “Wanting to ease your mind?”“I didn’t even get a call from him, Dad.” Caroline’s eyes were watery.“I know.” Josias kissed her cheek, “But I couldn’t allow Reuben to be arrested for Felipe Mountain’s attack.”“I know it wasn’t him, Dad.” Caroline repeated this several times, “I believe Felipe has other enemies. You know what the Mountain family is like. Felipe is no saint.”“Are you blaming Felipe for his misfortune?” Josias smiles out of the corner of his mouth.“I’m saying there are things we don’t know.” Caroline warns him, “Since Felipe took over management of Crystal Blue, we haven’t had an
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