The Vasquez Mansion cradled Sofia’s unrest within its opulent walls. At her suite, Sofia sat perched on the edge of the bed, her expression showing indignation.She stared blankly at the ornate carpet, her lips moving silently as if to convince herself of a truth.“That’s all I needed,” she muttered under her breath, her voice carrying a bitter edge. “To feel guilty for everything that happened. I never fell in love with Alan for financial reasons. My parents are not opportunists! Caroline Rocha is mistaken, and one day she’ll have to apologize to me!”The door creaked open, and Luís stepped into the room, his brow furrowed in concern. His gaze swept over the disarray of emotions etched on Sofia's face.“Cousin,” Luís said firmly, “that’s enough. You need to get out of this suite.”Sofia turned her head slightly, her eyes still fixed on the carpet. “Why?” she asked, her voice flat, as though the words themselves were heavy.“Because I don’t want to see you like this,” Luís replied, hi
In Matthew’s office at the General Hospital, Matthew sat behind his desk, his brow furrowed in confusion. He was grappling with William Campos’s unusual request—to perform what the man had called a ‘miracle’ on him.Matthew looked up, trying to decipher the meaning behind William’s words. “Mr. Campos, what do you mean by that?”William’s eyes sparkled with hope. “You don’t need to be modest, doctor. I know you managed to heal Erasmo Vasquez's back. Yes, I admit I didn’t handle it well when I kicked him, but that was a moment of weakness on my part.”Matthew tensed, an awkward silence settling between them. The memory of the forged test results for Erasmo Vasquez flashed uncomfortably in his mind. How was he supposed to explain this to William?Cautiously, Matthew responded, “Mr. Campos, please, I don’t know what Mr. Vasquez told you. I’m not a miracle worker.”William’s face fell slightly, but he quickly recovered. “So he exaggerated? It seemed like he was going to be stuck with broke
The next day, Melissa decided to discuss the letter with Josias.Her husband was relaxing in the bathtub of the Rocha Mansion suite. Today, he didn’t have to rush off to work.Melissa enters the bathroom in her nightgown and smiles at the sight. Her husband will turn 48 in 2010, but he still maintains a toned and attractive body for the ladies!“One day, I’m going to take a picture when you’re not looking,” Melissa teases, smiling seductively.“Don’t complain later when the ladies start lining up at the mansion entrance,” Josias responds with his eyes still closed, enjoying the bath salts.Melissa grabs a stool and sits beside the bathtub. “Darling, what should we think about what you told me yesterday regarding our children?”“Are you referring to Everaldo’s message?” Josias tilts his head. “I have no idea. I even thought of J.J., but he isn’t with us anymore, right?”Melissa feels a pang of melancholy, rubbing her throat. “No... J.J. passed away young in that plane crash...”“I don’
Josias is now alone in his office at Rocha Constructions, going over blueprints with Alfred.“Here, Alfredo. What do you think of this residential project?” Josias smiles.“Brigitte Complex?” Alfred scratches his neck. “Caio couldn’t be more obvious, huh?”“He’s in love, and that makes things easier.” Josias chuckles, understanding the hearts of the young. “Am I not honoring my wife with the next shopping mall?”“Yes, you’re right.” Alfred matches the smile of the construction company’s owner. “When everything is ready and inaugurated, are you going to throw a big party?”“I don’t know if people will want to party.” Josias suddenly becomes melancholy, looking out at the urban horizon through the large windows.Alfred understands where Josias is coming from. “She is missed, right?”“Yes, she is missed. And so is my secretary. I don’t want to hire another one, the employees would complain.” Josias alludes to the energetic and bright aura that Reuben always brings when he’s around.His d
At Rocha Constructions, there was an intense discussion in the presidential office about J.J.’s identity. Josias, in his heart, felt as if he were facing the son once thought to be dead. His features and Katherine’s were there, in the face, in the smile...“Aren’t you going to hug me, Father?”“Take it easy, my young man.” Alfred wasn’t convinced. “You can’t just show up out of nowhere claiming to be my friend’s dead son.”“I swear it’s me, Father.” J.J. said, “I didn’t die. I was rescued from the plane crash and well taken care of by my grandfather.”“And what is your grandfather’s name?” Josias suddenly asks.“Ephraim Bezerra.”Josias and Alfred exchanged stunned gazes.“You were in the countryside all this time? And your grandfather never thought of comforting me or telling me you were alive?” Josias asked indignantly.“My grandfather said that due to the nature of the plane crash, it was dangerous for me to return at that time. So, I stayed under his care,” J.J. replied with innoc
The Rocha family’s dilemma needed to be resolved.Josias cleared his throat and took the floor. “Ahem... Okay, I think we know what needs to be done. Son, we need to conduct a DNA test.”J.J. reacted, staring at Josias with tears in his eyes.“I’m sorry, but we need to be certain. Alan raised a valid point.”J.J. retorted, glaring at Alan, “Do you think it would be easy to fake someone’s life who was presumed dead? Come on, that only happens in soap operas.”Alan crossed his arms, smiling faintly, feeling he was cornering an imposter. “Actually, in the case of our late brother J.J., it would be easy to simulate. He died before he was ten years old. And you’re saying your grandfather has passed away. In other words, the only person who could verify your story is dead.”David noticed animosity brewing. “Um... Alan, take it easy. If this guy is our brother, you’ll need to apologize.”“David, don’t be naive!” Alan reprimanded him, “We are the most powerful family in Lagoon City. It won’t
The next day. The Rocha family is once again discussing J.J. in the living room.“So, folks, what have you decided?” Josias asks, sitting in his armchair.“Do the DNA test today.” Simeon suggests as the patriarch. “If the guy is really J.J., he needs to be welcomed into the family.”Dora maliciously suggests, “Before someone else grabs him.”Melissa raises her eyebrows. “Who are you talking about, Mom?”“Angela Souza, for example.” Dora replies with a mischievous smile. “She might influence the guy against us, blaming us for abandonment.”“What abandonment?” William asks indignantly. “Mom, didn’t you know he was kept on Bezerra’s farm without us knowing?”Josias extends the letter from Ephraim that had been on his lap. “This letter explains everything. I believe this letter is legitimate. Even though he makes some angry comments about me, he says he wanted to keep the grandson as a form of comfort.”Melissa nods, trying to calm things down. “Well, we should remember that things were p
At General Hospital, Josias, J.J., David, and Alan are in the corridor after the nurse has collected blood samples from all of them.David comments while pressing a cotton ball on the spot where the needle pricked his arm, “It feels like we just got a shot like when we were kids.”“Good times,” J.J. comments, trying to fit in.Alan shots a skeptical glance. “You remember a lot, don’t you?”J.J. decides not to be intimidated and looks at Alan. “I remember the stewardess trying in vain to calm all the passengers who were panicking and screaming for help, knowing they were facing death. I remember my mother hugging me, crying, and promising everything would be okay. Well, it turned out okay... for me, not for her.”Seeing J.J. with misty eyes, Josias intervenes between the brothers. “Alright, that’s enough of the confusion. It must have been a horrific experience. After everything is confirmed, we’ll have a long talk about it.”“Thank you.” J.J. refrains from using the word ‘Dad’ to avoi
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