Mark and Briana walked out of the registry office.For both of them, the feeling of being married gave them an extra dose of confidence in what to do.Mark looked at his new wife and felt that she had a different sparkle in her eyes.As they walked towards her car, he asked, "What's the matter, Briana?"Mark wondered if it would be too bold to call her by affectionate names, but at least he wouldn't call her formally."I can't explain, Mark," Briana replied, "But I feel that signing that certificate gave me a boost for what lies ahead.""Do I not repulse you?" Mark asked, thinking of the countless times Celia had told him that.Briana stopped next to her car's driver and shook her head. "Why would I? I might not know you deeply, Mark, but I'm sure you're not of the same kind as those who drugged me."Mark smiled contentedly to hear that.He felt that, if his marriage wasn't perfect as it usually is in fairy tales, at least with Briana, it wouldn't be a repetition of what it was with C
Anthony Curtis was shocked to hear the door of his office being slammed open.When he saw who it was, his face immediately turned red with anger."MARK FERRO! What does this mean?""Did you call me, Manager Curtis?"Anthony was taken aback by Mark's sarcastic tone and attacked with words, "What is a mere employee, of the lowest rank, doing with such an arrogant attitude?""Manager Curtis, my time is precious," Mark replied, leaving the door open, "Let's address what happened."Anthony was a bit confused, but continued to speak angrily, "Yes, let's talk about what happened! How dare you barge into my office and take Miss Vasconcelos, one of our most esteemed collaborators?"Where did you take her? We have CCTV footage showing you taking her by the arm to I don't know where!"You better tell me now what you did with her or where she is, or I'll fire you and report you to the police for kidnapping Miss Vasconcelos!"Mark was not shaken by the words.He shook his head slowly, feeling disg
Anthony Curtis was catatonic for a few seconds. He couldn't believe what his ears had just heard.Him, fired?He was about to fire the troublemaker janitor!How is that possible? What did he do wrong?Anthony shook his head and questioned, "Gene, today is not April Fool's Day. Stop with the prank!"Gene rolled his eyes and signaled to someone, "Manager Curtis, this is not a joke. We received strict orders for your position to be terminated today.""Gene, I demand that you give me an explanation—"Anthony was even more shocked to realize that Gene had hung up on him.João, Mary Ellen, and the other employees were in shock, not knowing what to say. Did they hear correctly?"Manager Curtis, why are you reacting as if YOU were the one being fired?""Didn't you explain to HR that it's janitor Mark who has made our company an impossible place to work?" João asks scandalously, entering the office.Mark, glancing disdainfully, warned João, "Careful, idiot. You never know when HR is in a bad m
Mark was smiling at the entrance of Glamour, waiting for Briana to take him to her family's house.Some employees, like Mary Ellen, kept their distance from Mark, with an inexplicable fear.Suddenly, Briana's luxurious car stopped and Mark quickly got in."Mark, why are you smiling?""Let's just say things are falling into place," Mark replied, fastening his seatbelt."OK. Now we need to introduce you to my family," Briana replied and added, "Are you okay with that?""I'm fine." Mark turned to her with a reassuring smile."I know it seems sudden." Briana thought it would be good to explain, "But there's a banquet happening today and I need to attend."So I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce you to them as my husband."Mark needed no motivation for this."Understood. I just need to go to my apartment to dress up.""Yes, I understand. Let's go then." Briana smiled in relief, "Thank you so much, Mark."Mark nodded, and Briana headed to his old apartment.'Briana, you wi
Mark continued to observe the scene unfolding in the dining room of the Vasconcelos mansion.He had expected a harmonious banquet with decent people, just like Briana was.After all, if Briana was a good girl, it must have been due to the upbringing her family had given her, right?But with their reaction to the marriage, Mark changed his mind.What he had said about Briana needing to get married after being drugged and having relations with him had proven true once again.If Briana were to say that she had lost her virginity without Mark by her side, she would be torn apart by her family!But it seems that Briana is receiving the same treatment even after introducing her husband to them."I'm waiting, Briana!" her grandmother impatiently shouted, "Who is this young man?""His name is Mark Ferro," Briana respectfully replied, although inside she was outraged."I've never heard of him, so just stating his name is unnecessary!" her grandmother replied arrogantly, "What does he do?"Bria
At this point, it's unclear whether the Vasconcelos family had gathered to celebrate a family member's birthday or to have fun at the expense of Mark and Briana.However, this was the result after Briana futilely presented Mark as her husband.Mark's final remark made the others laugh until they couldn't anymore."He, he, he! I didn't know janitors had access to confidential company information!" Katrina exclaimed mockingly."It looks like the Glamour hierarchy is revolutionizing, huh? Now even the lowest-ranking members know about contracts and corporate collaborations!" James joined in the mockery.Gilson felt uncomfortable for having such a lowlife visitor on his birthday and decided to join in, "Young man, bragging is a bad habit, you know?"Didn't Briana tell us that you worked in janitorial? Did you happen to overhear classified conversations when you entered the office to sweep the floor?"Katrina shook her head in disdain, "No, Dad. This guy is probably a spy, listening to oth
Everyone laughed so hard that they were practically gasping for breath, leaning this way and that.A poor loser bragging about booking the Aurelia Cathedral?Who did he think he was?!The Cathedral of Aurelia was famous for its medieval-style construction, which had been preserved and renovated by the government over all these years, maintaining its original appearance.As a result, the venue had been one of the most famous points in the kingdom of Aurelia.And only the privileged elite are eligible to enter.Even their family — the Vasconcelos family, weren't qualified.So how could someone like Mark, a mere working-class janitor, qualify?Truly laughable!Mark, on the other hand, remained completely unaffected.Wasn't it clear in his own mind whether he was qualified or not?If he wasn't qualified, then hardly anyone in this world would be!With indifference, he observed first-hand how a bunch of snobs behaved."Oh my God! Briana, where did you find this husband of yours? At some st
Briana couldn't bear it anymore.She thought she could at least have some tolerance from her family.She'd understand that her family would feel some weirdness that she brought a completely unknown man into their house, especially introducing him as her husband.But she didn't even have a chance to explain how things unfolded.The Vasconcelos family showered her and Mark with insults and mockery.Even worse, she received no support from her parents, who only knew how to bow their heads or blame her for the embarrassment.Listening to her cousin and her fiancé talk about a bet was the height of absurdity for her.She stood up and spoke with wounded dignity, "OK, I see that my husband is causing discomfort to you all. Mark, let's go."Mark looked at her calmly and asked, "Are you worried about them, dear? It's me who is uncomfortable!"The Vasconcelos family was filled with rage at Mark's statement.Is HE uncomfortable? How dare he?"You're quite arrogant, aren't you, poor man?" James s
Gilson returned to the mansion, completely distraught. Claudia was coming down the stairs, heading to their son’s temporary room. Seeing her husband with a ghostly expression, she stepped back. “Dear, what happened?” “Is Mom here?” Gilson asked in a weak tone. “Huh, your mother?” Claudia frowned and approached him, not hearing properly. “She’s watch-binging some independent series made by Glamour. Why?” “Independent series?” Gilson was puzzled. “Yes, those series that are made without great ambition to be a mega-hit, with a limited budget, usually posted directly on the Internet or streaming TV,” Claudia said in a tone that also showed her disagreement. “Why is she wasting time watching those things when she could be watching one of OUR series?” Gilson asked indignantly. “She said she’s trying out products from other companies to get better acquainted.” Claudia shrugged. “Anyway, let your mom enjoy the last years of her life however she wants. I was going to talk to Chris.” “
Mark showed up at the police station. Sergeant Ribeiro greeted him with respect. “Is this chair comfortable enough for you, Mr. Ferro?” Mark found the kindness a bit strange. “Yes, it is, thank you very much, Sergeant. But what’s all this about?” “I just want to make you comfortable so you can tell me everything without stress.” Ribeiro sat down across the desk. “I don’t understand.” Mark scratched his forehead. “Something tells me that the solution to this whole mystery will come from you, the man who is so often accused of being the culprit.” Ribeiro leaned back in his chair with an interested smile. “Can you explain why you think that, Sergeant?” Mark smiled slightly. “I think I’ve been watching too many movies on my days off.” Ribeiro chuckled. “In the films I watch, when the hero is cornered with false accusations of a crime, he gives it his all to solve the mystery and clear his name. Isn’t that what you’re doing, Mr. Ferro?” “You saw me hiding in my house last week,” Ma
Gilson arrived at the LCN Group headquarters. Upon being greeted by Susana Linz, he sat down in front of her desk. Gilson felt the atmosphere suffocating him. The serious expression of the Vice President indicated that she wouldn’t bring good news. “Vice President Linz, is something wrong?” Susana sat facing him. “Do you still have the nerve to ask me that, Mr. Vasconcelos?” Gilson swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. Are you unhappy with something regarding the series?” “Yes, I’m very upset.” Susana replied. “Mr. Vasconcelos, we signed a contract with you because we thought the Vasconcelos Company deserved a chance to grow under our guidance and support. We provided our facilities and partially financed a project for a series we believed to be promising.” “I didn’t understand why you used some verbs in the past tense.” Gilson felt his heart rate quicken. Susana leaned back in her chair. “Unfortunately, we will have to reevaluate the situation of our partnership.” “What do yo
At Ferro House, Mark and Briana had just finished breakfast. “Dear, what will we do with the information Luana gave us?” Briana asked, placing her cup on the saucer. “Should we report James to the police?” “We have no evidence, just Luana’s testimony.” Mark shook his head while wiping his lips with a linen napkin. “But the Vasconcelos family has no proof of you sabotaging other people’s cars either.” Briana exclaimed, “That didn’t stop them from making disgusting accusations against you.” “And Katrina spent a night in the slammer because of it.” Mark smiled mockingly. Briana chuckled. Any punishment for Katrina is still too little! “Anyway, maybe we can give Luana’s testimony as a lead for Sergeant Ribeiro to continue investigating,” Mark suggested. “Yes, that’s a start!” Briana calmed down. “What we heard from Chris makes a lot more sense.” “Yes, it makes more sense to believe James was the saboteur.” Mark looked toward the pool. “We know how James isn’t fully invested in thi
Next Monday. The Vasconcelos Mansion was in ‘celebration’ with Christopher’s return. He had left the hospital but still needed crutches due to his casted foot. “I broke the very foot I used to try to brake hard and desperately,” Christopher joked while in the foyer. Gilson hugged him tightly. “What matters is that you’re still alive, kid!” “That’s right!” Claudia shot a disdainful look at Sandro and Nadir. “Unlike your sister, you won’t be kicked out of here.” “We still need to talk about that, folks,” Christopher said seriously. “This injustice needs to be corrected.” Sandro couldn’t hold back and interjected, “You want to talk about injustice, nephew?” Nadir echoed disdainfully, “How about we discuss the injustice of accusing our daughter of horrible things even after the police ruled her out as a suspect?” “Katrina told me how Briana got rid of the suspicions,” Christopher retorted bitterly. Gilson stepped between Sandro and his son. “Okay, folks, let’s not fight today. S
Katrina discovered that some chick had hurt her sick brother, and by Christopher’s reaction, the wound was of the heart.“Chris, tell me NOW how did she hurt you!”“No one, sis, don’t be paranoid.”“What did Luana Barros do to you, huh?”“If you’re going to be this hysterical, then it’s better if I don’t tell you. I don’t want you to do something crazy.”Katrina shook Christopher. “She was the girl you were interested in, right? Briana’s best friend? They both must have plotted something to hurt you! Come on, Chris, spill it!”“Forget it, and stop shaking me!” Christopher struggled. “If Dr. Vargas showed up here, he would kick you out.”“I don’t give a damn about Dr. Vargas!” Katrina shouted at the top of her lungs.A nurse appeared with a frown. “Mrs. Ross, we ask for respect and silence here.”“Go take care of your job, you hellish nurse! Nobody called you here!”“Alright.” The nurse hurriedly left.The multi-parameter monitor began recording Christopher’s accelerated heart rate.“S
Mark listened to the entire conversation that took place between Luana and Christopher in his hospital room.Vargas had previously placed a bug recorder to capture what promised to be an important discussion.As Mark suspected, the conversation was indeed revealing...Mark smiled in satisfaction as he heard Luana efficiently extract the secret from the deluded and foolish Christopher.Hearing Christopher come to terms with the truth and cry like a baby brought a smile to Mark’s lips.Karl noticed from his desk. “Are you watching funny videos on the Internet, Mark?”“Not exactly. I’m smiling at the prospect of Luana showing up to share the outcome of her conversation,” Mark replied.“You act like you know she got something out of him.” Karl was surprised.“I trust your girlfriend’s abilities.” Mark chuckled.Briana entered their office, anxious. “Mark, Luana called me. She’s on her way, but she told me a bit about it.”“Did she manage to get anything?” Mark took off his headphones and
Luana is astounded by the revelations Christopher shared about James. “So, instead of opening your sister’s eyes, you prefer to keep secrets to blackmail James at a future moment?” Luana scolded him with her arms crossed. “Chris, don’t you realize this will cause you problems?” “Well, I didn’t think James was a murderer, just an insatiable adulterer,” Christopher sighed in disappointment. “Well, now we have a strong reason to believe that he was the one who sabotaged your car, not Mark.” Luana stood up. Christopher raised his hand, trying to stop her. “What’s wrong?” Luana noticed. “You’re not going to tell Briana, are you?” “Do you want to keep this nonsense going? The police are running around in circles like a headless chicken trying to find the culprit!” “We have the perfect culprit: Mark,” Christopher retorted, shrugging. “IMPOSSIBLE!” Luana exclaimed indignantly. “The police have already ruled Mark out as a suspect. I heard your conversation with Sergeant Ribeiro. And I
Mark isn’t bothered at all by Gilson wanting to make a scene in the café. “Why are you so calm when my son is bedridden in the hospital?” “I’m not exactly calm,” Mark replied serenely. “I just don’t allow that to disrupt my life’s routine. Should I mourn as if your son were dead? From what I heard, he woke up and is recovering.” Gilson sat down at Mark’s table. “Not thanks to you! If it depended on your scheming, my son would be dead!” “You have absolutely no proof that I had anything to do with this.” Mark sipped another gulp of his macchiato. “Repeating this endlessly won’t make that theory true.” “We’re looking for evidence because WE KNOW it was you!” Gilson replied in a low, more threatening tone. “We won’t rest until we have you behind bars, where you belong.” “What a pathetic life you lead.” Mark shook his head in disdain. “What do you mean by that?” Gilson was outraged. “You dedicate yourselves to making others’ lives hell instead of taking care of your own business.