Regis was not pleased to receive a certain message from Vargas. As he approached the pool again, he relayed this to Mark, “Lord Ferro, Vargas sent a message. He has been listening behind the lounge door and overheard a heated discussion between Lady Ferro and her relatives.” Mark stopped swimming and came to the edge of the pool. “What do they want now?” “Katrina Ross is suggesting that Christopher discovered something about you, hence the ‘assault’.” Regis rolled his eyes, indignant at how these troublemakers have the brains to concoct wild theories. Mark laughed as well. “Heh, heh... wow, Katrina has a talent for melodrama, huh? She’ll probably write the next soap opera.” “What should we do?” Regis was worried. “Lady Ferro wants to face these idiots on her own; let’s give her some space.” Mark got out of the pool. “Vargas will continue the surveillance. Is Sandro there?” “Yes, he is, vehemently defending his daughter.” Regis nodded. “That’s excellent. Let Sandro show the old
In the café, James was startled and bounced in his seat at Katrina’s pointed question. “Dear, if I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have married you!” “That’s not quite an answer.” Katrina huffed. “What do you mean?” James was indignant, playing the victim. “Don’t tell me you’re going to create another theory saying that I never loved you.” Katrina leaned back in her seat and thought better of it. “Okay, I won’t make a fuss. You love me. But I feel that you’re emotionally connected to Briana in some way.” “You just told me you trust me.” James sighed despondently. “I didn’t say ‘romantically,’ I said ‘emotionally.’” Katrina explained further, insisting, “James, I don’t believe you want to cheat on me with Briana, but it’s undeniable that you show concern for her.” James looked out the café windowpane, trying to think of a convincing excuse to continue masking what he really felt. Looking back at his ‘wife,’ James deceived her, “Here’s the thing, dear: when you show you’re jealous,
Briana showed up at the police station right on time.Sergeant Ribeiro received her with great interest. “Mrs. Ferro, it’s good to have you here to talk. We need this, you know.”“Does the police already consider me a suspect?” Briana asked with frightened eyes.“No, not yet. And honestly, I don’t believe you would be capable of that,” Ribeiro winked at her.“But the police need to be impartial; otherwise, they’re going to be a pain in the neck,” Briana huffed as she sat down.“How can I help you, Mrs. Ferro?” Ribeiro sat down across from her.“I came here early to defend myself against the accusation they intend to make,” Briana replied anxiously.“Have you been reading someone’s future, Mrs. Ferro?” Ribeiro wasn’t mocking; he asked in astonishment.It was Briana who let out a hearty laugh. “He, he... I wish I had the power of clairvoyance. We could know who is doing this to my family. But no, I had a confrontation with my cousin at the hospital...”“Oh crap...” Ribeiro rolled his ey
In James’s office, he and Adrian were not pleased with the situation they found themselves in. They needed the parking lot video from Glamour to incriminate Mark and humiliate Briana. But... where’s the video?“This can’t be happening!” James clicked frantically, opening and closing folders, feverishly searching for the video.“Did someone delete the video?” Adrian asked, stunned.“Adrian, I SWEAR! The video was here... it was here!” James despaired, gasping with anxiety and fear.Adrian slammed his fist on the desk. “Someone came into your office and deleted the video!”James stood up abruptly, fearing for his computer. Something is VERY wrong...“But how? How would someone know I had a copy?”“James, I can’t prove it, but—”“If you’re thinking of Mark, feel free.” James interrupted, stepping away from the desk. “Our life’s mission is to accuse the idiot even without evidence.”“Well, he knew about my video, to the point that he arranged for the break-in at my apartment, knocking my
“Handcuff that crazy woman!” Sergeant Ribeiro ordered.An officer who had handcuffs on his belt promptly used them on Katrina’s wrists.“Hey, what’s going on here? I’m not the murderer! Briana Ferro is the one who tried to kill me!”“Did she try to kill you or your brother?” Ribeiro asked mockingly.“Both of us! Briana hates us and wants to see us dead; how haven’t you figured that out yet, sergeant?” Katrina was hoarse from yelling.Briana stood up calmly. “Are you listening, sergeant? That’s why I stepped in first. This is the person making accusations.”“Briana, take advantage of being at the police station and confess!” Katrina cast at her a bloodshot gaze.Briana smiled disdainfully at Katrina. “Try harder.”“B*TCH!” Katrina tried, but the officers were strong and trained to detain her.“I can only imagine what James would say if I told him you’re being grabbed by strong officers. In women’s clubs, they are a recurring fantasy.” Briana winked mischievously at one of the green-eye
Sandro and Nadir reacted genuinely surprised because they didn’t know that Katrina had been arrested. “But what the hell does this have to do with our daughter?” Sandro retorted, frowning. “Briana was at the police station when Katrina was detained!” Gilson shouted back. “Katrina went to the station to tell the truth to the sergeant, but Briana was already there telling lies!” Sandro gestured, confused. “Wait, your statements are very vague. What truth, what lies were they telling?” Claudia replied, “Katrina went to tell the sergeant that Briana and Mark were the ones who cut the brakes on her and Christopher’s car, but Briana was already there convincing the sergeant otherwise.” Nadir put her hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. “Don’t laugh, this is serious! The sergeant claimed ‘contempt of authority,’ but Briana may have manipulated the situation,” Gilson exclaimed. “Briana and Mark have nothing to do with this, stop the paranoia!” Sandro said confidently. “Instead of was
At Red Light, James’s phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number and squinted at the device. Adrian asked, “What’s going on, partner?” “An unknown number. Should I answer it?” “What if it’s a prank or a scam? Better not. I never answer.” Adrian shook his head. Feeling important enough for criminals to attempt a financial scam, James didn’t answer, thinking of his safety. But the same number that rang until it stopped sent a text message next. “What the hell! I’m going to block this number. These scammers don’t give up easily!” James tapped on his phone screen to block the number. However, the start of the message left him stunned. “It’s from the police!” James opened the message and read aloud, “James Ross: we urgently need to talk about your wife, Katrina Ross, who is currently detained at the Braspolis police station for contempt of authority.” “But that’s absurd! If this message has any link, don’t click on it, James!” Adrian exclaimed, startled. “Criminals impersonatin
At Red Light, Anthony showed up and found his son and James, startled by what had happened. “Hello, guys. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” “Dad, James received a sinister phone call from the police station saying that Katrina is in jail,” Adrian replied, also fearful. “And you’re just standing here?” Anthony asked, wide-eyed. “Well, we were suspecting it was just a prank or scammers trying to get money from me,” James replied. “But the number sent a message insisting on the subject, almost automatically.” “James, I only suggest one thing: go to the police station to confirm.” Anthony sat down at their table. “I tried calling her father, but he’s not answering,” James stuffed his phone in his pocket. Adrian explained, “Actually, Dad, we came to talk about what’s going on. It seems we’ll have to cancel our plan regarding the parking lot video.” Anthony was negatively surprised. “What are you talking about? It was an excellent plan!” “Dad, besides criminals stealing my
Sandro and Briana are surprised when Mark suggests that Sandro’s father-in-law work with them at Glamour. Sandro scratches his head. “Mark, the idea sounds good, but you’re forgetting something. Vasconcelos Company is part of my life; my last name is at stake. Briana married you and now goes by ‘Ferro,’ so she has the right to carve her own path.” “But Dad, Uncle Gilson also has the family surname,” Briana counters. “Unfortunately, Grandma Althea has been somewhat blinded by him and handed all the power over to him, disregarding you.” “The problem is that Gilson, as he is, is going to ruin the company, my father’s legacy.” Sandro grimaces. “I can feel that ‘Hope Alive’ will be the first of many failures, until our company falls into obscurity in the entertainment industry.” “Maybe in the future, you can revitalize what Vasconcelos used to be,” Mark tries to mediate. “But still, I don’t see how we can reverse the situation, father-in-law. That’s why I made this proposal for you and
James visited the Vasconcelos Mansion.Christopher was peacefully asleep in his temporary room. The window was open, and the maids passing by the pool area could see the young Mr. Vasconcelos sleeping on his back, shirtless...However, the enjoyment was interrupted by James’ entrance. The maids quickly retreated from the window, pretending to clean and sweep.James didn’t care about the peaceful sleep and shook Christopher violently.“Wake up, sleepyhead!”“OUCH!” Christopher jolted awake, sitting up abruptly and leaning against the headboard of the bed. “What’s this about?”“Time to get up. Aren’t you supposed to be helping with your sister’s show? Get your boxers, shirt, pants, and suit on and get back to work with us!”Christopher narrowed his eyes. “I don’t get your sarcastic tone.”“What the hell gives you the audacity to ‘motivate’ my in-laws in a completely hopeless situation?” James asked sourly. “We lost the main source of funding for Hope Alive, and you’re telling your paren
Mark and Briana returned from lunch in his discreet car.“I think, now that the police have officially removed me from their list of suspects, I can start using my Lamborghini Urus again, sweetheart,” Mark joked. “That way, you won’t feel stuck with me, playing chauffeur.”“Don’t worry, darling.” Briana kissed his cheek. “I like helping you with things.”“Yeah, but the husband here can’t keep relying on his wife — it’s supposed to be the other way around,” Mark said, getting out of the car as he spoke. “Isn’t that what they always accuse me of?”Briana pulled the handbrake, turned off the ignition, and got out of the car, rolling her eyes at him.“Mark, I believe, in the name of Jesus, that one day you’ll learn not to care about the false accusations of others.”“Keep believing, dear.” Mark struck a pose, pretending he needed to learn not to care.If only Briana knew...Of course, Mark couldn’t care less about his opponents’ complaints!As they approached the entrance, the receptionis
Gilson feels like he’s in a psychiatrist’s chair after Sandro asks a probing question. “What are you talking about, you idiot?” “Am I the idiot? You’re projecting your animosity towards me onto your daughter. I think I’m starting to understand why Katrina hates my daughter so much.” Sandro points his finger. “She hates Briana because YOU transfer the hatred you feel for me onto your daughter!” “That’s nonsense!” Gilson refuses to accept it. “I’m not saying you did this on purpose,” Sandro continued, “but it’s what Katrina has absorbed all these years. She grew up seeing you hate me and blame me for everything bad that happened in your life. Growing up in an environment filled with hatred and a sense of injustice, what did you expect would happen?” Gilson slowly stands up. “I didn’t call you here to act like a psychiatrist, you fool. I just want to announce a decision I’ve made.” “What decision?” “After our meeting, it’s clear to me who is the one unwilling to contribute to the
Celia walked through the hallways of Vasconcelos as if she were looking for someone.When she ran into Adrian coming from the recording studios, she approached him eagerly, gesturing.“Adrian, we need to talk about us!”Adrian reacted with displeasure. “What are you talking about, girl? There’s no chance we’re getting back together!”“And who said I wanted to talk about that?” Celia spoke more quietly. “I’m talking about a mistake we made.”“Why are we whispering?” Adrian mimicked her tone.“Because I don’t want to cause panic among the staff.”“Let’s go somewhere quiet.” Adrian led Celia.They entered James’ office, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around.As Adrian closed the door, he continued, “This better be good, Celia.”“We made a mistake by working here. It would be better if we had stayed at Glamour.”Adrian frowned. “What are you talking about?”“I just came from a meeting with the Vasconcelos family.” Celia shook her head, “Boy, they’re completely lost, not know
The Vasconcelos family was surprised by Claudia’s very positive statement. Katrina became interested. “Mom, what do you mean by that? Isn’t Chris recovering at the mansion? How could he think about the show’s situation?” Gilson explained, “We brought the matter to him. Even with bandages and gauze all over his body, my son motivated us to continue producing ‘Hope Alive’ and handle the publicity our way. Unfortunately, we can no longer count on LCN’s funding, but we can make this show work!” James also got swept up in the enthusiasm. “That’s right! If our show is a success, we won’t have to give a cut of the profits to LCN! They will regret discarding us!” “And I will come back, being forgiven by those who canceled me!” Katrina cheered, hopeful. Suddenly, the atmosphere in Gilson’s office changed drastically.Where there was sorrow, now there was joy and hope. Just like the title of the show they want to produce to dethrone Briana’s two shows. Sandro and Nadir, however, exchanged
Mark, pretending not to know what had happened with the Vasconcelos crew, elicited laughter from Luana and Briana with the innocent expression he managed to perform. “HA, HA, HA!” Luana wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “Sorry, Mark, but that was really good!” “Why?” Mark smiled, showing that he wasn’t offended. “Weren’t you notified by Vice President Linz?” Briana caught her breath, feeling her stomach hurt from laughing so hard. “I think she wanted to talk directly to you so you wouldn’t get jealous,” Mark joked. “You fool. I saw Vice President Linz, and I know she’s an attractive woman, but I also saw a picture frame on her desk showing her family.” Briana approached her husband. “So, how do you feel?” “Relieved, vindicated... among other things,” Mark replied honestly. “They couldn’t keep partnering with people who only cause problems,” Luana reasoned. “It was the last straw for them when Katrina showed up in the tabloids.” “Someone must have told them about the unfai
Mark decided to continue strolling calmly through the streets after realizing that the police wouldn’t care about Katrina’s ridiculous accusations and others.With that, he headed to the LCN Group headquarters to discuss the matter directly with Susana Linz.In the vice president’s office, she once again allowed Mark to sit in her chair while she narrated.“Mission accomplished, Lord Ferro. The contract is being rescinded by the legal department as we speak.”“Great!” Mark maintained a serious expression. “We hope they learn a lesson from this.”“Not to go around slandering people and bothering the police with false allegations and testimonies.” Susana shook her head. “I still can’t believe they insist on this ridiculous story just because they don’t like you.”“Sometimes, Susana, a person is overtaken by irrational hate. Nothing else matters, not even a sense of the ridiculous.” Mark took a deep breath.“Mr. Vasconcelos – Mr. Gilson Vasconcelos – didn’t take it well and left here fum
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.” “