The next day, James led a devastated Katrina back to Vasconcelos Mansion. When they entered the foyer, only Gilson and Claudia rushed to embrace her as if Katrina had returned from the Sahara Desert. “DAUGHTER!” Claudia exclaimed in horror, shedding tears. “It’s so good to have you back safe and sound!” “Don’t ever do that to us again, do you understand?” Gilson was also crying. Althea, Sandro, and Nadir looked serious and formal. This wouldn’t be a day for tears and celebration… Katrina replied, “Thank you for the support and encouragement, everyone. I love you all.” “We love you too, dear,” James replied melodically. However, his gaze lingered on the others, and his smile faded like a wilting flower. “Hey, aren’t you going to greet Katrina for coming back from prison?” Gilson and Claudia released their embrace and turned around, only to find the others with grave faces. “Why are you all making those faces?” Gilson asked, somewhat offended. Althea answered, “Today is not
Ray informed and reported to Mark how the recording studio for Katrina’s show had turned into complete chaos. “There’s no one even remotely responsible for conducting the recordings,” Ray continued, enjoying this. “I have a pile of overdue scenes to record; Alanna Torres has assumed the role of impromptu director; Adrian Curtis and James Ross have vanished like magic; and the rest of the family is more concerned about blaming Lady Ferro for the car accidents.” “I heard Katrina was detained at the station for contempt of court.” Mark smiled, remembering how that amused Briana. “She disrespected the sergeant because he didn’t want to believe her flawed theory. She even accused the forensic team of taking bribes from my wife.” “Well, she couldn’t make those accusations without proof, could she?” Ray shrugged. “With that, the progress of her show only worsens,” Mark shook his head. “Ray, I know this could burn your reputation, harming your career as an actor. I promise to reward you.”
Katrina felt terribly wronged by what was happening. “Grandma Althea, I don’t know what’s going on. You loved me, you were proud of me. My relationship with James was perfect and ideal in your eyes. Why did you decide to support Briana after you expelled her from the family?” “Let’s just say I made a mistake in judgment of character,” Althea replied dryly. “You didn’t make a mistake about me,” Katrina defended herself. “So you’ve always been this troublesome, unruly, problematic woman, and I was too blind to see it?” Althea asked indignantly. “NO!” Katrina let more tears roll down her face. “That’s not what I meant. Grandma Althea, please don’t twist my words!” “I think you’re the one trying to distort reality here,” Althea shot back. “Do you expect me to congratulate you for being detained at the police station for a day for contempt of authority?” Sandro calmly interjected, “Katrina, it’s better if you recognize once and for all that your theory about Christopher is flawed. T
Mark and Ribeiro greeted each other with a handshake. “It’s a pleasure once again, sergeant,” Mark said, gesturing to one of the upholstered armchairs. Ribeiro certainly didn’t seem to be in character. It looked like they were both going to talk as friends. “I’m curious, sergeant.” “Stay curious, that’s how I like it,” Ribeiro joked. “Mr. Ferro, did you hear that your cousin spent the night at the police station?” “Yes, and my wife couldn’t stop laughing,” Mark replied indifferently. “I can tell this family doesn’t have strong family ties,” Ribeiro scratched his neck. “Is it a crime for Briana to laugh at the other one being foolishly arrested?” Mark became uncomfortable. “No, it’s not a crime, but it wouldn’t be morally acceptable either,” Ribeiro cautiously opined. “Sergeant, if you knew how the Vasconcelos family behaves, you would understand my wife and why she reacted that way,” Mark defended his beloved wife. “Where is she?” “She’s working, taking care of her shows, w
James posed a question that made the Vasconcelos family ponder for a moment.Aside from what Briana had said, no one really knew who Mark Ferro was.His past, his family... all of that remained hidden.Althea shook her head. “James, I understand you. We really don’t know more details about Mark Ferro. However, we do know that he has been a great husband to Briana. He has been working hard at Glamour. We thought he would live off Briana’s money, but we were completely wrong.”“I wasn’t wrong about him!” James muttered.Sandro raised an eyebrow, “Oh, maybe YOU found out something about Mark that we don’t know, huh? Share it with us, James!”“Yeah, why keep the secret? Isn’t that what you want, to spread the truth about my son-in-law?” Nadir echoed Sandro’s irony.James considered revealing the video from the Glamour parking lot. But seeing that the others looked skeptical, he fell silent.“Why would I say anything? You all look like you wouldn’t believe me.”Katrina, however, was the on
Mark and Sergeant Ribeiro talk among themselves to come to an understanding of what is happening. Ribeiro summarizes the story, “Okay, so we have James Ross, an ambitious young man who decided to use marriage as a ladder for social ascent. However, he finds himself attracted to his wife’s cousin, precisely the cousin with whom his wife cannot tolerate.” “I don’t know why James doesn’t think about that detail.” Mark shook his head. “From what I’ve observed, a good part of the intrigue between the two cousins is because of that. If James weren’t marrying Katrina out of interest, this conflict would be cut in half.” “What do Katrina Ross’s parents think about this?” Ribeiro asked. “Humph... they are starstruck.” Mark smiled disdainfully. “James’s father worked at the LCN Group. They had connections to secure contracts and partnerships between LCN and the Vasconcelos Company.” “But I heard that Old Mr. Ross was disgracefully fired from the LCN Group, so much so that he hasn’t found a
Mark reacted as if he had a great revelation. Ribeiro became interested. “Any ideas, Mr. Ferro?” “Yes! Sergeant Ribeiro, I think we have our first suspect!” Suddenly, Mark went silent. How would he explain to Ribeiro how he obtained information that proves animosity between Christopher and James? Mark knows that James traveled alone for his honeymoon after fighting with Katrina on their wedding night, sleeping with other women. But that was something Lord Ferro would do... Ribeiro waited for Mark to explain. “Uh... Sergeant Ribeiro, you know I haven’t had much contact with Christopher Vasconcelos. However, if we assume that he knows something about his brother-in-law...” Ribeiro understood. “You think James Ross was the one who cut Christopher’s car brakes?” “It’s a possibility.” Mark evaded. “As I told you, we have our first SUSPECT.” “I get it, you don’t want to accuse anyone without proof.” Ribeiro nodded. “But this is a great way to start. Finally, we have someone with
At Ferro House, Mark decided to do something. Regis entered his office, finding his boss standing. “Do you need anything, Lord Ferro?” “Yes, I need you to be careful with the ‘Lord’ because we’re going to mingle with the crowd.” Regis raised his eyebrows. “Are you planning to leave the house?” “Exactly. We’re going to Glamour. I don’t think anyone will report me for Christopher’s accident,” Mark reasoned. He thought long and hard before making his decision.The only people with a morbid interest in accusing him of attempted murder work at Vasconcelos Company, not at Glamour. “Okay, I understand. I’ll get the car to take you.” “That’s right. I don’t want to risk going alone.” “No one is going to throw stones at the windows or windshields, Lord Ferro.” Regis chuckled. “We better get going.” “Yes, let’s hurry.” Mark, already dressed accordingly, headed to the garage. Inside the car, sitting in the back seat, Mark took out his phone. At Glamour, Briana smiled upon seeing her h
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.” “
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