In Abner’s office at the headquarters of the Starling Empire, the current president was checking the details of the party with Evan.“Have all the CEOs of our companies RSVP’d, Evan?”“Yes, sir. Those who are married have promised to bring their wives and children.” Evan nods as he stares at the tablet.“Great. And what about Josias Rocha? His presence is fundamental for us.” Abner smiles hopefully.“I don’t think he will make that slight.” Evan smiles confidently.The door opens and Alice enters. It’s not every day that Madam Sterling shows up at headquarters. The employees must have been in an uproar...“Honey...” Abner gets up from the presidential chair.“Honey, can I talk to you alone? I’m sorry, Evan...” Alice asks in a sweet voice, but Evan could feel her authority.“Of course, Madam Sterling. Excuse me.” Evan discreetly leaves.Abner waits for the door to close, “Tell me, my love.”“Abner, we need to do something about Andreia.” Alice crosses her arms.“More than I’m already d
Matthew and Cindy wake up in a good mood. They’re in the bathroom getting ready for another day of routine. Matthew shaved looking in the sink mirror while Cindy relaxed in the bathtub.A stool near the bathtub held her cell phone. Message notifications were buzzing all the time, making Matthew frown.“I got curious, my dear. What do these people talk about so much?” He asks her.“Let me see...” Cindy wipes the suds off her right hand and picks up her cell phone. She smiles, “Ah, they’re my fans, honey. They’re congratulating me on the article.”“What article?” Matthew looked serious, having a bad feeling.“The article I wrote about Jackson Borges! I told you everyone would love that gossip. Now he and Patricia will become famous, and—”Matthew turns violently towards Cindy. Even though he had some shaving foam on his chin and was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, the sight was not something for Cindy to drool over, but rather, to fear.“CINDY!” He roars like the king of
Matthew showed up at the university, expecting Abner to be there.“Hello, Young Master Sterling.” Dean Meirelles greeted him respectfully, “Did you come to talk to your grandfather? Today he is here, you were lucky.”“I don’t know if that was luck or if he knew I needed to talk to him urgently.” Matthew smiles gently, “Can I pass?”“For sure.” Meirelles accompanies him.Abner was typing something on the computer. Meirelles enters first.“Mr. Sterling, your grandson wants to talk to you.”“I imagined.” Abner keeps his gaze fixed on the monitor, typing, “Let him pass.”Meirelles gestures for Matthew to pass.“Grandpa, Evan informed me what happened to the Rocha family.”“Where’s your girlfriend?” Abner continues to stare at the monitor and type.Matthew swallows hard. Should he tell his
In the dean’s office at Sterling University, Matthew found himself in an unusual situation. David Rocha, even though he was wrong in the story that was published in the newspapers, is now in front of our hero demanding that his girlfriend be thrown out.“David, you offended my best friend because she had the decency not to hope for a stable, lasting relationship. You can even complain that my girlfriend published the story, but don’t talk to me like you’re a helpless victim. I imagine what you must have said to Patty.”David swallows hard. “Maybe you don’t know, but I also have a heart and feelings.”Matthew tilts his head back and laughs uproariously, “HA, HA, HA, HA! That’s the joke of the century! Come on!” Matthew stops laughing, “Months ago, you wanted to perform a gangbang with her and your friends there in the middle of the square, for everyone to watch and put on the Deep Web!”“I regretted it bitterly and demanded that my friends ask for forgiveness.” David retorts.“Why? Did
At the Borges house, Jackson was now dressed and taking care of cleaning his beloved pool. Vanda appeared with a tray of orangeade as if she were the maid and not the lady of the house.“Son, here is some juice that Mom prepared for you.” Vanda places the tray on one of the sun loungers.“Mom, I’m in trouble. Should I admit my celebrity status?” Jackson asks as he stares at the pool, running the net through the water and sifting through dry leaves.“Yes, my son. People don’t know us or why we live here.” Vanda winks mischievously, “It would even be nice if we brought Matt some publicity.”Jackson faces his mother, “Yes, let’s take advantage and say that thanks to Matt, we live in this beautiful house. People will stop thinking badly of him and see him as a great guy who does good deeds for the unfortunate.”“And with your sister dating Matt’s cousin, everythin
At the Happy Snack Bar, Cindy intended to have a private conversation with Jackson, but was almost scared to death when she discovered her boyfriend in the same place, just when Matthew had just said that they were supposed to avoid confusion.Clayton thought the irony of the situation lay in the fact that Cindy was the journalist who sowed the seed of discord.But for Jackson, the danger was that he wanted to talk to his friend’s girlfriend without his knowledge!Matthew turns around and finds a frozen Cindy at the door. “Honey, come in! What a coincidence, we were just talking about you.”“About me?” Cindy walks in, her eyes wider than before, “You were talking about avoiding trouble. How come I’m the one causing this?”“And let’s pretend we’re blind and stupid.” Matthew chuckles as he wraps his arm around his girlfriend.Clayton frowns. He preferred Matthew with Patricia, but his friend chose the indiscreet journalist... “Miss, don’t you know that you acted very badly in publishing
At the Borges House, the family ate dinner in the dining room, as determined by Vanda, without Jackson around.“Where is this boy?” Hélio asked while chewing the chicken stroganoff.“Let him have fun, darling.” Vanda smiled delightedly, “He’s definitely broadening his horizons, meeting new people, partying around. He’s a celebrity now, remember that.”Hélio wrinkles his nose, “Let’s see how long this lasts.”Patricia sighs, trying to hide the deal she made. She just hints, “If it’s up to a certain person, Jackson will be famous forever. He just has to seize the moment.”“Take advantage of the moment to do what? Go on TV, on one of those reality shows?” Hélio asks in disdain.“No, he needs to meet rich girls to marry one of them.” Vanda responds, “That’s how it happened in the book—”“Mom, rest assured that Jackson will chart his own path,” Patricia responded, looking at her father who was motioning to slap his wife.Vanda didn’t notice the attack she almost suffered and continued to e
Cindy opens her eyes as wide as possible and loses all the sleep she has. How will she answer this dangerous question?She gathers the strength to lean against the headboard and tries to smile, “Seems like it’s a little late for that question, don’t you think?”“No.” Matthew continues to smile, but Cindy doesn’t feel at ease, “Yesterday, we were busy making love in the bathroom stall, but now, we can talk peacefully. I missed you at dinner. You didn’t even know what happened.”Cindy makes a risky move, “Did your aunt Andreia move here without her husband and son?”Matthew loses his pose. He widens his eyes as if asking “How did you know?”Cindy is relieved to see that she got it right, “That was it, right? I noticed. She had two suitcases when I saw her, and no sign of the rest of the family. I wouldn’t be a smart journalist if I didn’t realize wha
At Silva Oil Company, Kirk appeared in Leonardo’s office. Fernando and Marta had already left. “KIRK!” Leonardo abruptly stood up from his desk. “How are you, my young man!” “Mr. Silva?” Kirk was surprised by such reverence. “I didn’t know you cared so much about me...” “Cut the small talk! You just had a seizure and looked like you were going to die in my company,” Leonardo gestured for the employee to sit down. “Now I want to know all the details. Don’t hide anything from this curious old man.” Kirk smiled and sat down. “Well, sir, there’s not much to tell. I was stupid enough to fall for the siren’s song.” “In this case, the cocaine song, right?” Leonardo leaned forward. “What do you intend to do from here on out?” “Obviously, I promised myself and my family that I wouldn’t use that cr*p anymore. It wasn’t worth all the drama and suffering,” Kirk replied honestly. “That’s good. Then you can continue from where you left off,” Leonardo smiled, relieved. “That’s about what I w
In Urbano Magazine, Cindy returned with the printed sheet, extending it to Andreia. “Read this not-so-pretentious article, my friend,” Cindy declared. Andreia took the paper and read it. A smile formed at the right corner of her mouth. “Cool... nothing so blatantly accusatory, but clear enough for any semi-literate person to understand that Elaine knocked over that pyramid of champagne glasses, causing a scene at the book signing.” “Of course, I won’t say she did it because the honored author was her enemy’s mother,” Cindy replied mischievously. “You don’t want to risk Matt’s wrath.” Andreia stood up, a bit slowly due to her pregnancy. “Speaking of which, how did he react after your dad’s video?” “I didn’t bring it up with him,” Cindy shook her head. “If I mention it, people will say I still love him.” “And you don’t want to do anything to ruin your relationship with Jackson,” Andreia repeated. “Cindy, it’s commendable that you’re more committed and focused on having someone in
Fernando appeared in the kitchen wearing gray sweatpants. Liz, who was sour and bitter, smiled pathetically with her gaze fixed on her husband’s pants. “Good morning, son. What’s new?” Ronaldo replied rudely, “The news is seeing my mother still able to walk!” “RON!” Liz was startled. Fernando shook his head. “Son, don’t be disrespectful. Your mother and I are trying to be as discreet as possible.” Ronaldo shot back, “Just missing discretion when discussing my fiancée, huh? Can we talk about that now?” Liz pursed her lips. “I was so happy when I woke up, but you made sure to ruin my day.” “Mom, we can’t avoid the obvious!” Ronaldo turned to Fernando. “Matt told me that Elaine was reprimanded.” “And I will never agree to that!” Liz shouted. “Elaine was a victim of that tough girl from the slums! She could have died from a cut to her jugular!” “But Elaine provoked Patty’s wrath by saying those nasty things,” Fernando reasoned as he served himself breakfast. “Couldn’t Patricia a
Silva Penthouse, Monday morning. Ronaldo was walking down the hallway to the kitchen in just his boxer shorts when the suite door opened. Liz was smiling a little too much, looking like she was about to dance ballet. “Mom! Long time no see!” “Yes, son, I had a wonderful time with your father!” Liz replied suggestively. Ronaldo blushed to the roots of his hair. “Is breakfast ready?” she asked casually. “I was about to check,” Ronaldo said, heading to the kitchen. There, the coffee maker was already brewing coffee. “Nando must have prepared it in advance.” Liz took bread and butter from the fridge. Ronaldo, cautious, sat down at the table. He noticed a tear in Liz’s nightgown. “Mom, did you and Dad make up this Sunday?” “We can say he’s no longer in love with your fiancée,” Liz replied with a mischievous smile. “Mom, stop talking about that disgusting stuff!” Ronaldo frowned. “This is all your sick imagination.” Liz simply shrugged, sitting down at the table as well. “You’r
Elaine arrived stumbling with fear and bewilderment. The truth about Bella and Nathan’s relationship was something horrifying and incredible for her to digest. “Oh my God... how did these two families let this issue intertwine like this?” Nayla was at the reception desk, smiling, waiting for Elaine to approach. But when she realized Elaine was going to walk past her, Nayla called out loudly, “ELAINE?” Elaine stopped suddenly and looked at her friend. “Oh, Nayla, I’m sorry...” “Don’t worry. I know you must be going through a lot of pressure.” Nayla stood up. “I really am. But I always have time for my friends.” Elaine smiled and approached, trying to distract her mind. “I wanted to know if there are any openings here at Golden Letters for my brother.” Nayla asked respectfully. Elaine’s smile vanished with the wind. As Nayla’s boss, she knew who the brother was. “Nayla, we’re friends, but you know I have a strong opinion against drug use and sales.” Elaine replied in a boss t
At Andrade Clinic, Charles was leading a meeting with the receptionists and security guards. Walter and Emmanuelle were present. “So, everyone, the next time Liz Silva or anyone else causes a scene at the clinic entrance, security or even the police must be called in immediately. Don’t hesitate just because the troublemaker is someone from an important family. This is a hospital clinic, not a zoo, so I demand order in the lobby. A disturbance can jeopardize the patients who are waiting for care, and I don’t want to compromise anyone’s safety, understood?” “Yes, Mr. Andrade!” everyone responded in unison. “Okay, everyone can return to your posts.” The staff went back to work. Linda gave Walter a brief kiss before leaving. “Linda, I need to ask you a quick question,” Emmanuelle called her back. Linda paused, closing the door after the last person left. “Did you check with your parents if it’s safe to go home?” “No, Emmanuelle. The conversation with Gus was so good that I forgot
In Matthew’s suite, he was now buttoning the cuffs of his genuine cotton dress shirt. Elaine had also gotten out of the bathtub, unable to continue relaxing, and was now putting on her work suit.The memory of the Golden Letters prompted Matthew to strike up a conversation. “Did you remove a glass from the base of the pyramid?” Elaine stared at Matthew as if he were the devil. “What? How can you throw a question like that out of nowhere?” “I just asked a question, woman, answer me.” Elaine shook her head as she walked to the sofa to put on her high heels. “This is inconceivable. Your mind is always revolving around Patricia’s issues. You never forget her, and then tell me I don’t need to worry.” “Was the champagne glass pyramid made for an occasion involving Patricia?” Matthew countered logically. “No, but it was her mother’s book signing.” Elaine angrily slipped on her shoes. “Well, I remembered that many claimed the embarrassment happened because someone removed a glass from
Monday. Elaine was relaxing in the bathtub of her husband’s suite. Matthew stepped out of the shower stall, drying his hair with a white towel as he walked to the double sink. The sight of Matthew’s exposed body startled Elaine for a few seconds, but then she took advantage of the beautiful view, smiling mischievously. “It hardly feels like it’s Monday,” she commented casually. Matthew was washing his face as he said, “Yes, it’s Monday, the day to take care of important things after we relax our nerves on Sunday.” Elaine pursed her lips and retorted, “If I relaxed my nerves, it’s because they were in shambles. It’s not like me to live in constant stress, darling. I might not get the chance to calm down in the future.” Matthew turned off the faucet and grabbed a face towel. “Are you saying you would be willing to reduce your contact with Aunt Liz?” Elaine could no longer relax. “What does that mean?” Matthew tossed the towel onto the sink and turned to his wife. “I don’t like t
In the Silva Penthouse, Liz took advantage of the wreckage of the coffee table to create more drama. “Here we have it, darling! The COFFEE TABLE is SHATTERED with Elaine’s body thanks to Patty—” “SHUT UP!” Fernando slammed the door shut. Liz trembled in panic, staring wide-eyed at her furious husband. “But what is this? Why are you angry with me, darling, when you should be furious with Patty—” “I command silence, and you keep babbling even more!” Fernando went to the utility room to grab a broom. Liz quickly grabbed her phone and took a picture of the shattered coffee table. Maybe this will come in handy for her in the future... “So, what are we going to do about this?” Liz shouted for Fernando to hear. Fernando returned with a broom and a dustpan in hand. “Don’t tell me you’re going to sweep this up!” Liz reacted horrified. “Let the maid clean it up on Monday!” “I won’t have a living room full of glass shards until Monday. I want to watch TV tomorrow!” Fernando’s ferocity