It was night in Sheila’s room at the Andrade Clinic. Sheila got startled for nothing, causing the doctor a fright.“Mrs. Silva, are you thinking about something bad? Or was it me who scared you?” The doctor asked, scared.That’s all he needed, the patient to die of fright because of him!Sheila, embarrassed, replied, “No, I was thinking by myself and didn’t even notice you turning on the lamp.”Sheila forced a smile and straightened up on the hospital bed.“OK, I hope you’re happy. Starting tomorrow, you can go home,” said the doctor, relieved, putting on a smile.Sheila was now truly happy.Matthew appeared at that moment, “Mom, good evening! Doctor, any news?”“Yes, Mr. Silva. I was talking to your mother that she’ll go home tomorrow.” The doctor announced excitedly.“Mom, how wonderful! Now we can count on Patty to help you tidy up!” exclaims Matthew.Sheila and Matthew hugged.The doctor warns the two, but good-naturedly, “They have informed me about the mold, guys. Please keep yo
At the end of the day, Matthew was beaming walking down the stairs at Golden Letters. He didn’t mind the accusatory looks from certain people over Matthew’s refusal to use the elevator for short distances.However, some coworkers started imitating Matthew and used the stairs too.“We worked sat for a long time.” Matthew explained to two male assistants who came down with him, “We need to stay in good shape. You want to win over a beauty, don’t you?”“For sure!” One of them, wearing glasses and clumsy, responded hopefully.“So let us continue to be active and manly,” Matthew states, leaving the lesson and example.They say goodbye to Nayla and go through the revolving door.The second assistant commented, “Matt, did you hear that the video they took of you yesterday was evaporated from the Internet? All the Influencers who helped spread the meme have had their accounts taken down.”Matthew drops his smile. Once again, he is being treated as someone powerful and sovereign without unders
Ricardo takes Cindy by the arm and pulls her, forcing her to sit down. Cindy feels a pain in her arm.“OUCH! That hurts, I’m getting a tan!”“SHUT UP!” Ricardo growls, “Don’t make a fuss, people are watching!”Cindy looks around and notices that NO ONE is looking. After drooling or envying the journalist couple, everyone continued with their normal lives.Cindy composes herself and removes her sunglasses, showing a defiant look, “Is this all because I mistook you for my ex-boyfriend?”Ricardo is livid even with the sun tanning his skin, “How come you confuse me with the loser? Does he happen to have this sculptural body like mine?”Cindy smiles mischievously, “Don’t judge Matthew, Ricardo. He’s equally ripped and hot, that’s why I dated him even though he was poor.”Ricardo laughs, dying of jealousy, “Ha, ha, ha! A kiosk worker, who fries snacks, hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries, will never have a body as fit as if he were a gym goer! You won’t be able to make me jealous, Cindy!”Cin
Cindy decided to get up after observing that the tan on her arms and legs was what she expected. Then, she notices the buzz among the bathers.The girls said to each other, “Look at those two! Are there any photo shoots happening around here?”“Maybe a commercial for those stylish sunglasses.”“Friend, are you noticing the sunglasses?” This indiscreet question caused laughter among the women.A jealous young man retorted, “Don’t be fooled, girls! Two handsome guys like that must be a couple!”“GET OUT!” The women refused to believe.Cindy, interested, fixes her gaze on the two friends who are causing commotion on the beach...And her jaw drops when she recognizes who they are!To increase her bad luck, Ricardo appears from another dive. He approaches and hugs Cindy from behind.“What’s wrong, honey?”Cindy is scared. She didn’t expect that one.Meanwhile, Matthew got closer and closer to the sand. He managed to discern Cindy among the sunbathers.But the sight of Ricardo appearing and
Sheila heads to the living room window. She notices a black luxury car parked not far away with two bodyguards keeping watch.“You guys better get out of here.” She turns to Abner and Evan, “My neighbors will comment. I don’t want Matthew to be harmed at all.”Abner nods, “OK, Sheila. But now you know everything. I’ll no longer allow you two to be away from me, away from family, and away from what you deserve.”“I don’t want your money or your lifestyle.” Sheila retorts.Evan counters, “But you asked if Matthew wanted that? Did you allow your son to choose whether he wanted to have a good life or not? I bet he doesn’t even know everything about his father.”“He knows his father died in a car accident when he was very little.” Sheila responds defiantly, “He knows what he needs to know.”Abner shakes his head, “Sheila, as I told you before, it’s time to put an end to this. Tell Matthew the truth today. I’ll meet him at the university office on Monday to explain further. Let’s go, Evan.”
After classes, Matthew is talking to Walter at the kiosk.“Can you believe my EX-girlfriend had the gall to demand that I help her with her internship?” Matthew complains while eating a natural sandwich.“Why would she ask you for help?” Walter takes a sip of guava juice.“Because she saw us on the beach on Saturday. She became jealous while I was talking to Dayse, and Ricardo got angry with her, threatening to kick her out of the LCN.” Matthew reports with satisfaction.“You seem to enjoy her misfortune.” Walter watches him.“She had fun when she started dating another richer guy, knowing I was poor.” Matthew shrugs, “Why did she start hanging out with me?”“Maybe she hoped you would turn out to be an unknown heir or prince of some kingdom out there.” Walter scoffs without suspecting that he called his friend what he is.Matthew shakes his head and eats some more. Patricia approaches them.“What’s up, boys?”“Patty, congratulate the new grill cook. He knows the job. The sandwich is w
“Patty, I’m so embarrassed to ask you this.” Sheila states with a lump in her throat and a shaky voice, “But Matt is right. You need to leave.”“What’s going on here?” Patricia isn’t convinced, “What’s that picture, Matt?”“MATT!” Sheila warns her son to keep his mouth shut.“Patty, as you can see, this will be a very serious matter. Please.” Matthew softens his face to convince his friend that everything is fine.Patricia turns off the iron, “OK, your clothes are ironed. Your mother was enjoying the soap opera. Good night to you both!”Somewhat upset, Patricia leaves. Matthew closes the door.Sheila takes the remote control and turns off the TV. She sits on the sofa.“So...” Sheila finally says something, “You found out...”“Mom, aren’t you going to ask where I took this photo?” Matthew positions himself in front of her, standing, intrigued, “So, do you already know that I got this photo in Golden Letters?”“Yes, my son...” Sheila’s voice indicates that she is about to cry.“And why
Abner told the story to Matthew, adding some details from his point of view. Matthew listened intently, feeling like he was listening to a fairy tale. He would never even dream of suspecting that he was worthy of a multi-million dollar business empire.When Abner finished, Matthew started asking questions that he didn’t dare to ask Sheila, “Grandpa, my mother suspects that someone in the family ordered the accident.”Abner, however, dismisses the theory with a gesture, “Your mother thinks that, because your father was the only heir in sight, he would be fatally targeted by envious people, in this case, my son-in-law Vicente Gouveia, your uncle. But that is absurd. Your uncle is incapable of doing such a thing.”Matthew caught the tone used in the word ‘incapable’, “He’s not one of high achievement, right?”Abner wrinkles his nose, “It was obvious from the beginning that he was only marrying my daughter Andreia for our money. But Andreia loves the idiot, and I didn’t want to be one of
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