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
“Hey guys, what’s going on here?” Matthew asks as he approaches the commotion.Ricardo becomes angrier, “Ah, the object of Cindy’s desire has arrived! Enjoy and be happy together!”“RICARDO, stop being jealous, for God’s sake!” Cindy snorts inelegantly.The college students start recording the scene on their cell phones, having the time of their lives.Patricia shakes her head, “Matt, that ex-girlfriend of yours is trying to get back to her previous status. You guys better talk.”Matthew’s gaze is surgical as he looks at Patricia, “What mark of slap is that?”Ricardo smiles deprecatingly, “In addition to being poor, the guy is stupid.”Matthew turns to him, impatiently, “Didn’t you have to investigate a corrupt politician? What are you doing here?”“I came to talk to my ex-girlfriend, thinking she had recovered her mind. I was wrong, apparently. You showing up in new clothes was enough for her.”Only now does Cindy notice Matthew’s clean, new clothes. She also checks his sneakers whos
Matthew finds himself at the Blue Sea Mall, which coincidentally is where he purchased the new clothes paid for by Walter. He even passed by the store, taking a peek inside. When he could see the two girls at the cash register working and serving customers with fake smiles, he shook his head and continued on his way.Probably, if it weren’t for the third attendant, Vivian, one of them would refuse to swipe Walter’s credit card.Not trying to focus on bad things, Matthew met with the mall employee who was organizing the literary exhibition.“Even with people buying digital books and reading them on their cell phones, those who are fans of the writers tend to buy the physical book because of the autograph.” The employee, a man in his thirties, explains to Matthew, “That’s why we still hold these fairs. And there’s always that one person who prefers paper.”“I know, and I’m one of those,” Matthew admits. As he has always lived in poverty, his cell phone has always been an outdated model.
Nathan is surprised by a company newbie trying to stifle a laugh after he introduces himself as heir to the Sterling Empire.The fact is that the situation was ironic and funny: the newcomer was the real heir!Matthew was supposed to be discreet, but he could tell from afar that Nathan was just another playboy who was lavish with beauty and money, without being properly interested in the family business.“I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling.” Matthew clears his throat, “I wasn’t prepared to meet the heir to the Sterling Empire.”“You don’t read newspapers, do you? You didn’t recognize me?” Nathan retorts, very offended.Elaine cleared her throat, “OK, let’s not make a fuss about this, shall we?”“I just want to work in peace.” Matthew gestures.“If you continue to work like this, young man, there will be no work for you around here,” Nathan responds arrogantly, looking Matthew up and down as if he were a bug.Matthew swallows his indignation for now.“I came to talk about the 2022 literary exhibi
Matthew is leaving Golden Letters. Behind him, beyond his friends Brennon and Augusto, the sun sets on the landscape of Blue Cove.“This can’t happen, Matt!” Augusto says angrily, “What’s happening that no one lets you work here?”“Is there some mystery involved?” Brennon suggests, a little scared.Matthew shakes his head. If he didn’t know in advance that he was the heir to the Sterling Empire, he would also be in doubt. But now, he is in control of the situation.“Don’t worry, guys. Tomorrow you’ll see me back like nothing happened.” Matthew smiles confidently.“You’re confident you’ll make it back.” Brennan is surprised.“Brennon, if you don’t assert yourself in certain situations, people like Nathan Sterling will always abuse you. No wonder he’s not being considered to succeed the old Sterling.”Augusto’s eyes widen, “What did you say, man? Is Nathan Sterling not going to inherit the empire anymore?”Matthew realizes he said too much and tries to correct himself, “Ehr... I read in
The limo transports Matthew, Sheila, and Abner to the Sterling Mansion.Sheila is frowning, acting like a child who is being forced to go somewhere against her will. Matthew, however, acts like the star-struck child being taken to the circus.As they cross the most upscale neighborhood of Blue Cove, a replica of Sunset Village, Matthew glues himself to the vehicle’s window and holds his breath at every beautiful thing he sees.“Look, Mother! Look at the beautiful mansions, the beautiful cars, the beautiful women!”“MATT!” Sheila barks, “Don’t be a pervert!”Abner laughs heartily, “Leave your son, Sheila.”“You look like you’re not interested, Mom.” Matthew frowns.Sheila crosses her arms, “Nothing here is new to me.”The driver turns the car onto a more exclusive street.As if they were on a Hollywood set, the limousine reaches an automatic gold-colored wrought iron gate. The guards located at the guardhouse identify the driver and open the gate.Matthew’s mouth is open so wide that a
Still in the living room where the portraits were, Sheila was standing, unhappy with the outcome of the events.She went to university to try to dissuade Abner from making Matthew the next president of Sterling Empire.But Abner not only managed to convince Matthew but also brought him to the mansion, knowing purely that he couldn’t resist the idea of living in such a chic and refined place.Sheila heard footsteps but didn’t want to know who was approaching. The other person who entered, however, made her turn around.“Sheila.”Sheila turns on her heel and smiles sarcastically, “Oh... Hello, dear mother-in-law.”Alice Sterling, a sixty-five-year-old woman, was wearing a neutral-colored pantsuit and matching skirt. Her white hair was tied up in an elegant bun. Unlike many elderly women, Alice maintained an acceptable weight, as she was adept at light sports such as tennis and walking.If someone didn’t pay attention, she would say that Sheila was older than Aline!“For Christ’s sake, w
The next day, Matthew slowly wakes up in his big bed and stretches out with a smile like a ten-year-old boy.Never again will he open his eyes and see an ugly, dirty, and dark house. Now he is in a very clean and bright room, feeling scented sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. The fact that he slept naked added to the feeling of freshness.“Welcome to your new life, Matt.” He speaks to himself.But his break was about to end. When he turns to the right and sees his cell phone on the bedside table, Matthew is startled.“Oh, heavens, the heir here still has college to attend!”Matthew throws the blankets away and goes straight to the shower, grabbing the fluffy white towel that was on a chair.While showering, Matthew realized that the towel should have been left on the bathroom hook. He mentally reproached himself for this. Now that he’s living in a fancy house, he needs to maintain some order and organization. The days of chaos and mess he was used to are over.So, when he finished sho
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