Sheila entered Matthew's suite and found him sitting on the couch, working on his tablet with various documents next to him.His expression indicated that something didn't go as he expected."Good morning, son. Where is Patty? I didn't see her at the breakfast table." Sheila risked asking, fearing to distract her son.Matthew looked up at his mother, responding normally, "Mom, all good things must come to an end. Patty packed her bags and left.""WHAT?" Sheila reacted horrified, closing the door."That's right. Now I need to work. I have an online education app to manage and a commercial empire to inherit," Matthew replied coldly.Sheila, however, sat in his gaming chair. "Son, let's talk normally. I feel like you aren't okay."Matthew smiled wryly, "Why do mothers do this? They always want to pull out what's in our hearts.""And you're complaining about it?" Sheila asked feeling offended, "If I don't do this, I wouldn't be your mother. In fact, I feel like I have been neglecting you
Matthew entered Abner's office at Sterling University.Meirelles rushed to greet him. "Good morning, Young Matthew! Your grandfather is here today.""Yes, I know. I didn't find him at home." Matthew smiled slightly."You can go in, he'll see you. And how's the graduation speech coming along? I'm looking forward to your oratory, huh?" Meirelles patted Matthew's left shoulder before leaving.Matthew didn't respond, choosing to go straight to his grandfather's desk.Abner was working on the computer, checking some information about the university."Good morning, grandpa.""Good morning, my grandson. I'm checking the scores of those who took the entrance exam for the next period. We had some geniuses who got almost all the questions right and wrote great essays."Matthew noticed Abner staring at the monitor as if avoiding eye contact.He remembered Patricia complaining about the same thing: everyone avoiding the inevitable truth."You don't need to worry about me anymore, grandpa. I talke
"Sheila, screaming and making threats won't help our company situation," Abner comments patiently, "And don't come with that 'the company doesn't matter' talk. It's thanks to the Sterling Empire that you have a life of luxury, after marrying my son.""I don't want the company to go bankrupt," Sheila explains, "Having my son as the heir is a dream of mine. He deserves it and will lead the conglomerate to success, following in his father's footsteps. But... Did he have to sacrifice his love life for that?""No one predicted that a mess like the one that occurred at the charity auction would change everything," Abner simply answers."Is that all you have to tell me? How could you do this to your grandson, Abner?" Sheila is outraged."I didn't put that fake painting there for Patty to choose it!" Abner becomes impatient."No, but everyone is condemning Patty as if she did it on purpose to ruin our reputation!" Sheila asserts, "She didn't do it out of malice. She's inexperienced and learni
Abner is temporarily moved by Nathan's declaration that he is ready to lead the Sterling Empire.Relaxed comfortably in his chair, he comments, "Nate, you are my grandson, and I appreciate the years of dedication you have shown in the conglomerate, especially at the Golden Letters.""Thank you, Grandpa." Nathan begins to feel hopeful."But it was precisely your hope of being the heir that ruined everything." Abner continued, "You became arrogant, tyrannical, irresponsible, letting tasks pile up, among other things. I don't forget that cultural festival where Matthew resolved all the issues while you slept until noon because you stayed up all night partying and degrading girls.""That Nate is who learned the lesson, Grandpa." Nathan doesn't sell himself short, "I've changed. That irresponsible Nate would never help his father advance his career. I helped him from the beginning, creating the account, recording the Lives, managing the comments...""I imagine, it must have been a lot of w
At Sterling University, Meirelles was about to enter Abner's office when he heard his and Nathan's voices."They're still talking? I thought Abner was going to lunch. That's strange..."Meirelles was about to open the door, but Nathan's next sentence stopped him."Did Matthew actually break up with Patricia Borges? Wow! That's..."Inside, Abner nodded, "I know, it seems incredible. But your cousin made a difficult decision. In the business world, we sometimes face these dilemmas. We have to adjust our priorities.""I have adjusted mine, Grandpa." Nathan makes the scout's gesture with the correct hand.Abner smiles slightly. "No girls, no promiscuity, no drugs or rock 'n' roll?""Nope. My hobbies now are jogging on the beach sand and skinny-dipping when no one is around. Although there have been a few times when someone accidentally saw me—""OK, Nate, you don't need to give me a report of your activities." Abner stands up, "I haven't read any gossip about you in the tabloids. As they
Matthew didn't want to give Ronaldo the pleasure of mocking him.So what if Patricia came looking for Ronaldo?She came to him as a friend, not to rekindle that fake relationship!Smiling confidently, Matthew replied, "No, Ron. You can relax, I won't be jealous. I set Patricia free, so she can be with whoever she pleases.""Remember, you're the one saying that!" Ronaldo raised his index finger."Do you really intend to get back together with her?" Matthew was surprised, trying not to laugh."Get back together with what? If Patty wants to be my woman, we'll have a legitimate relationship!" Ronaldo asserted. "What we had after your party was something fraudulent, something planned by her just to get you to stop being foolish and pay attention to her."Matthew's smile faded. "I'll ignore the part about 'stop being foolish.' I loved Cindy Cardoso.""And you'd be married to her today if it weren't for Patty plotting all of that!" Ronaldo smirked, "Anyway, Matt, if you didn't come to talk a
Nathan returns to the beach house, vibrant with the conversation he had with Abner.Andreia was waiting for him in the living room. "Son, we need to talk.""Mom, you must set up my office and desk!" Nathan exclaims, hugging his mother tightly."Are you crazy, kid? What are you talking about?""I'm talking about the job you're going to give me at Urbano magazine!" Nathan lets go of the hug, with a bright smile.Andreia, however, remains serious."Mom, you're not going to be happy about my accomplishment?""What accomplishment?" Andreia asks disdainfully, "You achieved a suspicious feat, using emotional blackmail. You saw that Matt was at a disadvantage and took advantage to paint yourself as a good guy to your grandfather! Am I right or am I right?"Nathan loses some of his joy. "OK, I see we won't have champagne and caviar for dinner. Where's Dad?""He's swimming in the sea," Andreia responds curtly, sitting on the couch.Beside her, Cindy's resume was with some pages outside.Andreia
The next day, the news of Matthew and Patricia's breakup was published in Marilza Peres' column.Blue Cove was in extreme shock with the dissolution of the power couple.What's happening in this world? Can't anyone have a lasting relationship anymore?Patricia was sitting on her bed reading the article written by Marilza in a neutral and sensible way on her phone.Vanda entered, concerned. "Good morning, dear. Oh, you're reading...""Yes, Mom, I'm reading." Patricia puts her phone on her lap, "How has your day been?""My day has been great." Vanda smiles cautiously, "Actually, it's been so great that I'm almost afraid of being too happy and offending you."Patricia smiles comfortingly. "No, I don't want the people around me to be miserable. Actually, some good news would do me good right now."Vanda sits next to her daughter, "Well then: I'll have a new book signing session! My book is doing positively well!""Mom, aren't people buying the online version?" Patricia is surprised."Yes,
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