Nathan couldn't help but smile at the despair on Elaine's face. She had either run fast or taken a taxi to catch up with him.Elaine was panting, sweat drops rolling down her forehead. Her eyes showed extreme panic as she approached swiftly as if her life depended on it.Matthew was startled by the sight of his girlfriend. "Elaine! What happened, my love?"Matthew embraced Elaine fervently, and she broke down in tears.Seeing the band-aid on Nathan's face again, Matthew frowned. "I remember now. Nate just told me that you were responsible for his facial injury."Still embraced, Elaine jolted, realizing Nathan hadn't told the whole story.She stepped back, trying to compose herself, taking deep breaths. "I hope you didn't believe a word of that idiot.""How dare you, you harlot?" Nathan roared in jealousy.Evan pulled Nathan by his right shoulder. "Control yourself, you hysterical fool!"Nathan shook him off, freeing himself from the secretary. "Enough, I won't tolerate any more attack
Patricia arrives at Silva Oil Company.The secretary respectfully escorts her to Ronaldo's office. It's already understood by everyone that she will be the next Mrs. Silva.Opening the door, the secretary announces, "Mr. Silva, your girlfriend wishes to speak with you.""Please, let her in." Ronaldo beams.Patricia thanks the secretary and enters, closing the door behind her. "Good morning, darling. Am I interrupting?"Ronaldo, always smiling, hugs Patricia tightly. "Of course not, my dear! You're always welcome here, even to work.""I have no inclination to be on the docks or to be a stevedore." Patricia jokes before dropping the bomb.Ronaldo chuckles, loosening the hug. "Heh, heh, heh... you'll never dirty your beautiful hands and perfect nails with crude oil.""Aww, what a romantic boyfriend I've found..." Patricia kisses Ronaldo on the cheek. "It makes it even harder for me to deliver the bad news.""There's no bad news that our love can't conquer." Ronaldo declares, leaning agai
At Andrade Clinic, Linda was returning from the water cooler with her water bottle. She preferred it this way to avoid having to get up constantly, which could disrupt overall service.Of course, she also needed to impress Walter Andrade...Walter approaches her as if drawn by Linda's thoughts. "Hello, Linda. How's your job? Have you managed to get familiar with the operating system?""Some of the older secretaries gave me some tips." Linda gives her best smile. "People here are so friendly and attentive?""Believe me, we strive to maintain the best work environment." Walter grins. "Considering the stress we endure in the halls, especially among the doctors rushing against time to save lives.""I understand. And how is your little sister?" Linda asks casually.Walter widens his smile. "She's better, thank you for asking.""I imagine you hope for the best for your younger sister. I know all about that." Linda nods, recalling her own family."I could check your resume," Walter jokes, "b
At Andrade Clinic, Patricia and Ronaldo visit Jacqueline. Zachary was still with her, watching her eat."Hello, Jacque!" Ronaldo greets her.Patricia decides to stay quiet for now not to upset Jacqueline. She simply smiles, indicating she wants peace.Jacqueline turns towards the entrance and sees the couple. Patricia being accompanied by Ronaldo calms her down."Hello, Ron. Hello, Patty. Thank you for coming," Jacqueline responds."We're worried about you," Ronaldo approaches the bed."Don't worry, we're taking good care of her." Zachary stands up from the bed, "She's better, eating, and has color in her face.""That's good, Jacque," Patricia finally speaks up.Jacqueline nods. "I'm glad to see you're happy with Ron, Patty. Don't let him slip away."Patricia nestles into Ronaldo. "I won't let him go.""I wanted to throw a little party for Matthew yesterday, but he wasn't available at Golden Letters." Jacqueline blames herself, lowering her head, "I'm so weak and useless! I can't keep
Elaine arrived at Golden Letters with a relieved expression, confident that she had managed to keep Matthew away from his rivals.Brennon intercepted her in the hallway. "Elaine, Mr. Vieira is waiting in your office.""Thank you very much, Brennon!" Elaine exclaimed radiantly. "I'm so happy I could order a raise for everyone!""Don't be shy, my friend!" Brennon joined in the banter — or it wasn't some banter? Could there be a raise for him today?Elaine laughed and entered her office.Karl was waiting, ready for his first orders."Hello, Mr. Vieira. Well, may I call you Lawrence?" Elaine extended her hand.Karl shook it, a sincere and charismatic smile on his lips. "If I do a good job, you can call me Larry."Elaine was struck by Karl's aura. Where had she seen someone with such a commanding presence before?She shook her head and sat down, turning on her computer. "Well then. The first order of business will be for you to get acquainted with Vanda Borges.""The new best-selling autho
Fernando shook his head, trying to dispel these horrendous thoughts from his mind. He had no right to covet his son's girlfriend!Ronaldo had already lost Patricia to Matt. If he lost her again to his father, he might just kill himself!Reaffirming his resolve, he entered the office, smiling at the embracing couple. "Oh, how lovely! What do we have here?""Father, good morning," Ronaldo broke the embrace, "We're just taking care of our love.""Carry on, don't let this old man interfere." Fernando attempted to leave."You're not interfering at all, Fernando," Patricia replied kindly.Fernando struggled not to be enchanted by his future daughter-in-law's smile. "Uh... OK, we need to address something. This involves you too, Patty."Ronaldo and Patricia gave Fernando their full attention."The Lion's Den favela will have an inauguration of the piped water and sewage system. Since it all began with a charity event led by you, Patty, you should—""No, Fernando!" Patricia grew serious, begi
Vicente and Nathan thought they had heard wrong."Um... Please, repeat, Dr. Almeida," Vicente asked, stunned, "Did you say they are going to transfer my wife to the obstetrics ward? Does that mean she is pregnant?""Exactly, Mr. Gouveia! I know it seems a little late, but congratulations! You will be a father for the second time!" Dr. Almeida tried to be as upbeat as possible.But Vicente and Nathan felt like they were in a horror movie!How could this happen? Was Andreia cheating on Vicente?Suddenly, Vicente remembered how his love life and marital intimacy with Andreia had improved by 110% since they made up and canceled the divorce.Even Nathan could attest to the times he had heard moans and teeth grinding coming from his parents' room at four in the morning."Excuse me, I better attend to other patients. You can wait for more information in the lounge." Dr. Almeida left, thinking this kind of reaction was normal. She had witnessed it several times before.Nathan turned to his fa
Cindy returned to Urbano Magazine, where she found Matthew languishing from waiting too long in Nathan's office."Matt! What are you doing here?" Cindy asked, pleasantly surprised."I came for a meeting," Matthew replied with displeasure. "I was expecting to meet Aunt Andreia... and Nate...""Oh, it seems Nate hasn’t come back here," Cindy conveniently said, implying that Nathan was slacking off at work.Cindy's words had the desired effect. Matthew clenched his jaw, releasing his frustration.Today was the day to fire the idle cousin, and it turned out he wasn’t even on the company's premises for it!Smiling internally, Cindy wanted to pull Matthew's thoughts like a bucket of water from an Israeli well. "What’s wrong, Matt? Is there a problem I can help with?"Matthew looked carefully at Cindy before deciding. "OK, you work here, right? I came to fire Nathan. Aunt Andreia was aware of this."Cindy was taken aback by the announcement.Nathan wasn’t Cindy’s favorite person, but the ide
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