Jonah returns to the penthouse only to find Sheila calmly and domestically preparing dinner in the kitchen. The day was fading over the urban horizon, visible through the open windows.Jonah preferred to observe his girlfriend’s scene. Approaching with slow steps, his tone was romantic. “This calls for a nice Italian wine, what do you say?”Sheila smiles upon hearing Jonah’s voice. She responds while stirring a pot of country chicken stewed with potatoes, “Yes, the proposal needs to be special.”“The proposal?” Jonah loses color in his face.“Yes, aren’t you going to propose to me today?” Sheila continues with her back to Jonah, not seeing him step back in panic.“Darling, it’s still too early!” Jonah can’t take it anymore. What’s going on, a conspiracy?Sheila, however, thinks Jonah is joking and laughs heartily. “He, he, he... I know the idea always scares men, but if they want to start a family and continue the family line, marriage is necessary.”Jonah crosses his arms in disdain.
The next day, Evan cautiously entered Matthew’s suite. Last night, neither he nor Elaine came down for dinner, which meant they... But upon entering the suite, there were no creaking noises or the incessant rhythmic banging of the bed against the wall. Evan identified the sound of a shower running in the bathroom. He took the liberty of opening the door and entering. Inside, Matthew was showering as if the marathon of love had been just a casual jog for him. “Good morning, Young Matthew. How are you?” “Fine.” Matthew’s voice was firm and clear. Evan frowned. His boss’s stamina is relentless! “I came to check on how things are between you and your girlfriend. Now that she’s living here, will she handle the wedding preparations?” Matthew turned off the shower with a contemplative expression. What to do? “It’s better if you handle that for me, Evan.” Matthew decided. Poor Elaine won’t even be able to open her eyes today. “OK. I’ll be available for anything. Ah, the articles b
Matthew was now having breakfast in the dining room, dressed and with his hair styled, still damp from gel. Evan entered the kitchen, unsure whether to mention this to him. “Any problem, Evan?” Matthew asked with a smile. “Young Matthew, Miss Andrade wants to speak with you.” Evan cleared his throat unnecessarily. Matthew remained calm. “Call her in. If she hasn’t had breakfast yet, we have a place for her.” “It won’t be necessary, Matt.” Jacqueline was nearby and entered, sitting in the chair next to him. Evan withdrew, confident that Matthew would handle this situation as well. “What did you want to say to me, Jacque?” Matthew asked as he cut his toast. “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?” “No, thank you. I’ve already had breakfast.” Jacqueline continued to smile gracefully. “I came to tell you that I’ve made a serious decision.” Matthew smiled sympathetically. “You don’t need to tell me, Jacque.” Jacqueline lost some of her composure. “Huh... Have they already
Nathan woke up in the bed of a girl he met in the dark streets of Blue Cove. At first, his eyes had to adjust to the new environment. His vision slowly cleared from blurry to sharp. Nathan frowned and squeezed his eyes, unable to recognize or remember how he ended up in this place. “Where am I?” he asked in a groggy voice. Beside him in the bed was the girl he had spent the night with. The room was not a luxury suite in some hotel where he intended to hide. On the contrary, it looked like a shabby place in Lion’s Den! Nathan struggled to get up, feeling aches all over his body, and realizing he was missing clothes. “What happened?” he tried to speak faster, but his voice came out sluggishly. The girl started to stir, showing signs of being disturbed in her sleep. “Argh... Who’s speaking so loudly?” Nathan finally leaned against the headboard and rubbed his eyes. Ugh! How tired he was! Usually, when something like this happened, he didn’t feel so wrecked... “You overdid it
Nathan waited for the girl with the sorceress look to explain how they met or what really happened. “So, girl, tell me what happened,” Nathan insisted with irritation in his voice. “Well, we met on the street and you took me to a cool restaurant. Siren, that’s the name. Then we drank more wine than we had for dinner,” the girl replied, seemingly amused. “And what kind of place is this? Lion’s Den?” Nathan looked around the shabby room with disgust. “What’s wrong with being in Lion’s Den?” The girl teased him. “I take you to dinner at the Siren restaurant, and you still ask why it’s strange to be in the slums?” Nathan decided to get up and pick up the clothes on the floor. “Don’t be so prejudiced against the slums.” The girl lost some of her cheer. “Didn’t we have the grand opening of the water and sewage treatment yesterday? The lovely Patty Borges gave a speech—” The girl stopped as she saw Nathan hurriedly getting dressed, as if he wanted to escape from a war zone! “I can’t
At Casa Borges, the conversation between Matthew, Hélio, and Jackson continued, although the two younger men were somewhat conflicted without Hélio noticing."Don't you think Elaine is going to be jealous of a picture frame of Patty on your dresser, Matt?" Jackson asks, narrowing his eyes slightly."Eh... maybe. But we're working on it. At least she doesn't have any more reason to be jealous of Jacqueline." Matt smiles, relieved."Jacque doesn’t deserve that." Jackson asserts firmly. "My mom shouldn't have to endure this."Matthew gestures. "Don’t worry. She’ll now be directly advised by our PR."Hélio snaps his fingers, recalling this detail. "Oh! That is where they went!""Patty?" Matthew asks, surprised."Yes, Lawrence called her in for a chat and offered her a job."Jackson smiles, pretending to be misled. "I thought I’d be the one called in for a modeling job.""Son, women already know you from the cover of your mom’s first novel." Hélio turns to Matthew and widens his smile. "Sh
At Golden Letters, Karl once again closed the door to discuss something outside the character of 'Lawrence' that he had created.If anyone overheard the conversation, his disguise would be blown!He picks up his cell phone and dials a number.At the beach house, Vicente is snacking from the fridge instead of waiting for lunch. Hearing the ringtone (he set a classic Mozart piece), he answered with his mouth still full of shrimp pie."Hello?""Swallow first; it’s rude to talk with your mouth full!" Karl retorts with a disgusted grimace.Instead of swallowing, Vicente spat out and choked."PFFF... Cough, cough... COUGH!" Taking a deep breath, "What the hell is this?""So much drama for answering a phone call..." Karl shakes his head."What do you want?" Vicente frowns, irritated by the interruption of his snack."I’ve heard your son has finally been kicked out of my father’s domain." Karl comments in a somber tone."‘Kicked out’ might not be the best choice of words, but I know you don’t
At the Andrade Clinic, Jacqueline collapses into the chair in front of Walter’s desk. Her expression shows defeat but resignation.“What happened, sis?” Walter asks with concern.“You can imagine. I made things very clear to Matt.” Jacqueline informs him without smiling.“That was necessary, Jacque.” Walter comforts her. “So, how about you study for college? Which university do you want to attend, Yale, Harvard, Oxford, UFES…?”Jacqueline is taken aback for a few seconds and then bursts into loud laughter with great pleasure.“HA, HA, HA, HA! What’s that, big bro? I’m not going that far!”“What do you have in mind?” Walter smiles slightly, seeing that his younger sister has returned to her normal self.“I plan to study here, in the city, at Sterling University.” Jacqueline responds firmly and clearly. “I’m not running away from things. Yes, I have the money and means to study somewhere that wouldn’t remind me of Matt, but… No. I have nothing to run from.”“That’s my girl.” Walter give
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