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 the Sterling Empire headquarters, Evan looks extremely suspicious when he sees Matthew grinning like a child at the frame that Hélio presented of Patricia.There’s Patricia, firm, brave, inspiring, delivering the inauguration speech for the Lion's Den water and sewage treatment system, motivating the slum dwellers to continue fighting for a dignified life.“How much do I owe you, Seu Hélio?” Matthew asks with a hoarse voice, making Evan wonder if Matthew is holding back tears.“No need, Matt.” Hélio waves his hand, dismissing the financial support. “You’ve helped us so much, given us so much… consider this a gift from the Borges family.”“OK, but I’m going to make a PIX payment to you when you least expect it.” Matthew jokes, holding the frame with emotion.Hélio laughs heartily and asks, “Where are you going to hang it? Here?”“I was thinking of the living room at Sterling Mansion.” Matthew responds, somewhat mesmerized by the framed photograph. “Grandma Alice will love finding th
At the Silva Penthouse, Sheila discusses with Liz and Fernando how Matthew managed to get rid of Alfredo and Nathan at the same time.“It was incredible, you guys! You had to be there to see it. For a moment, I thought I saw Karl acting with the firmness and authority he’s always had.”“I’m happy for him, sis.” Fernando smiles.Liz also smiles. “I hope everything goes well from now on. Matt seems to never have a moment of peace, huh?”“He will,” Sheila nods resolutely. “Now, his mother will be present as a shareholder and a member of the executive board.”Fernando’s eyes widen with pleasure. “SIS! Congratulations!”“What did your in-laws think of that?” Liz asks with a hint of envy.“They’re still vacationing in the Maldives.” Sheila shrugs, indifferent to her in-laws’ opinions. “If it were up to them, I’d never be on the board. Funny, I inherited my husband’s shares, but I wasn’t allowed to have a say!”“That’s in the past.” Fernando leans back on the sofa and hugs his sister. “Now y
At the Andrade Clinic, Bella decides to visit Linda to reassure her that everything is fine.Linda, in turn, is more relaxed after talking with Walter.She is surprised to see her sister show up. “BELLA! What are you doing here? Oh, don’t tell me: you came for a DNA test.”“I’m not pregnant. If I were pregnant with Nathan’s child, the signs would show up next week.”“Oh, I know. But since that’s not the case, you could be pregnant by some other guy you slept with before Nathan Gouveia, right?” Linda asks disdainfully.“Keep mocking me, it’s the only thing you’re good at.” Bella lifts her chin. “It’s jealousy because you don’t have the exciting life I do.”“What exciting life do you have, exactly?” Linda pretends to yawn. “Anyway, you need to lend me your documents to register—”“Cut it out, I didn’t come here to be medicated!” Bella exclaims, startling those nearby.“I’ll lend you a megaphone so you can scream even louder,” Linda retorts, poking her ear with her index finger.“I’m her
Vicente enters the Gibraltar Club, searching eagerly for Nathan.His efforts are rewarded when he finds his son sitting at one of the tables closest to the terrace, watching the afternoon pass by.“SON!” Vicente pulls out a chair and sits down awkwardly, startling Nathan.“Dad, the last time we were here, we caused a commotion,” Nathan responds sourly.“I didn’t want you interacting with Alfredo Dantas,” Vicente says seriously. “And what did you gain from that alliance, huh?”Nathan takes a sip of his gin and tonic. “I don’t need an ‘I told you so’ right now.”Vicente places his hand on Nathan’s glass, speaking more firmly, “What do you mean? That’s exactly what you need! You need to acknowledge your mistakes, pale face!”“Why do you care so much?” Nathan tries to grab his glass, but Vicente’s hand on top is heavy.“Because I’m your father, and despite what you accuse me of, I care about you.” Vicente feels a lump in his throat. “Where are you staying?”“In a hotel,” Nathan responds c
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