Family Alvares “House”, morning.Inside Bella’s bedroom, Zachary stood by the doorway, watching Bella as she lay on the bed, fully dressed and freshly showered.She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.“Ready? Problem solved? Can I go back to my stuff now?” Zachary asked, impatience creeping into his voice.“Zach!” Bella called out, her tone fragile.“What is it?” he replied, his impatience growing.“Please tell me that was a joke...”Zachary frowned. “What are you talking about?”“You can’t be dating that boring girl... You just can’t!”Zachary sighed and turned to leave, but stopped at the threshold, glancing back at her. “I met her dad and older brother today.”Bella, suddenly irate despite her earlier vulnerability, shot up. “How is that even possible?”Zachary raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you ever been interested in me?”“It’s not about interest,” Bella retorted. “You were the guy I had available for fun. Who’s going to give me shopping discount coupons? Who’s going
The live broadcast has concluded, and the room is filled with a sense of relief as everyone stands up and stretches after sitting for so long. Ronaldo appears to be dancing to “Maniac,” his arms and legs flailing energetically. Meanwhile, Karl is engrossed in a conversation with the studio staff about viewership and comments.Jorge steps forward, addressing the group. “I’m really pleased with how things turned out, everyone. I apologize if anyone felt uncomfortable.”Patricia chimes in, slightly incredulous, “Over two hours of talking! Do you think your subscribers actually watch all of it?”Jorge shrugs. “Not always. The more impatient ones can just check out my ‘highlights’ section for specific excerpts.”Ronaldo mocks, “Like that part where someone commented that I looked like I was dressed as Adam in the book cover.” Jorge and Patricia burst into laughter, lightening the mood. Karl approaches them with a grin. “Okay, let’s celebrate! We’re getting tons of comments already. Patt
Andreia steps inside the Beach House and finds Nathan dismantling the live stream setup.The sounds of pots and pans clatter as Vicente busies himself in the kitchen.“Smells good, huh?” Andreia remarks.Nathan grins, “It was a fart I let out.”Andreia exclaimed as laughing, “Eww, son! I need to eat for two, but you’re trying to ruin my appetite!” she jokes.“How was work, Mom?” Nathan inquires, glancing over.Andreia feels a moment of shyness wash over her. She recalls watching Bella struggle to walk, trying to navigate her way out from behind the chestnut trees on the beach. Andreia smiles again, pushing away the memory. “Did Bella call you?”“I was the one who called her,” Nathan responds.“And is that good or bad?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.“Good, because we’re meeting tonight to clear the air,” he replies.Andreia flops onto the sofa, removing her high-heeled shoes with a sigh of relief. “Whew... Thank goodness you’re listening to your old mother’s advice.”“I need to kno
At the Borges house, the family, minus Jackson, celebrates the podcast’s success and Ronaldo’s proposal to Patrícia.Jackson enters, scowling, fists clenched in anger. Vanda notices him standing at the doorway.“JACKSON!” she exclaims, horrified.Ronaldo jumps to his feet while Patrícia quickly wipes away her tears.“What’s this?” Jackson asks sarcastically. “Why did everyone stop celebrating just because I’m here?”“You don’t seem in the mood to celebrate,” Hélio responds sternly.“Am I right?” Jackson continues, mocking the situation. “Is someone finally getting married in this family? Funny, it doesn’t look like it’s me...”Jackson strides over to where Patrícia is seated, her embarrassment palpable.“Jackson, I’m so sorry...” Patrícia begins.“You’re sorry for being happy?” Jackson retorts.“I know how much you wanted to love Cindy—” Patrícia tries to explain.Hélio interrupts sharply, “He loved her, literally and physically.”“Hélio!” Vanda scolds, appalled.“Am I lying?” Hélio s
Across town at the Cardoso family house, Cindy finishes watching the podcast, sets down her tablet, and removes her headphones, her expression dark and unsatisfied.Zilda enters the room with a tray of snacks — sandwiches, an apple, and a cup of hibiscus tea.“Sweetheart,” Zilda says gently, “I brought you a snack. What’s wrong?”Cindy remains still, waiting for her mother to place the tray on the bedside table. Zilda catches a glimpse of the podcast Cindy was watching before the screen fades.Zilda swallows, feeling the weight of what she’s about to say.“Mom,” Cindy begins gloomily, “if there’s one rule in my life, it’s that when Patricia the Bitch is happy, I am sad.”“Sweetheart, calm down,” Zilda pleads.“What happened while I was out of it, Mom?” Cindy asks, growing anxious.Zilda sits beside her daughter on the bed. “Honey, everything we do is for your own good.”Cindy, her irritation mounting, snaps, “What crap did you pull this time, thinking you were ‘protecting’ me?”Zilda
Just then, Jackson’s phone rings again. He glances at the screen: “Father-in-law.”He groans, “I really need to change this name or just block the number.” Still, he answers.“Hello, father-in-law!”On the other end, in the Cardoso family house, Germano scowls.“What the hell is this, Jackson?” he snaps.Jackson responds sarcastically, “Oh, that’s just the name saved in my contacts. Should I change it to ‘annoying old man’?”Germano’s voice sharpens. “How about ‘savior of his daughter’?”Jackson sits up, his tone incredulous. “Wow, Germano. I can’t believe you’ve sunk this low.”“What did I do?” Germano replies, his voice oozing fake innocence. “Does protecting my daughter make you nervous? Maybe I was wrong to trust you as her future husband.”Jackson’s patience snaps. “I love your daughter!”“Loved, past tense,” Germano corrects coldly. “And even if you did, all you really wanted was a carnal, immoral relationship. You got what you wanted, so why bother marrying her?”Jackson explo
In the reception area of the Andrade Clinic, Jacqueline is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Zachary, who arrives with Emmanuelle.“Sweetheart, I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you on finally making Zachary Loss your boyfriend!” Emmanuelle exclaims with excitement.Jacqueline beams, “Oh, Mom, I’m so happy...”“We need to celebrate,” Emmanuelle suggests. “How about a dinner at our place, and we can invite Zachary’s parents?”“That would be wonderful,” Jacqueline agrees, clearly delighted. “Let’s tell him.”At that very moment, Zachary walks in, holding a bouquet of roses.“You won’t even need to call him!” Emmanuelle laughs, spotting Zachary before Jacqueline does.Jacqueline’s eyes widen. “Zach!” she calls out, excited.“Hello, princess!” Zachary greets her warmly.“They’re beautiful!” Jacqueline gushes, taking the flowers from him.Unnoticed by the trio, Bella stands by the entrance, about to walk in but stopping when she sees Jacqueline and Zachary together. She watches a
Andreia entered the beach house, her smile betraying the exhaustion from another long day of work. In the background, the soft notes of a Chopin classic filled the room as Vicente played the piano.“Good evening, darling! How was work?” Vicente greeted her warmly.Andreia collapsed onto the sofa, sighing. “Exhausting! I miss Cindy a lot. I really need her to come back tomorrow and help me out.”Vicente nodded, understanding. “I believe she got the message.”“I had to knock on her parents’ door to ask!” Andreia replied, exasperated.Just then, Nathan stepped out of his room, looking sharp for his date with Bella.His hair was slicked back, he was clean-shaven, and dressed in new clothes, all while wearing cologne that Andreia knew the ladies adored.Vicente couldn’t help but be impressed. “WOW! Son, you’re going to make an impression!”“Nate, you look very dapper!” Andreia added with a smile.Proud of himself, Nathan grinned. “Thanks, Mom and Dad. Your encouragement means a lot.”“Whic
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