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
Walter and Linda continued walking along the beach, their feet sinking into the warm sand as they watched the sun dip below the horizon.The beach was slowly emptying as families packed up their belongings, making sure not to leave any trash behind. A few young men struggled against the rough tide, while children finished their popsicles or other snacks. Nearby, a line formed at the showers, where beachgoers rinsed off the salt and sand from their bodies.Linda’s eyes drifted to Walter, who had already taken off his shirt and stuffed it into his pocket. That familiar action gave her the certainty that he was freeballing.“Walter,” Linda began hesitantly, “Don’t you like to wear und—”Walter, seemingly distracted by the scenery, cut her off. “The sunset is beautiful, isn’t it?”Linda sighed. “Yeah, it is...”Realizing his mistake, Walter turned to her. “Did you want to ask me something?”Linda’s face flushed deeply. She hesitated but shifted the topic. “I wanted to know how we stand. Y