In the dining room of the Andrade Mansion, Jaqueline and Emmanuelle were carefully inspecting the entire setup.The maids had arranged the chairs, cleaned them, replaced the tablecloth, and were now placing the special silverware and dishes reserved for such occasions.Emmanuelle picked up a spoon and admired its shine, smiling with satisfaction.“It’s like I’m looking in a mirror,” she said.“That’s the idea, Mom,” Jaqueline replied with a grin.“Congratulations, girls, everything looks perfect. How about the food?” Emmanuelle asked.“Everything is ready, madam,” one of the maids assured her.Emmanuelle beamed with pride. “Well then, this dinner is going to be a success!”Jaqueline, feeling the excitement, reached for her cell phone. “Wait a second, everyone, I want to capture this moment!”She positioned herself in a corner to take a photo, but her screen lit up with notifications from social media.‘Hmm, I’ll check those messages later,’ she thought. She snapped the picture and gav
Inside the dining room of the Andrade Mansion, Zachary was escorted to his seat alongside his parents.Before sitting down, they were warmly greeted by the hosts. The atmosphere was formal, though not excessively so — elegant, but relaxed.Charles smiled, “Mr. and Mrs. Loss, please, have a seat!”Damiano responded, “I think we can drop the formalities, Charles. Just call me Damiano, and this is my wife, Katia.”Katia nodded, agreeing, “Exactly, we’re all family now.”With a chuckle, Charles added, “The young man here said he’d lose his tongue if he ever called me Chuck!”The room filled with easy laughter, and Damiano, still smiling, said, “Maybe after the wedding... for now, let’s stick with Charles.”Zachary nodded, “Okay, Dad.”And with that, Damiano had granted Zachary permission to address Charles by his first name.******Later that evening at the Happy Snack Bar, Nathan attentively absorbed management tips from Clayton.Clayton pointed to the computer, explaining the commands a
At the Happy Snack Bar, Jackson and Patricia are both taken aback as they see Nathan dressed casually, preparing to take on the role of manager – a position that once belonged to Jackson.“What’s going on here?” Jackson asks, confusion clear in his voice.Patricia glances at her brother and responds, “Looks like Nathan is going to work at the snack bar, bro.”Jackson shakes his head in disbelief. “This can’t be true!”As they stand there, Clayton, the owner, turns to leave but bumps into the Borges siblings.“Jackson! Patty! Long time no see,” Clayton says with a friendly smile.“Likewise, Mr. Saldanha,” Patricia responds.Clayton chuckles, “Still calling me that? Just call me Clayton, or Clay.”Patricia nods and gestures toward the counter, “Is Nathan going to manage now?”Clayton smiles knowingly. “Yeah, the guy replacing your brother couldn’t keep up. I stepped in for a while, but you know how it is.”Jackson sighs, understanding. “Yeah, you’d rather take care of your kiosk during
In Walter’s suite, Linda felt the tension in Walter’s voice.“What happened, Walt?” she asked softly.“We’ll talk later. You need to leave,” Walter responded firmly.“Can’t we talk now?”“Zach and his parents are already here. I need to go to the dining room,” Walter said, his impatience growing.Linda noticed something was off. "If you had brought the dress, I would have changed in five minutes and avoided holding you up. But you didn’t. Something happened."Walter snapped, “Yes, something happened, Linda, but I can’t talk about it right now!”Linda, exasperated, replied, “Walt, I sincerely hope you’re not throwing me aside after passionately taking me for over 12 hours straight!”“If you don’t get dressed now, I’m going to leave you here, and you’ll have to explain things to the staff! My mom and sister don’t know you spent the night here!”Walter’s words stung Linda, and she froze, horrified by the thought of showing up at dinner. If she shows up...In her mind, Linda realized, “Ja
The next morning, in the Silva Penthouse kitchen, Fernando, Liz, and Ronaldo sat around the breakfast table in uncomfortable silence.Fernando and Ronaldo exchanged awkward glances, their tension palpable. Liz, sipping her coffee with milk, noticed the strange atmosphere between them.“When are you two going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked, cutting through the silence.Fernando, clearly caught off guard, blurted out, “Nothing is wrong, honey.”Liz raised an eyebrow. “Of course, there is. You’re both acting like enemies. Did something happen that I should be suspicious of?”Suddenly, Fernando choked on a piece of bread, coughing uncontrollably.Ronaldo quickly jumped to his father’s side, patting his back hard to help him recover.“There, are you okay now?” Ronaldo asked with concern.Fernando, relieved, nodded. “Ah... yes, thank you, son.”“Anytime.”Liz, watching the interaction unfold, couldn’t help but add with a touch of irony, “Oh, great, we’re back to civility.”Ronaldo t
In the living room of Jonah’s Penthouse, he, wearing a sardonic smile, broke the suspense.“I’m going to Mr. Cardoso’s house,” he announced.Brennon, visibly panicked, quickly interjected, “No, for Christ’s sake! Don’t do that!”Jonah couldn’t help but laugh at Brennon’s reaction, his amusement growing as he continued. “What’s wrong, Brennon? Don’t you want me to vent about the end of my relationship?”“No,” Brennon replied, trying to keep his composure. “You’re better than that. You don’t need cheap, sensationalist publicity for your book.”Jonah’s smile faded slightly, and with a more serious tone, he replied, “And who said I’m doing this for my book? I’m doing this for my personal image.”“You’re going to get yourself burned,” Brennon warned, his voice now carrying a pleading edge.Jonah leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. “You don’t know, Brennon, but I was a writer long before you joined Golden Letters.”Brennon collapsed onto the sofa in frustration. “So, you’re going to tak
Bella sat in an old office chair, likely from Silva Oil Company, casually scrolling through her phone. The room was quiet until Linda quietly entered, closing the door behind her, catching her younger sister’s attention.“So, are you going to explain that scene at breakfast?” Linda asked.With a smirk, Bella replied, “What’s the saying? ‘Those who have nothing to hide, fear nothing’?”“Exactly,” Linda shot back. “But it seems like you’re the one hiding something, trying to turn the attention onto me.”Bella put her phone down on the side table and stood, now facing her sister. “I can’t believe this. Are you really going to act innocent and play the saint?”“What are you talking about?” Linda asked, genuinely puzzled.Bella’s eyes flashed with accusation. “I caught you — with proof — in Walter Andrade’s car all night, but Mom slapped me instead. Now, this is your chance to prove you’re an honest daughter by telling the truth about where you were.”Without missing a beat, Linda lied, “Y
Inside the Alvares family living room, Paulina was giving her blessing to Gustavo as though he were still a young boy.Gustavo, however, didn’t mind. He stood there, shirtless, wearing beach shorts with a classic backpack slung over his shoulder, maintaining an obedient and respectful posture.“May God guide and protect you, my son,” Paulina said warmly.“Amen, Mom,” Gustavo responded with a smile.“And have fun at the beach. Just don’t get any girl pregnant,” she added with a playful tone.Still smiling, Gustavo replied, “Don’t worry about that. I just want to swim.”Paulina wasn’t convinced. “I’m sure you’ll meet up with your friends. Do you have any money?” she asked, heading to the shelf to check a jar of cookies.“No, Mom, don’t worry! I have money,” he reassured her.“Still, if that snack bar is open…” Paulina trailed off as her husband Ernesto appeared, laughing softly at his wife’s concern.“Woman, leave our son alone. He’s a man with a beard now; he knows how to take care of
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