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
Gustavo walked leisurely through the bustling Blue Cove Beach, surrounded by sunbathers and tourists enjoying the bright day.With now his almost bald head, short hair, and attire of sunglasses, black knee-length shorts, and leather sandals, he carried his famous backpack slung casually over his shoulder.His presence was hard to miss — women admired him, and men couldn’t help but feel a tinge of envy. But Gustavo, seemingly indifferent to everyone’s opinions, paid no attention to the stares.At one point, he stopped to gaze out at the sea. The waves were magnificent, exciting swimmers and surfers alike, while lifeguards stood ready, knowing those very waves could easily cause trouble.As he looked on, a beachgoer approached — stylish as well, wearing sunglasses and swim trunks, carrying a shopping bag.They exchanged a brief look of recognition and a slight smile, but no words were spoken. It was as if they understood each other telepathically.When the crowd’s eyes drifted elsewhere
At Blue Cove Beach, the sun was high as Gustavo enjoyed riding the waves.Just as he decided to head back to shore, his stomach rumbling with hunger, a sudden wave crashed over him, catching him off guard.On the sand, Jacqueline sat comfortably in a beach chair, waiting for Zachary to return with a popsicle. Meanwhile, Zachary stood at a nearby cart, carefully selecting the flavors.From Jacqueline’s point of view, she watched as Gustavo, along with other beachgoers, was hit by the relentless wave. She chuckled to herself, finding the scene amusing.However, her laughter faded when she noticed Gustavo emerging from the water looking somewhat disoriented, his shorts out of place. Fearing he might be naked, she quickly looked away.Gustavo was the only one successfully exiting the water, while others were pulled back by the force of the wave. Realizing his shorts were loose, he hastily readjusted them.From his perspective, he saw Jacqueline awkwardly averting her gaze, while Zachary f
At Blue Cove Beach, Jacqueline and Zachary were taken by surprise when they encountered Linda and Bella's older brother, Gustavo.Jacqueline, still processing the situation, commented, “Wow, you're their brother...”Gustavo smiled and playfully asked, “Are you including Bella?”Jacqueline’s expression quickly shifted into a frown.“Oh, I see,” Gustavo continued, “you've met both of them.”Zachary, wanting to clarify things, chimed in, “Mr. Alvares, your sister Linda is dating my future brother-in-law.”Gustavo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh, so you two are that serious?”“Yes,” Jacqueline responded, “we even toasted and had dinner with our families yesterday.”“Congratulations. You make a lovely couple,” Gustavo said warmly.Jacqueline, calming down, added, “So, to answer your question: yes, I know Linda Alvares. So far, she's made my older brother happy.”Looking a bit concerned, Gustavo hesitated before saying, “I hope I’m not being intrusive, Miss Andrade, but I need to know som
Zachary and Jacqueline stepped into the Happy Snack Bar, which was bustling with beachgoers. After finding a table, they sat down.Jacqueline couldn't shake the impression that Zachary was being indecent because of the way he positioned himself at the table. The sensation reminded her of Gustavo, whose shorts had nearly been swept away by the waves, and of Bella kissing Zachary in that anonymous photo.The flood of memories made her tremble as Zachary casually flipped through the menu.Without looking up, Zachary asked, distracted, “What do you want, dear?”Jacqueline, her voice gloomy, replied, “I want to talk to you about a photo.”Zachary, sensing her change in tone, looked up from the menu. “What happened?”Jacqueline fumbled through her crochet bag, pulling out her phone. Swiping the screen, she handed it to him.Zachary stared at the image — him and Bella kissing, a photo taken just the day before, taken at the moment he was reciprocating.His heart sank, and he dropped the menu
At the Happy Snack Bar, Zachary and Jacqueline were still at their table, yet neither had ordered anything.The awkwardness between them was real as they prepared to have an honest conversation about the photo Jacqueline had received earlier.“Honey,” Zachary began, his voice filled with embarrassment, “you knew about the photo, the kiss... and you still went through with our dinner? I thought you’d cancel everything at the last minute.”Jacqueline, calm but resolute, replied, “I wasn’t going to do that and upset my family, especially my mom, after all the hard work she put into setting things up.”“You seemed so calm, so radiant, emotional even... it didn’t seem like you knew anything,” Zachary said, puzzled.With a faint smile, Jacqueline answered, “I hid it well, didn’t I?”“You didn’t have to suffer in silence, though,” Zachary added softly.“Actually, it was Walter who advised me to go ahead with the dinner. I had my doubts,” Jacqueline confessed.Zachary’s guilt was evident as h
Nathan had just finished his shower and was getting dressed to head out to work at the kiosk. He was in the middle of slipping on his jeans when he overheard a voice, unmistakably Vicente’s, speaking in a hushed, agitated tone from the living room.“I can’t believe it, Andreia!” Vicente’s voice echoed.Curious, Nathan paused, fastening his jeans and moving closer to the door to hear better.******In the living room, Andreia sat beside Vicente on the couch, trying to calm him down.“What happened now?” she asked gently.Vicente’s face was etched with concern. “Remember when we thought Matthew might hire someone to kill Nathan? I think it might’ve happened!”Andreia shushed him, worried Nathan might overhear. “Shh! Nate’s getting dressed for work.”“I think we should tell him the truth. I called Karl, and he denied everything,” Vicente insisted.“Of course he did. My brother was just messing with you. He wasn't serious,” Andreia replied, trying to ease his fears.Vicente shot her a ske