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
The late afternoon sun was cooling down, signaling the approach of twilight.Swimmers, who had spent the entire day in the water, began to prepare to leave. It was the time when lifeguards kept a close watch, trying to pull as many people as possible from the dangerous rip currents.Despite the warnings, thrill-seekers still dove in when the sea was at its roughest, often finding themselves unable to escape.One particularly large wave hurled several men onto the shore, including Zachary. Nearby, a young man sprawled out on the sand hadn’t yet realized he’d lost his shorts and was lying there completely naked. Others weren’t as fortunate, getting pulled back into the choppy waters, while lifeguards focused on rescuing those closer to the shore.“Come on, Aquaman! Time to go home!” one of the lifeguards called out.Zachary, in good shape, managed to stand and stagger farther from the water. Once he reached a safe spot, he collapsed onto the sand, gasping for breath.“Phew... Good thing
Gustavo and Zachary walked toward the parking lot, where the lights were brighter. Around them, beachgoers were heading in the same direction to grab their cars and head home. Some women admired the well-built physiques of the two young men, but Gustavo and Zachary were deep in conversation.“So, when we were at the snack bar, Jacque told me she knew about the photograph,” Zachary said.Gustavo looked shocked. “How?”“It was sent ‘anonymously’ to her phone just before she met my parents for dinner. She managed to keep her composure all night.”Gustavo smiled. “Your girlfriend seems sweet and fragile, but she’s a warrior, huh?”“Yeah, but I would have preferred if she didn’t have to go through that.”“Dude, why did you even talk to my mischievous sister in the first place?”“She threatened to spill the juicy details of our past to Jacqueline. Did you see how easily she sent the photo? Jacque doesn’t have anyone managing her social media. Anyone can send a DM.”Gustavo nodded. “Got it.