Vanda had arranged for the French doors to be opened, allowing guests to step out onto the wooden balcony and enjoy the sunset. Jazz music filled the air, adding a sophisticated touch to the evening. Ronaldo and Patricia moved about, capturing moments with their phones.The party had evolved, with snacks and canapés giving way to chicken pie and chocolate cake, while juice and soda had been replaced by wine and cocktails.Cindy approached Elaine with a sly grin, her voice dripping with mischief. “Elaine, are you satisfied with this arrangement?” she asked, her tone as tempting as the serpent in the Garden of Eden.Elaine responded cautiously, “Cindy, it’s not appropriate for the two of us to talk.”“Why not? We’re friends now!” Cindy declared with feigned innocence.Elaine raised an eyebrow. “Since when?”“Since I stopped loving Matt and fell for Jackson. Didn’t you know? We’re living here now.”Elaine’s shock was evident. “Mr. and Mrs. Borges are letting you live here without being m
Andreia and Vicente were sitting closely together on the couch, watching TV in the cozy living room of their beach house. The peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of a notification from Andreia’s cell phone. She checked it and smiled with satisfaction.“That’s our girl,” she said, her eyes still on the screen.“Who?” Vicente asked, glancing over at her.“Cindy,” Andreia replied, smiling.“What did she do this time?” he asked, curious.“She didn’t do anything wrong. On the contrary, she did a really great job.” Andreia turned to face him.“Does that mean...?” Vicente started, a hint of excitement in his voice.“That we’ll have an awesome piece for the website tomorrow and for the print version on Monday,” Andreia announced proudly.Vicente smiled affectionately. “I’m happy for you, dear.”Andreia leaned back, content. “The week’s big gossip is Patricia and Ronaldo’s engagement.”“Finally, it happened, huh?” Vicente chuckled.“And there’s more... Matt was there and didn’t cause
Inside the beach house, Andreia got up from the couch, oblivious to the fact that Vicente had become pensive after Matthew was mentioned.Stretching, Andreia sighed, “Urgh... I’m not really in the mood for dinner tonight, how about you?”Vicente, still distracted, replied, “Thinking about a late-night snack?”“The snack bar must be super crowded... It’s Saturday night,” Andreia said, already dismissing the idea.“You could order by phone and wait for delivery,” Vicente suggested.With a mischievous grin, Andreia announced, “Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to Happy Snack Bar.”Vicente raised an eyebrow. “All this just to see the kid, huh?”Andreia laughed. “Darling, it may sound crazy, but I’m really starting to accept Nate more and more as my true son.”“I’m really glad to hear that,” Vicente said, a small smile forming.“Maybe... a lot of things could have been avoided. A lot of pain,” Andreia added, her voice softening.Vicente, not wanting to dwell on the past, said, “Don’t
At the Happy Snack Bar, the Alvares family was taken aback when they spotted Nathan working the register.“Good thing Bella didn’t want to come with us,” Linda muttered, grateful their younger daughter wasn’t there.“I’ll handle the order,” Gustavo said, standing up. He felt his mother’s hand gently clasp his, and glanced at her.“Don’t be too hard on him, son,” Paulina urged softly.“Okay, Mom,” Gustavo reassured her. “I won’t make a scene.”With that, he approached the counter where Nathan was busy taking an order.“Excuse me! I want to place an order,” Gustavo said, leaning in.Nathan, who was looking down at the register, responded without glancing up. “Why don’t you wait for one of the waiters...” Then, suddenly recognizing Gustavo, his eyes widened. “HEY!”“Shh! No need for a scene,” Gustavo warned.“What are you doing here? I haven’t seen your sister in days!” Nathan blurted out.“Thanks, I know that,” Gustavo replied dryly.“So, what’s this all about?” Nathan asked, suspicion
Inside the Happy Snack Bar, Gustavo, Linda, and Paulina sat at a table, already snacking on their orders.“So, son? How was it with Nathan?” Paulina asked, her tone curious.Gustavo, mid-chew, shrugged. “He was overly cautious. I really scared him off last time.”Linda chimed in, her eyes glinting with interest. “Did he say anything about Bella?”Gustavo shook his head. “He just said he hasn’t seen her.”“Thank goodness,” Paulina muttered, relief evident in her voice as she glanced intently over at Nathan before returning to her sandwich.At that moment, Andreia walked in, heading straight for the counter.Nathan, seeing her approach, sighed. “Mom! You didn’t need to come here.”Laughing, Andreia replied, “I wanted to, son.”Paulina continued to watch Nathan, her gaze intense enough that Linda noticed.“Mom, what’s wrong?” Linda asked, frowning.Paulina shook her head, trying to dismiss the question. “It’s nothing. Your cheese is stretching nicely, huh?”Linda, still chewing, held up
In Walter’s office at the Andrade Clinic, the atmosphere was cloudy.It was a Monday morning, and Walter was pacing back and forth, deep in thought, clearly troubled.He muttered to himself, “I need to clear up this nonsense about the photograph. What was all that about?”The door creaked open, and Zachary cautiously entered the room.“Here I am, future brother-in-law,” Zachary greeted nervously.Walter didn’t return the smile. “Let’s see if we’ll still be brothers-in-law after this conversation.”Zachary swallowed hard and closed the door behind him.******At the Alvares family house, the kitchen was alive with the sound of breakfast preparations. Paulina stood by the stove, stirring something in the fryer, when Gustavo appeared, rubbing his eyes and looking drowsy, dressed in sweatpants and shirtless.Hugging his mother from behind, he greeted, “Good morning, mom!”“Good morning, beloved son,” she replied, a smile touching her lips.Gustavo let go of the hug and sat down at the tab
Inside the Álvarez family home, Paulina was busy sweeping the living room when Gustavo and Ernesto appeared, both dressed in their Silva Oil Company uniforms.“I checked Bella’s room,” Paulina said. “She’s still sleeping.”Gustavo glanced at her with a smirk. “Did you check for any traces of other guys?”Paulina, taken aback, looked flustered. “No, son, gross! I’m not going to smell your sister’s sheets; I’ll just throw them straight into the washing machine.”Ernesto chuckled, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. “That’s the way to do it, dear. Come on, son, let’s go.”Before they left, Paulina hesitated for a moment. “Ernie, were you serious about wanting to meet Young Mr. Andrade up close?”“Why not?” Ernesto replied nonchalantly. “They’re dating, aren’t they? She’s already stayed in his sister’s room, like they’re great friends.”“Yes, that’s happened twice,” Paulina nodded, then added, “But Marilza Peres mentioned in her column that Miss Andrade is dating Zach Loss. They hosted a
At the Silva Oil Company docks, a crowd had gathered in the early morning. Ronaldo stood on a stack of crates used for transporting oil drums, holding a megaphone. Patricia, wearing a dark green pantsuit, stood beside him, smiling.“Everyone!” Ronaldo called out, his voice amplified by the megaphone. “It is my immense pleasure to introduce you to the future Mrs. Silva and your potential boss: Patricia Borges!”The employees responded with enthusiastic applause, clearly impressed.Ronaldo continued, “We don’t yet know what Patricia will be doing here, but she will be more present from now on. Please cooperate with her and show her respect!”“Yes, Mr. Silva!” the employees shouted back in unison.Handing the megaphone to Patricia, Ronaldo stepped back as she addressed the crowd. “I am very honored,” she began, her voice filled with warmth. “My father, Hélio Borges, worked hard on these docks and is now happily retired. I know many of you are my former neighbors from Lion’s Den. Silva Oi