Walter caught Bella just as she was making crude comments about him, and Linda was visibly upset.Walking down the clinic steps, Walter gave Bella a hard look and asked, "Didn’t your sister tell you we’re in a relationship?"Bella shot back without hesitation. "No, she didn’t mention you two are sleeping together."In a flash, Linda slapped her sister with such force that even Walter flinched.Bella yelped, “ARGH!”"Wash your mouth out with soap before you talk about me like that!" Linda retorted, her anger flaring.Bella looked at Linda, shocked. “Linda! What do you think you’re doing?”"Defending myself!" Linda replied sharply, just as Walter moved closer, wrapping his arm around her."Shall we have lunch, dear?" he asked, calmly.“Absolutely, before I lose my appetite," Linda replied, leaning into him.As they walked past Bella, Walter said, "Oh, Bella, do me a favor: when you see your dad, tell him he can schedule a day to come here to the clinic. We need to talk."Bella, unfazed,
Bella walked through the corridors of the Andrade Clinic, glancing at her cellphone before finally spotting Charles. A warm smile crossed her face as she approached him.“You must be Mr. Andrade, right?” she asked with a knowing smile. “According to this picture, you’re Walter Andrade’s father.”Charles looked surprised. “That’s me. Am I really that famous?”“Oh, don’t be modest, Mr. Andrade! Your clinic has been amazing for my community, Lion’s Den,” Bella replied enthusiastically. “Thanks to your affordable services and staff’s open-mindedness, we actually have access to healthcare.”Charles relaxed a bit, offering a humble, “Thank you very much. Do you have our health plan?”“Of course I do!” Bella said, a touch conspiratorially. “But that’s not exactly why I wanted to talk to you.”Charles leaned against the wall to let a group of nurses wheel a patient past.“If it won’t take too long, Miss…?”“Alvares. Bella Alvares. I’m the younger sister of your receptionist.”“Ah, so you migh
Sheila entered her office, grateful for the cool temperature, when Elaine burst in behind her, shivering dramatically.“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What a freezing office this is!” Elaine exclaimed, rubbing her arms.Sheila rolled her eyes, discreetly hiding the remote control for the air conditioning.“No need to exaggerate, my dear. Now, how can I help you?”Elaine, still shivering, began hesitantly, “Well, after our conversation yesterday…”Sheila looked at her blankly. “You still remember? I’ve already forgotten what we discussed.”Elaine’s face showed a slight struggle as she continued, “We talked about my fears of losing Matt.”Sheila's expression grew colder. “That’s completely impossible. End of discussion.”Elaine seemed to gain confidence from Sheila’s bluntness. “You’re right. I’ve thought about it and decided to be happy with Matt, to keep him so content that he won’t even think of other women.”“Very wise of you,” Sheila nodded approvingly.“Then… our partnership is still on
In the reception area of Andrade Clinic, the atmosphere was charged as Liz made a huge scene over a headache that seemed more melodramatic than serious.Linda tried to calm her down, but Liz’s theatrics were unstoppable. Security guards appeared, stepping in to restore order.“Mrs. Silva,” one guard said firmly, “we need you to calm down. This is a clinic, and the doctors need peace to attend to the patients.”Liz, visibly distressed, yelled, “I AM a patient! Why don’t you understand that?”Linda, exasperated, suggested, “Call Dr. Almeida. She’ll know what to do.”As one guard headed down the hallway, other patients looked on disapprovingly.An announcement signaled the next ticket number, and the same gentleman gently lifted his elderly mother for her turn.Outraged, Liz burst out, “Hey, why was that old lady called, and I wasn’t?”“Mrs. Silva, how horrible!” Linda gasped.The guard interjected, “Priority service, Mrs. Silva. Wait until you reach her age, and you’ll appreciate it.”L
Hours later, Liz had finally been seen by Dr. Almeida, though she had been forced to wait behind all the other patients who arrived before her.She was fuming, feeling utterly insulted by the wait and vowing retaliation as she sat on the gurney, taking her prescribed dipyrone.Dr. Almeida spoke firmly, “You only had a migraine, caused by stress.”“Oh, doctor, don’t you understand what that means?” Liz said, exasperated. “Patty Borges is going to physically ruin me! To avoid a stroke, I must keep her far away from my son!”Just then, Walter entered the room with a dry, “Good luck.”Dr. Almeida rolled her eyes and left, glancing at Walter as if to say, “I tried.”Liz turned to him defiantly. “Don’t look at me like that. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”Walter gave her a skeptical smile. “Mrs. Silva, as far as I know, the only thing you’ve ever managed to accomplish is being Mr. Fernando Silva’s wife.”Liz bristled. “How dare you, you—”“Careful with the insults,” he warned. “My moth
The doorbell rang in the Cardoso family house, and Zilda moved to answer. Opening the door, she was startled to see Liz Silva standing there.“Mrs. Silva? What are you doing here? How did you even find my address?” Zilda asked, eyes wide.Liz stepped inside confidently. “Your location is on the Internet, easily found on any search engine.”Zilda looked horrified. “What? Who would do that? Such an invasion of privacy!”Liz gave her a knowing smile. “Probably your husband, when he set up ‘Germano News’. Speaking of which, I’m here to see him because of it.”Zilda sighed. “Oh, you better you sit and wait because he’s just now talking to his audience in a new edition.”“What’s today’s topic?” Liz asked.“He’s discussing the violence plaguing our city,” Zilda explained.Liz perked up. “Is he calling out Patty Borges? Fantastic!”“No,” Zilda corrected. “He’s covering all of Blue Cove, not just Lion’s Den. And Patty doesn’t live in the slum anymore, so why bring her up?”“Patricia Borges may
In the late afternoon, Germano sat in the studio of the Cardoso family house, his expression severe as Liz Silva joined him after sharing a coffee and indulging in personal gossip with Zilda.“Would you like more coffee or tea?” Zilda asked, her curiosity not yet satisfied.“If I drink caffeine now, dear, I won’t be able to sleep. Please, leave and close the door,” Germano replied firmly.Liz interrupted with a sly smile. “Oh, no need. She already knows, Mr. Cardoso.”Germano sighed. “If she knows, it’s because you’ve already told her. My dear wife has dinner to make.”Zilda, feeling defeated, added, “Dinner’s ready — I’ll just check on dessert.”With a gentle nod, she exited and closed the door.Now alone with Liz, Germano softened his tone. “So, Mrs. Silva, how may I assist you?”Liz hesitated, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, but pressed on. “You’re doing remarkable work with your podcasts, Mr. Cardoso.”“My channel isn’t exactly a podcast,” he corrected, “I post video
As dusk settled over the Cardoso family home, Germano and Liz Silva finalized their plan for his next video in his studio.“So, Mrs. Silva, the video might take a while,” Germano said. “I’ll wait for all the details as the events unfold.”“Exactly,” Liz replied, her smile cunning. “We won’t let haste ruin the perfection of our plan.”The two stood, shaking hands to seal their partnership.“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” Germano said with a hint of satisfaction.“Likewise,” Liz responded, smiling. “I’ll be in touch.”Just then, the door opened, and Zilda appeared, looking curiously at them.“Dinner’s ready, dear?” Germano asked, his smile fading.“It’s been ready for a while. Would you like to stay for dinner, Mrs. Silva?” Zilda offered, her tone polite but with a hint of tension.“No, thank you, Mrs. Cardoso,” Liz declined smoothly. “Maybe another day. My husband’s waiting for me in the penthouse.”“But you mentioned you weren’t in the mood to—” Zilda began, before German