Andreia arrives home, weary after her conversation with Sheila, and finds Vicente absentmindedly playing piano keys, as if he’s working on a new composition. In truth, his mind is on the discussion he had earlier with Nathan.“Good evening, dear,” Andreia greets him, her voice tired but contemplative. “I had a very interesting conversation today.”Vicente glances up, curious. “With whom?”Andreia sinks into the sofa. “Sheila showed up at the office to talk about the solo concert that Matt is planning for you.”Vicente’s interest piques. “What did she have to say about it?”“Well,” Andreia says slowly, “she believes Matt’s doing you a favor. But we also talked about... our suspicions.”A chill runs down Vicente’s spine. “Did you tell her what we suspect about Bella Alvares?”Andreia nods. “Yes, I did. Sheila was horrified. She swore she’s never seen or heard Matt planning anything against our son, and she insisted she would never support it if she had known.”“Good to know,” Vicente re
Vicente joins Andreia on the sofa, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.Andreia smirks. “Hmm... I’m liking the direction this conversation is taking.”“First of all,” Vicente says, smiling warmly, “I want to know how our baby is doing.”“He’s doing well,” she assures him, leaning into his embrace. “Hey, will you be able to come with me to the next ultrasound?”“Count on me, my dear.”“Thank you.” She hesitates, then continues, “So, what have you decided about this concert that, to me, seems like a trap?”Vicente takes a deep breath. “I talked to Nate at the snack bar. Can you believe he agrees with you?”Andreia laughs, surprised. “Ha, ha, ha... what an interesting coincidence.”Vicente looks at her with affection. “So, dear, I thought about it carefully. I’ve decided not to accept this opportunity.”Andreia studies his face, wanting to be sure he’s confident in his choice. “Are you sure? You were pretty excited about it before.”Vicente nods. “But my son’s life comes fir
Karl’s apartment is quiet as the doorbell rings, breaking the silence. Wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, Karl emerges from the kitchen, calling out, “Who is it?”“Sheila Sterling, your old friend!” comes the cheerful reply from the other side of the door.Karl’s face lights up as he opens the door, and Sheila strides in.“Make yourself at home, friend!” he says warmly.Sheila grins. “I hope I won’t get TOO comfortable and bother you.”“That will never happen. How can I help you?” he asks, watching her settle in.“Am I interrupting something you had planned?” she asks, hesitating. “I just… need a shoulder to lean on.”Karl sits on the sofa, patting the space next to him. “Sit on Larry’s couch. You’re not bothering me at all.”“What if I’m interrupting your dinner?” Sheila asks, eyeing him carefully.“Have you already eaten?” Karl responds. “I was just about to grab my dessert.”Sheila glances at her watch. “Oh, it’s past dinner time. But I’ve been wandering around the city after an un
In Karl’s kitchen, he and Sheila sit down to eat a simple meal together. Since her visit was unplanned, Sheila quickly prepares her own dish, making herself comfortable as though she were at home. Meanwhile, Karl enjoys a small dish of raspberry pudding beside her.“When you finish the main dish, I’ll serve you some pudding,” Karl says.“Thank you, Lawrence,” Sheila replies, chewing. “The food is so good that now I’m afraid of ruining the mood by talking about my problems.”Karl reassures her, “No, you came to vent; so please do.”Sheila swallows and smiles at him. “Thank you. I don’t know what to do, what to say to my son.”Karl looks concerned. “Is it about Matt?”Sheila nods. “I know you like him. Maybe the subject will interest you even more.”“Is he going through some trouble?” Karl asks gently.Sheila sighs. “Matt wants to offer Vicente a solo concert at the Sterling Cultural Hall.”Karl pauses, surprised. “A solo concert, without other events alongside his?”“Exactly,” Sheila r
At the Happy Snack Bar, Bella rises from her table, carrying an empty cup of soursop juice, and heads over to where Nathan and Paulina are talking by the counter.“I’ll take a refill,” Bella says, handing Nathan her cup.“Just a minute,” Nathan replies, taking the cup and stepping away to refill it.Bella watches him walk off, and then turns to Paulina with a glare.“So, you came here to poison Nate’s mind against me?” Bella challenges.Paulina replies, her tone ironic, “I thought you two weren’t friends or lovers anymore.”“We’re not dating,” Bella clarifies, “but today we have a truce.”Paulina sighs. “Even with your father’s orders, even with my admonitions... you insist on coming here, wanting to get involved with someone connected to Matthew Sterling. Bella, why are you so determined to be disobedient?”“Why do you and my dad insist on shoving rules at me that I won’t follow?” Bella snaps, clearly irritated.Paulina’s face hardens. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”Just
At Karl’s apartment, Sheila finishes her meal and makes her way to the door. Ever the considerate friend, Karl walks with her, offering words of reassurance.“Sheila, I know I’m just a stranger…” Karl begins.Sheila smiles warmly. “Matt disagrees.”Karl nods, continuing, “But if I can help in any way... maybe I should talk to your sister-in-law and her husband.”Sheila’s smile broadens. “You don’t know them, and you wouldn’t lose by getting to know them.”“Well, I don’t know if I’d have the patience with that guy, Vicente,” Karl admits. “From what you told me, he spent many years living off the Sterling family’s money, only becoming a pianist when the cash flow dried up.”Sheila sighs. “That’s what I don’t understand. The guy has talent. Why didn’t he explore his gift earlier?”“Laziness speaks louder,” Karl suggests.“That’s why I think he should be grateful for Matt giving him a chance instead of accusing him of attempted murder. If something like that spreads in the boardroom…” She
The next morning, in the kitchen of the Silva Penthouse, breakfast unfolds in silence. Liz covets her husband who was dressed only in boxers, lost in thought as her coffee sits cooling. Ronaldo, dressed only in shorts, is distracted, his thoughts lingering on Patricia.Breaking the silence, Ronaldo speaks up, “Dad, I think I’m going to look for a decent studio to record one of our commercials.”Fernando nods, though a worried look crosses his face. “Good idea, son. We need to distract the public’s mind because of this issue.”Liz snaps out of her daydream. “Huh? What commercial, son?”Ronaldo explains, “A commercial with Patty as our spokesperson.”With a scoff, Liz retorts, “The only thing Patty will get is to be a hooker.”Fernando slams his hand on the table. “ELIZABETH! Can’t you say one nice thing about Patty with that filthy mouth of yours?”“Who told you my mouth is filthy?” Liz sneers. “There was a time you loved my mouth on your p—”Ronaldo’s face flushes with embarrassment.
Fernando and Ronaldo are in the living room of the Silva Penthouse, now dressed formally for work. Both men wear worried expressions as Liz trails behind them, voicing her anger.“This is absurd! You need to fire that Kirk IMMEDIATELY!” Liz demands.Fernando sighs. “It won’t be an easy task, dear.”“Why not?” she huffs. “Besides firing him, you need to report him to the police!”Ronaldo, turning abruptly, tries to reason with her. “Mom, we can’t act rashly! His family doesn’t know about this; they could sue us for defamation! Since this was the first incident, we have time to investigate calmly.”Fernando nods. “That’s right, son. If only we had a friend in the police…”“Let’s tell Matt,” Ronaldo suggests. “After all, he’s one of our shareholders, right?”“Yes,” Fernando agrees. “He needs to know about this.”Just then, the doorbell rings, and Liz goes to answer it. “Who could it be… Dad?”Leonardo walks in quickly, barely acknowledging his daughter-in-law. “Here I am, folks. Let’s de