At the Beach House, dinner was taking place between the Alvares and Gouveia couples. The situation was still awkward, with someone occasionally making civilized comments. “The duck is delicious,” Ernesto tried. “Nothing like whatever you eat in the slum, huh?” Vicente couldn’t resist. Ernesto frowned. “What does that mean?” “You know what it means,” Vicente shrugged, looking at his plate. “I bet that in Lion’s Den, you can only eat hot dogs, salami, and other cheap processed meats. At most, a boiled chicken on Sundays.” “We’re poor, but not miserable,” Paulina defended herself. “We eat chicken and beef in the middle of the week.” Andreia shook her head. “Guys, if we’re going to start talking, this meeting isn’t about our eating habits and financial situations.” Vicente took a deep breath. “That’s right, Andreia. We need to talk about our kids.” Ernesto defended himself, “I’ve talked, shouted, slapped, and forbidden my daughter more than two hundred times, but she insists on d
Cardoso family house, studio, night.Due to Elaine’s warning, Germano had to re-edit the video in which he planned to talk about Patricia and Jackson. Now, he is busy editing tomorrow’s video.“I hope there are no hiccups this time!” he muttered.The door opened, and Zilda peeked in. “Honey, wouldn’t you rather watch TV to help with digestion?”“I didn’t eat that much at dinner, darling,” Germano replied.“Okay, if you need a distraction, I’ll be in the living room,” Zilda said as she left, closing the door behind her.Germano shook his head. Zilda always showed up when he needed concentration the most.His cell phone rang as he mumbled complaints about distractions.“Looks like I won’t be able to work tonight!”He was surprised to see Elaine’s name on the caller ID.“Hello, Elaine?”On the other end, Elaine was outside the Sterling Mansion, by the pool area.“Hi, Germano. Am I bothering you?”“I’m editing tomorrow’s video, trying to get ahead of things.”“Oh no, I messed everything u
At the Cardoso family house, Germano was talking to Elaine.He felt that the conversation was unusual. “Elaine, you sound like you’re whispering. Is something wrong?”“I’m by the pool,” Elaine normalized her voice. “But you’re right, no one is around. Anyway, how coincidental that you mentioned your wife.”“What about her?” Germano raised an eyebrow.“I can’t prove it, but I feel she told your daughter about our plan.”“Cindy?” Germano exclaimed in shock.“Yes. Cindy showed up at my office threatening to tell Matt about our plan unless we canceled the video. That’s why I called you,” Elaine explained, always glancing around.Germano rubbed his forehead. “That doesn’t make much sense, Elaine. What’s the big deal if Matthew finds out about the video’s origin? Could it be that Matthew still has feelings for Patricia and Cindy is trying to ruin your marriage?”Elaine confronted the big question. “Well, I believe Matt loves me, and he always assures me of that. The problem is the big ‘What
Germano got up from his chair, stunned by the new instructions.“Elaine, are you and Liz Silva sure about this? Can I really mention the Borges family in tomorrow’s video?”“Yes, you can,” Elaine smiled maliciously. “I want to double down. Let’s see if things unfold as your daughter suggests.”“I hope I’m not causing problems in your marriage,” Germano said hesitantly.“If Matt truly loves me as he says, he won’t be upset with me,” Elaine replied confidently.“That’s what I believe. He’s already busy with the events of Silva Oil Company. I saw an online ad for the signing session of Vanda Borges’ second book.”“That’s right! Everyone will be so distracted by that event that they won’t pay attention to your video,” Elaine snapped her fingers.“As for my wife, I’ll have a little chat with her,” Germano narrowed his eyes. “I feel like she’s the one who alerted Cindy.”“She’s afraid we won’t cover for you if Matt asks questions,” Elaine clarified. “Germano, Liz and I swear once again that
At the Cardoso family house, Zilda turned off the TV with the remote.“I get you had a conversation with someone who ordered you to hold off on that sinful video.”“Stop exaggerating!” Germano complained. “How many times do I have to tell you that I was only going to imply something about the drug dealing network?”“And how many times do I have to tell you that this issue will backfire on you?” Zilda held her husband’s hands. “Germano, if something happens to you, I’ll blame those vipers for everything!”“Why did we sign a responsibility agreement, huh?” Germano still insisted on citing the document.Zilda rolled her eyes. “They’ll jump ship the moment their men utter the letter ‘d’ for ‘divorce.’”“Matt can’t divorce Elaine because of this,” Germano argued. “That would prove he only married her to secure his position as president of the Sterling conglomerate. Do you think Elaine will stay silent if that happens?”“No, she’s too devilish to let things happen naturally!” Zilda exclaime
Saturday.The sun rose brightly over Blue Cove, prompting people to head to the beach or enjoy other outdoor activities.At Borges House, the family gathered at the breakfast table, chatting enthusiastically about Vanda’s upcoming book signing event.Vanda, seated at the head of the table, was basking in the praises.Hélio raised a coffee cup as if it were a glass of rosé wine. “A toast to my beloved wife, Vanda, a successful writer! Another achievement to add to her career!”“Cheers!” Everyone applauded.“Not just a milestone in her career, but in her life as well,” Jackson commented.Vanda ran her hand along her neck. “Oh, I feel my heart in my throat.”“Cry now, Vanda,” Cindy said, “and not during the event so you don’t ruin your makeup.”Everyone laughed heartily.Vanda looked at Cindy. “Cindy, I never imagined we’d be here, laughing and enjoying breakfast in peace and harmony.”“This is also a milestone for our family,” Hélio added warmly.Cindy felt like the center of attention.
Vanda was in her room examining hangers and outfit options for the book signing.“What dress do you think I should wear, girls?” she asked Cindy and Patricia. “Or do you think I should go for something more professional?”“Mom, I think you should wear a dress, but nothing too formal,” Patricia said, selecting a hanger.Cindy echoed Patty’s opinion. “Exactly. After all, you’ll be sitting for most of the event signing books. Your outfit won’t be the center of attention.”“That’s true. The real star is my book,” Vanda said, taking the hanger from Patricia. “I’ll try this one. Wait here for me.”Vanda went into the bathroom.Cindy looked at Patricia. “Excited, future sister-in-law?”Patricia suddenly became serious.“Did I say something wrong?” Cindy asked.“No...” Patricia gave a faint smile. “I just remembered Mom’s first book signing. That was when Ron found out I had my first time with Matt at the same party where he announced his engagement to you.”Cindy was taken aback by the revel
Matthew warned Bella not to mess with Vicente because no one could predict what he might do.Bella got out of bed and leaned against the window to stop whispering.“Mr. Sterling, are you serious? Your uncle kidnapped your mother?”“It’ll be in more detail in today’s paper. Yes, my mother was kidnapped on Thursday. Coincidentally — or not — after arguing with Uncle Vicente,” Matthew took a deep breath. “Listen carefully, Bella: he’s already accusing me of hiring you to kill Nathan, even though he has no proof. Imagine if, by chance, he manages to confirm our arrangement. What do you think will happen to your family, to Linda, to my best friend Walter?”Bella felt trapped in a web of intrigue, being tossed around by others’ schemes.“Mr. Sterling... I don’t know if I can...”“Listen to me, Bella! It’s the best thing to do! Do you hate your sister so much that you’d leave her exposed to danger? I bet he targeted Linda precisely to get back at you.”“If I tell Nate, he’ll take my side and
Gustavo had just finished driving and maneuvering a forklift. When he stepped out, he noticed a commotion of workers not far away. It seemed they were congratulating someone.“Hmm... Is it someone’s birthday?” Gustavo smiled and walked over to them.Gustavo realized that Kirk was the center of attention and stopped in his tracks.Kirk, for his part, smiled at Gustavo - mockingly? “Hey, Gus! Come hear the big news!”Gustavo approached with disbelief in his eyes. “Are you going to keep working here?”“Your dream has come true!” Kirk exclaimed so loudly that even those who weren’t close could hear. “I’m going to work somewhere else!”The phrase made a few heads turn toward Gustavo. What? He was hoping Kirk would get fired?Gustavo noticed that those who turned to him did not have friendly expressions.“Hey, take it easy! I didn’t mean to dig Kirk’s grave.”“What did you want with our friend then?” someone asked.“I wanted to know, at my father’s request, if Kirk would be staying with us
Elaine and Liz continued to discuss their plan. “Did you expect to achieve something after falling onto the coffee table?” Liz asked. Elaine stood up and went to a table where a thermos was placed. While pouring two cups, she replied, “I need to confess something. The whole thing was my idea.” Liz’s eyes widened. “You... planned to fall onto my coffee table?” “It all happened so fast, more of an impulse than a plan,” Elaine responded, approaching her friend with the cups. Liz picked one of the cups, replying, “You were being pulled by the hair by Patricia, caught a glimpse of the coffee table, and decided to throw yourself onto it so that I would think it was Patricia who maliciously threw you onto it. That way, my reaction of horror and outrage would be genuine.” “Exactly, girl. That’s why I winked at you to calm down.” Elaine sat back down, balancing her cup in her left hand. “Elaine, you took a huge risk!” Liz was flabbergasted. “You could have hurt yourself badly, bleed to
Liz visits Golden Letters and opens Elaine’s office door. “Elaine, can I have a word with you?” “Liz! Come in, my friend!” Elaine smiled and gestured. Liz hurriedly closed the door as if it were necessary. Elaine continued, “I’ve called you several times.” “Sorry, friend. I wanted to visit you on Sunday, but I was busy.” Liz pulled out a chair and sat down. “That’s alright. I was discharged; it wasn’t anything serious.” Elaine winked. “Are you sure, friend?” Liz decided to take a chance and asked, “It seemed like I saw you wink at me...” “Yes, I was fine. You were so desperate, thinking I was going to bleed to death.” Elaine was carefree. “That’s what I thought.” Liz calmed down. “Still, I made sure to cause the biggest scene in the clinic’s lobby, blaming Patty for everything.” “And did it work?” Elaine’s eyes sparkled. “Not exactly.” Liz shook her head. “Our husbands showed up and killed my buzz.” Elaine’s excitement faded. “As always, Matt defending that shameless trou
Silva Oil Company, Ronaldo’s office, around ten in the morning. Jackson explains to Ronaldo why Gustavo might not be suitable to be a model. “Gustavo is trying too hard, insisting too much, being inappropriate. That’s not how things work,” Jackson said with authority. “Take my case: I NEVER thought about being famous. All I wanted was to stay in my corner, posting my routine on social media. The thing is, people who make things happen discovered me, prepared me, and the rest you already know.” “I get it. When it’s meant to happen, it will happen. No rush, no anxiety – and without being a pain in the neck,” Ronaldo laughed. “Did he happen to approach you again?” “Patty ended up talking about Vasconcelos Fabrics, and he had that gleam in his eyes as if we had already made plans!” Jackson exclaimed, exasperated. Ronaldo lost some of his excitement. “Jackson, do you suspect that this Gustavo is getting too close to my fiancée?” “The guy really thinks he’s the best thing since sliced
At Silva Oil Company, Kirk appeared in Leonardo’s office. Fernando and Marta had already left. “KIRK!” Leonardo abruptly stood up from his desk. “How are you, my young man!” “Mr. Silva?” Kirk was surprised by such reverence. “I didn’t know you cared so much about me...” “Cut the small talk! You just had a seizure and looked like you were going to die in my company,” Leonardo gestured for the employee to sit down. “Now I want to know all the details. Don’t hide anything from this curious old man.” Kirk smiled and sat down. “Well, sir, there’s not much to tell. I was stupid enough to fall for the siren’s song.” “In this case, the cocaine song, right?” Leonardo leaned forward. “What do you intend to do from here on out?” “Obviously, I promised myself and my family that I wouldn’t use that cr*p anymore. It wasn’t worth all the drama and suffering,” Kirk replied honestly. “That’s good. Then you can continue from where you left off,” Leonardo smiled, relieved. “That’s about what I w
In Urbano Magazine, Cindy returned with the printed sheet, extending it to Andreia. “Read this not-so-pretentious article, my friend,” Cindy declared. Andreia took the paper and read it. A smile formed at the right corner of her mouth. “Cool... nothing so blatantly accusatory, but clear enough for any semi-literate person to understand that Elaine knocked over that pyramid of champagne glasses, causing a scene at the book signing.” “Of course, I won’t say she did it because the honored author was her enemy’s mother,” Cindy replied mischievously. “You don’t want to risk Matt’s wrath.” Andreia stood up, a bit slowly due to her pregnancy. “Speaking of which, how did he react after your dad’s video?” “I didn’t bring it up with him,” Cindy shook her head. “If I mention it, people will say I still love him.” “And you don’t want to do anything to ruin your relationship with Jackson,” Andreia repeated. “Cindy, it’s commendable that you’re more committed and focused on having someone in
Fernando appeared in the kitchen wearing gray sweatpants. Liz, who was sour and bitter, smiled pathetically with her gaze fixed on her husband’s pants. “Good morning, son. What’s new?” Ronaldo replied rudely, “The news is seeing my mother still able to walk!” “RON!” Liz was startled. Fernando shook his head. “Son, don’t be disrespectful. Your mother and I are trying to be as discreet as possible.” Ronaldo shot back, “Just missing discretion when discussing my fiancée, huh? Can we talk about that now?” Liz pursed her lips. “I was so happy when I woke up, but you made sure to ruin my day.” “Mom, we can’t avoid the obvious!” Ronaldo turned to Fernando. “Matt told me that Elaine was reprimanded.” “And I will never agree to that!” Liz shouted. “Elaine was a victim of that tough girl from the slums! She could have died from a cut to her jugular!” “But Elaine provoked Patty’s wrath by saying those nasty things,” Fernando reasoned as he served himself breakfast. “Couldn’t Patricia a
Silva Penthouse, Monday morning. Ronaldo was walking down the hallway to the kitchen in just his boxer shorts when the suite door opened. Liz was smiling a little too much, looking like she was about to dance ballet. “Mom! Long time no see!” “Yes, son, I had a wonderful time with your father!” Liz replied suggestively. Ronaldo blushed to the roots of his hair. “Is breakfast ready?” she asked casually. “I was about to check,” Ronaldo said, heading to the kitchen. There, the coffee maker was already brewing coffee. “Nando must have prepared it in advance.” Liz took bread and butter from the fridge. Ronaldo, cautious, sat down at the table. He noticed a tear in Liz’s nightgown. “Mom, did you and Dad make up this Sunday?” “We can say he’s no longer in love with your fiancée,” Liz replied with a mischievous smile. “Mom, stop talking about that disgusting stuff!” Ronaldo frowned. “This is all your sick imagination.” Liz simply shrugged, sitting down at the table as well. “You’r
Elaine arrived stumbling with fear and bewilderment. The truth about Bella and Nathan’s relationship was something horrifying and incredible for her to digest. “Oh my God... how did these two families let this issue intertwine like this?” Nayla was at the reception desk, smiling, waiting for Elaine to approach. But when she realized Elaine was going to walk past her, Nayla called out loudly, “ELAINE?” Elaine stopped suddenly and looked at her friend. “Oh, Nayla, I’m sorry...” “Don’t worry. I know you must be going through a lot of pressure.” Nayla stood up. “I really am. But I always have time for my friends.” Elaine smiled and approached, trying to distract her mind. “I wanted to know if there are any openings here at Golden Letters for my brother.” Nayla asked respectfully. Elaine’s smile vanished with the wind. As Nayla’s boss, she knew who the brother was. “Nayla, we’re friends, but you know I have a strong opinion against drug use and sales.” Elaine replied in a boss t