In the Sterling University auditorium, the press conference begins. Photographers flood the venue with popping flashes as cameras record the true heir to the Sterling Empire speaking.“Hello, everybody. Practically no one knows me, only those who work with me at Golden Letters. My name, until a while ago, was Matthew Silva. But months later, I came to discover that I am the son of the late businessman Karl Sterling. My mother and grandfather confirmed the story. Exams such as DNA testing were carried out to confirm everything. If anyone is still wondering if today’s tabloids were telling the truth...” Matthew has a solemn expression as he confirms, “I say yes.”Everyone is amazed. The reporters, as always, start asking questions one after another.Evan gestures for the reporters to shut up and points his finger at a young lady, “You ask first.”The lady reporter wastes no time, “Mr. Sterling, where have you been all this time? Is it true that you were in Lion’s Den?”“Yes, I lived in
At night, people passing through Litorânea Avenue to go to the nightclub or stroll along the beach came across a new commercial establishment.The Happy Snack night snack bar run by Clayton Saldanha (and financed by the man who identified himself as Matthew Sterling) caught the attention of young people, adults, and families who wanted to treat their children to something succulent beyond the common homemade dinner.As it was in a busy place, most of the tables were occupied. University students who heard about the change showed up to check out the place.Some of these college students are David, Bryce, and their troupe.“Hey, David, the place looks much better and more spacious than the kiosk!” Bryce marvels.David looks around, “Yes, very good... WELL built.”“Let’s choose something. The quality of the snacks has probably improved too!” Another friend is already choosing a table for everyone to sit at.Jackson was wearing his uniform and addresses them, “Good evening! Welcome to the
The next day, Jackson knocked on Patricia’s bedroom door. His poor sister cried incessantly on the bed, feeling like the most unworthy woman in the world.“Patty, I’m going in!” Jackson warns and enters.He was wearing shorts and no shirt, still sleepy from work. The opening was so successful that they stayed until midnight.“How are you, little sister?”“Hi, Jackson.” Patricia straightens up and wipes away her tears, but her eyes are red as if she has conjunctivitis.“Oh, little sister... What was it this time?” Jackson approaches her.“I found out, Jackson...” Patricia pointed to her cell phone that was on the dresser, “Matthew Sterling? How long did he intend to hide this truth from me?”“He never wanted you to know,” Jackson states.“WHY?” Patricia is indignant.“He said you lost all prerogatives after... Patty, answer me honestly: have you and David ever slept together?”“Never, my beloved brother, NEVER!” Patricia desperately responds, “David Rocha is the most respectful gentlem
Matthew and Patricia meet at the Happy Snack kiosk, which is now closed indefinitely.“It was so nice to work here...” Patricia laments, “Why did he have to ruin everything?”Matthew approaches her, “Who ruined what?”“YOU!” Patricia slaps Matthew as soon as she sees him.Matthew is stunned and massages his sore cheek. “Did you summon me for this?”Tears are already beginning to flow down Patricia’s cheeks. “Just tell me WHY, Matt?”“From the moment you started sleeping with David Rocha, you don’t deserve to know anything else about my life.” Matthew responds seriously, “What morality do you have to criticize Cindy when she had a moment with Ricardo Montegrande if you do the same thing?”“I’M NOT SLEEPING WITH DAVID!”“Yes, you are, Patty, YOU ARE!” Matthew roars, “Don’t lie to me!”“And YOU can lie to me?” Patricia is horrified.“I hadn’t told anyone about my true identity.” Matthew explains, “I discovered this months ago when Grandpa Abner found me here. I was afraid of revealing my
“Of course not, Mrs. Sterling!”“You better call me Sheila. We’ve been friends for a long time, and the other one calls my vixen mother-in-law Alice.”“OK...” Patricia takes a deep breath, “Matt would never agree to me dating David. I believe he thinks this thing about me sleeping with David just out of spite, out of jealousy.”“You’re not in love with David.” Sheila doesn’t ask, she states.“No, I’m not. I will always love your son, Sheila.” Patricia pours her heart into this sentence.Sheila smiles contentedly, “Then why are we wasting time? Let’s wait for him to return so you can declare yourself once and for all.”“I can’t, Sheila. I can’t try to win over Matt, not now that he’s turned out to be a millionaire. I need to improve my social status and hope he becomes disillusioned with Cindy.”“And how are you going to improve your social status?” Sheila was afraid to wait for the answer.“David Rocha,” Patricia responds in cold blood.“Are you going out with David out of pure materi
Jackson was swimming in a secluded spot on Blue Cove beach. Not only did he enjoy the relief of cooling off the heat in the water, but he was also excited about his job at the Happy Snack Bar.The sun began to set, and he didn’t want to continue alone. Even though he checked that no one was around, he got out of the water, covered himself with both hands and went to the chestnut tree where his clothes were waiting for him.He grabbed a towel and started to dry himself when he heard his cell phone ringing in the plastic bag.“Hello?”On the other side, Vanda was very excited, “Son! Come back here immediately! Where are you?”“Mom, I’m at the beach. I’m drying off to go home.” Jackson smiles.“Come back, my son! A secretary from Abner Sterling said Matt bought us a house!” Vanda exclaims excitedly.Jackson frowns. “Mom, aren’t you making this up? Is this in one of your novels that you read so much?”“Don’t mock, son, don’t mock!” Vanda giggles, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll pass the ca
Matthew confronts Cindy about her desperation in worrying about Ricardo’s health.Cindy shakes her head. “What’s all this talk, Matt? I accidentally ran over Ricardo. I need to be responsible for what happened!”“Then why did you come to me?” Matthew asks dryly.“Because I’m confused, scared... I thought I killed the guy!” Cindy screams.“And why did you end up running over him?” Matthew holds her.“I was maneuvering to get away from him. Ricardo continued to try to open my car door. I put my foot down on the gas pedal...” Cindy trembles, “And I just felt the thump. I didn’t even look back.”Matthew is grim-faced, “So he was chasing you, harassing you, and you were trying to escape. Honey, if you think he’s going to try to sue you or something, forget it. Don’t worry, he knows he’s the one in the wrong.”&ldquo
On Tuesday, Cindy eagerly liked Jackson’s photo.She was sitting on the bed, in her nightgown, taking advantage while listening to the sound of the shower and Matthew’s whistle.Upon seeing Jackson’s profile update, Cindy could clearly see that Jackson was swimming au naturel thanks to the pool lighting.She licked her lips and bit her lower lip in lust and uncontained fire.In the comments, male friends congratulated Jackson on his new home. But his female friends... jokingly commented on the absence of swimming trunks...Cindy was going to post a bold comment until she noticed Patricia’s comment, good-natured, participating in the joke.That stopped Cindy. She thought, “If I comment and Patricia finds me... She’ll give me away to Matt. I can’t be careless.”Thinking about her safety, Cindy ‘disliked’ the photo, afraid that Patricia would catch her.******At t
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