Sorry, my readers! Just noticed that this chapter was missing to upload!
Jonah was having dinner alone, still disheartened by the outcome of his conversation with Sheila. The pots he had knocked over were still on the floor.Suddenly, he heard a door slam and footsteps heading out."Sheila?" Jonah quickly got up and went after her.In the living room, Sheila was dressed to go out, grabbing her purse."Where are you going?" Jonah asked, surprised."I'm going to the Borges House. Vanda made a killer lasagna and invited me over," Sheila replied distantly. "I remember very well the lasagnas she used to make when we lived in the slums.""But you both don’t live in the slums anymore," Jonah approached her, trying to be affectionate. "How about inviting the Borges family over here one of these days?""Yes, they’ll be invited when we celebrate our wedding," Sheila responded curtly."Honey..." Jonah raised an eyebrow, feeling bored with the broken record.Sheila didn’t wait for any more nonsense and abruptly left, slamming the door behind her.Jonah kicked the air
Jonah's Penthouse, night. Matthew and Jonah stood face to face in the living room, both on their feet, ready to confront each other once again. “Matt, I don’t understand why you’ve become so obsessed with this!” Jonah was on the brink of desperation. “It seems like someone finally needs to be obsessed,” Matthew replied ominously. “Did your mom text you?” Jonah sat down on the couch, trying to appear indifferent. “No, Lawrence Vieira. He’s your downstairs neighbor, remember?” Matthew responded with a slight smile. Jonah fidgeted on the couch, annoyed. “How could I forget? The guy keeps showing up here complaining about the noise. He’d better find a chick to make some noise with too.” “Actually, his complaint is practically a report of domestic violence.” Matthew craned his neck, trying to survey the room, “Have you cleaned up the crime scene?” Jonah understood what Matthew meant and was offended. “Hey, nothing’s been messed up here! I just knocked over some pots and pans, but I
Matthew returns to Sterling Mansion, smiling about what he has done. Evan finds him, looking concerned. “Good evening, Young Matthew.” “Good evening, Evan. Is dinner ready?” “Uh… I’m not sure if you’ll have an appetite for dinner after arguing with your fiancée.” “What happened this time?” Matthew rolled his eyes. “She started to recover after you ravaged her without mercy.” Evan scratched the back of his neck, “And she found the frame in the master suite.” Matthew shrugged. “When she can come down, she can discuss it with me. In the meantime, the frame stays.” “Sir, she might try to break the frame or throw the photograph away!” Evan tried to warn Matthew as he walked down the hallway. Matthew stopped walking and turned to the secretary, smiling slightly. “She won’t do that. She knows what’s at stake. What did you think of the frame, Evan?” Evan, surprised by the sudden question, replied, “Uh… I thought it was a beautiful photograph, sir. Miss Patty Borges, as always, a fine
At the Borges House, the doorbell rang urgently. Hélio, reading Elaine and Matthew’s wedding invitation, moved to answer the intercom. “Who is it at this hour, for Christ’s sake?” “Mr. Borges, this is Jonah Lopes. Could you—” “Your wife isn’t here!” Hélio replied curtly, emphasizing the “wife.” Jonah felt the sting. “Oh, for God’s sake! Are you all trying to force me into something I’m not ready for yet?” Hélio hung up the intercom and decided to go outside. Jonah was waiting at the gate when it opened, revealing Hélio shaking the wedding invitation. “Listen here, writer: your girlfriend’s son is sending the wedding invitation to everyone. He’s young, but he’s taking the next step in his relationship. You’re old; don’t you feel ready for a responsibility required by people our age?” “That’s something open for discussion.” Jonah was offended, frowning. “I just didn’t know things were so extreme! Is Sheila gossiping about this to you too?” “We’ve been friends for a long time, s
Sterling Mansion, dinner time.Matthew was at a desk on the ground floor, after having taken a shower. A maid brought his dinner and noticed he was shirtless. “Your dinner, Young Mr. Sterling.” “Thank you, just leave it here on the side.” Matthew was checking updates on his cell phone. He wasn’t keen on going upstairs to face the jealous Elaine because of Patricia’s picture frame. The longer he delayed the confrontation, the calmer Elaine would become. Matthew's resolve was so intense that, being in a different room, he was only wearing a pair of boxers, unnoticed by the maid. She left, closing the door behind her. The phone rang, and Matthew smiled when he saw who was calling. “Hello, my dear friend Patty.” “Drop the ‘dear’,” Patricia replied, sitting on her bed and holding the wedding invitation in her left hand. “I don’t want your fiancée showing up here and having a jealous outburst.” “She won’t cause you any trouble, not even to Jacqueline,” Matthew assured authoritative
Indeed, after Karl entered the water with the others, they heard female screams calling for help. The driver appeared to be unconscious. As often happens in American movies, car doors never cooperate. Karl and the others used their elbows to break the windows. Fortunately, the car wasn’t sinking rapidly, making the rescue easier. Clayton had just arrived to check on the activity at the Happy Snack Bar. Shocked by the accident, he called the Fire Department. Karl carried the young woman while others carried the driver to the lit area of the sand. To Karl’s immense displeasure, he saw that the driver was Nathan. “Argh! He must be drunk!” Karl said without thinking. “Do you know this guy?” another patron asked. Karl didn’t want to be obvious due to his disguise. “Uh…” Clayton appeared and indirectly helped Karl. “Hey, it’s Nathan Sterling Gouveia! Oh God, has he gone back to his drinking and promiscuity?” “Hey, I can hear you!” the young woman, Bella Alvares, retorted, offended
Jacqueline was walking through the corridors of the Andrade Mansion. She heard voices coming from the kitchen and decided to check who it was, as she didn’t recognize the female voice.She was surprised to find Linda calming down after drinking a little brandy, served by a very worried Walter. Walter had put his shirt back on, leaving a few buttons undone.“Man, what happened? Hi, Miss Alvares...”“Jacque, a near-tragedy happened,” Walter commented seriously. “We were at the Happy Snack Bar when a runaway car almost hit the diner, and our table was close by. If the car hadn’t swerved, it would have hit Linda. I was at the counter paying the bill.”Jacqueline approached with empathy. “Oh, Miss Alvares, I’m so sorry! That must have been so frightening.”Linda put the glass on the kitchen island. “That wasn’t all. I found out my younger sister was in the car, falling-down drunk!”“She was drinking at the Gibraltar Club with Nathan,” Walter added.“Argh! What bad luck for your sister to h
Andrade Clinic, night shift.The receptionist for this shift was surprised to see Walter appear. His dress shirt has some buttons open and was out of his pants. The dress pants, hanging below his waist without a belt, left much to the imagination of many young women.“Mr. Andrade... You look like you’ve been in an accident!”Walter leaned on the counter. “Did Nathan Gouveia and his companion, who was in the car with him, come in?”“Yes, sir! Oh, were you at the scene of the accident?”To the receptionist, there was no other reason for the boss’s son to be so disheveled!“Yes, I was,” Walter confirmed. “It was chaos! I just wanted to have a snack with Linda Alvares.”The receptionist smirked disdainfully. “It seems the companion of Mr. Gouveia was Linda’s sister. What a shame, I didn’t know they—”“Cut out this ‘they’ story. It was just her party-loving sister!” Walter scolded the receptionist, making her choke on her venomous words.After that, he went down the hallway to find the roo
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
At Andrade Clinic, Charles was leading a meeting with the receptionists and security guards. Walter and Emmanuelle were present. “So, everyone, the next time Liz Silva or anyone else causes a scene at the clinic entrance, security or even the police must be called in immediately. Don’t hesitate just because the troublemaker is someone from an important family. This is a hospital clinic, not a zoo, so I demand order in the lobby. A disturbance can jeopardize the patients who are waiting for care, and I don’t want to compromise anyone’s safety, understood?” “Yes, Mr. Andrade!” everyone responded in unison. “Okay, everyone can return to your posts.” The staff went back to work. Linda gave Walter a brief kiss before leaving. “Linda, I need to ask you a quick question,” Emmanuelle called her back. Linda paused, closing the door after the last person left. “Did you check with your parents if it’s safe to go home?” “No, Emmanuelle. The conversation with Gus was so good that I forgot
In Matthew’s suite, he was now buttoning the cuffs of his genuine cotton dress shirt. Elaine had also gotten out of the bathtub, unable to continue relaxing, and was now putting on her work suit.The memory of the Golden Letters prompted Matthew to strike up a conversation. “Did you remove a glass from the base of the pyramid?” Elaine stared at Matthew as if he were the devil. “What? How can you throw a question like that out of nowhere?” “I just asked a question, woman, answer me.” Elaine shook her head as she walked to the sofa to put on her high heels. “This is inconceivable. Your mind is always revolving around Patricia’s issues. You never forget her, and then tell me I don’t need to worry.” “Was the champagne glass pyramid made for an occasion involving Patricia?” Matthew countered logically. “No, but it was her mother’s book signing.” Elaine angrily slipped on her shoes. “Well, I remembered that many claimed the embarrassment happened because someone removed a glass from
Monday. Elaine was relaxing in the bathtub of her husband’s suite. Matthew stepped out of the shower stall, drying his hair with a white towel as he walked to the double sink. The sight of Matthew’s exposed body startled Elaine for a few seconds, but then she took advantage of the beautiful view, smiling mischievously. “It hardly feels like it’s Monday,” she commented casually. Matthew was washing his face as he said, “Yes, it’s Monday, the day to take care of important things after we relax our nerves on Sunday.” Elaine pursed her lips and retorted, “If I relaxed my nerves, it’s because they were in shambles. It’s not like me to live in constant stress, darling. I might not get the chance to calm down in the future.” Matthew turned off the faucet and grabbed a face towel. “Are you saying you would be willing to reduce your contact with Aunt Liz?” Elaine could no longer relax. “What does that mean?” Matthew tossed the towel onto the sink and turned to his wife. “I don’t like t
In the Silva Penthouse, Liz took advantage of the wreckage of the coffee table to create more drama. “Here we have it, darling! The COFFEE TABLE is SHATTERED with Elaine’s body thanks to Patty—” “SHUT UP!” Fernando slammed the door shut. Liz trembled in panic, staring wide-eyed at her furious husband. “But what is this? Why are you angry with me, darling, when you should be furious with Patty—” “I command silence, and you keep babbling even more!” Fernando went to the utility room to grab a broom. Liz quickly grabbed her phone and took a picture of the shattered coffee table. Maybe this will come in handy for her in the future... “So, what are we going to do about this?” Liz shouted for Fernando to hear. Fernando returned with a broom and a dustpan in hand. “Don’t tell me you’re going to sweep this up!” Liz reacted horrified. “Let the maid clean it up on Monday!” “I won’t have a living room full of glass shards until Monday. I want to watch TV tomorrow!” Fernando’s ferocity