Brendon was reading the newspaper at the Café Montanha table. Rodrigo and Neilton watched him from a distance, suspicious. They saw how Brendon was uncomfortable, narrowing his eyes and wrinkling his nose while reading the police column. From Rodrigo’s point of vision, he could see a photo of Suzy taken when she wasn’t looking, appearing like a fugitive from justice. He muttered under his breath to Neilton, “He’s reading the news about Suzy vandalizing the LCN editorial and making faces.” Neilton replied in the same tone, “In other words, he’s defending Suzy and against the accusation.” Brendon threw the newspaper onto the table, grabbing his cup. “This is an outrage!” Rodrigo quickly approached him, offering a solicitous smile. “Is something wrong with your coffee, sir?” “I thought you knew I am David Souza’s cousin,” Brendon responded bitterly. “No, the coffee’s great! Sweet enough to sweet my bitter day.” “And why did your day start bitter?” Rodrigo asked, still smiling but

Hector brought passionfruit tea to help Sofia calm down.Now, she was sipping slowly, alternating between drinking and taking deep breaths.Melissa and Dora were nearby, worried about what they had heard.“Sofia, can you talk now?” Dora asked anxiously. “What’s this about Suzy Cogo buying shares of Rocha Constructions?”“Your father-in-law would never allow something like that, Sofia,” Melissa stated firmly.Sofia set the teacup down on the saucer. “Sorry for the dramatic entrance. But I thought that after all the effort I put into kicking her out of Vaztrans, Josias wouldn’t allow something like that in his company, his precious baby!”Melissa smiled. “You can rest assured. None of that happened. No one sold a single share to that witch.”“But Melissa...” Sofia took another deep breath. “The rumors are gaining strength in Lagoon City’s business circle. At any moment, a false story could appear in the Economy columns of LCN.”“If fake news comes out, Josias will sue the entire newspap

Josias grew furious upon hearing from William what Suzy had dared to do.Melissa stood behind her husband, massaging his shoulders as he spoke on the phone.Josias covered the phone and told her, “Suzy Cogo showed up early at Caio’s house, offering to buy shares of Rocha Constructions.”Melissa made a face of disgust. “What a nutcase! I bet she caught Brigitte in her nightgown and Caio shirtless!”Josias had a slight suspicion that Suzy had seen Caio wearing far less than that...He returned to his call with William. “I’m so sorry, Will. How did Caio handle the situation?”William, in his office at Vaztrans, smiled mischievously. “My big boy was having an intimate moment with Brigitte, so he didn’t even go to the door. It was Brigitte who kicked her out, barely letting Suzy get past the gate.”“You think Suzy did this on purpose, hoping to catch your son half-naked?” Josias’s suspicions grew.“Absolutely, Josias!” William exclaimed. “I know you and Melissa are straight-laced, but ther

At Damascene Lawyers, Brigitte and Leonardo were still talking about all the trouble Suzy causes everyone.Seated at her desk, Brigitte continued, “You’d better keep your eyes open. Someone might come to you to file a lawsuit for defamation and slander. Or... baseless rumors.”Leonardo chuckled. “I don’t think the law punishes people for spreading gossip and rumors just yet.”“But if it’s aimed at damaging a company like Rocha Constructions?” Brigitte pointed to the LCN newspaper on the desk. “They’re saying Suzy Cogo is already a shareholder. Caio and his family must be climbing the walls.”“Everybody hates Suzy, huh?” Leonardo laughed heartily.“Exactly. If people think Suzy is part of Rocha Constructions, the company’s reputation will tank, clients will flee to the competition...”Leonardo stopped laughing, understanding the seriousness of the situation. “And the stock value will plummet, with shareholders selling off their shares for peanuts. That’s when Suzy swoops in, trying to

The next day, the doorbell rang early at the Cogo family’s apartment. Suzy was busy with a bacon skillet while looking at the coffee maker with the coffee filter in progress. “Someone answer the door for me!” Jake appeared shirtless, his dress pants hanging below his waist due to the lack of a belt. “I’m going.” He hurried to the door, unlocked it, but first asked, “Who is it?” “Josias Rocha!” Jake held his breath, and his heart raced. Should he answer? A splash of bacon accidentally landed on Suzy’s hand, and she let out a yelp of pain. “OUCH! Mr. Rocha is knocking on our door?” Jake took a deep breath and opened the door, allowing Josias to enter. Josias, already dressed in his impeccably clean navy suit, stepped inside, looking around, surveying the enemy territory. “Mr. Rocha, welcome to our humble abode,” Jake said, closing the door. “This doesn’t look very humble. Is your sister redecorating the apartment with the fruits of her investments?” Josias asked casually. Suz