At the General Hospital, Melissa and Dora stood outside the glass wall of Simeon’s room. Inside, the steady rhythm of the monitors filled the air as a nurse adjusted the machines. Simeon lay motionless, pale and peaceful, caught between life and death.“When will he wake up, my dear?” Dora’s voice trembled.“It’ll take time, Mom,” Melissa replied softly.“When will we be able to talk to him? They say people in comas can hear us.”Melissa slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Only when Dr. Hogan says it’s safe.”“I don’t know if I can wait that long,” Dora whispered.“You can,” Melissa said firmly. “You’ve survived everything life’s thrown at you. You’ll survive this too.”They clung to each other for a long moment, and when they parted, both women were wiping away tears.******Back at the Rocha Hotel, Josias leaned forward over the desk like a spider drawing closer to a trapped fly.Eugenio’s face went pale. “You... you want to fire me?”Josias’s smile was smooth, serpentine. “Not ex

Maggie’s office at Marçal Publishing was a storm of papers, coffee cups, and rumor. News, real or speculative, was erupting by the hour, and she wasn’t about to miss a single whisper.She shut the door behind her as if preparing to hear secrets from the CIA or the FBI themselves.“Alright, son,” she said, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “What did you find out?”Henrique leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Good thing we didn’t go too hard on Jake Cogo in those articles.”Maggie straightened abruptly. “You found something?”“I ran into Jason Meyer, Jake’s lawyer. He said Jake wasn’t the one driving.”“Did he say who was?” Maggie’s eyes sparkled.“No,” Henrique replied. “Said he’d reveal it at the right time.”Maggie pressed her fingers against her chin, her thoughts racing. “It must have been Suzy. That damn woman.”Henrique nodded grimly. “Let’s hope so. But we’d better stay alert.”“Thank you, son.”They embraced. Henrique smiled, feeling for once that he was truly helping.******Jaso

The next morning, Jason arrived at the Happiness Slum police precinct. The moment he stepped inside, he froze.Leonardo Borges was already there, speaking with Inspector Dylan in the latter’s office.“Attorney Borges,” Dylan asked, “are you representing the Rocha family now?”“Not exactly,” Leonardo replied calmly. “I’m simply gathering information for when the time comes. Mrs. Campos contacted me a few days ago.”“By ‘Mrs. Campos,’ you mean...?”“Mrs. Caio Campos.”Jason burst into the room, outraged. “What is going on here? Are we already holding a trial?”Leonardo gave Jason a slow, assessing look. “I don’t recall you from the firm.”“Leo Borges,” Dylan said, “this is the defendant’s attorney, Jason Meyer.”Jason lifted his chin with a sharp, sarcastic edge. “No, I do not work for the elegant Damascene Lawyers agency.”“A shame,” Leonardo said, smug as ever. “If your client is innocent, then he certainly won’t have the defense he needs.”“Shut up!” Jason snapped. “I came here preci

Melissa immediately tried to recover from her outburst, acutely aware of the profanity that had slipped from her mouth.“Forgive me,” she said sheepishly. “But all of this is infuriating, don’t you think so?”Josias forced a thin, resigned smile. “If it’s Suzy you’re cursing, darling, you may say whatever you want.”“Well,” Caio added, “Leo Borges is ready to pursue the matter and put the real culprit behind bars.”William lifted his hands meaningfully. “Son, your uncle has an even better plan.”Caio turned to Josias, expectant. Josias nodded toward Caroline and Reuben with solemn gravity.“Carol and Reuben will take Eugenio Cogo’s place at the hotel here. Eugenio is being transferred to Rio.”Caio broke into a wide grin. This was the perfect arrangement!“Wow... that’s great! We really missed you, cousin.”Caroline’s excitement lit up her face. “Honestly, I’m ready to help Aunt Maggie with the Maggiezine. And Mary is excited too.”“Definitely!” Mary chimed in.Ignacio snickered. “Thr

The next morning, the LCN newspaper, both in print and online, featured a sensational headline splashed across its front page: JAKE COGO CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN THE HIT-AND-RUN OF SIMEON CAMPOS!!João Paulo’s byline sat proudly beneath it, and the story remained the most-read article for the rest of the week.Soon after, Maggiezine promised even more salacious details about the incident in its upcoming issue.In Maggie’s office, she and João Paulo exchanged information freely, not viewing one another as competitors. They had a common enemy, and unity would serve them better than rivalry.“According to what Jason Meyer said,” João Paulo explained, “Suzy intentionally scared Brendon, and he hit the accelerator instead of the brake.”“She wanted to spook him so he’d run over Simeon,” Maggie said, outraged. “That way the blame wouldn’t fall on her. And when the police arrested Jake, she kept her mouth shut.”“It’s the end of ‘investor’ Suzy Cogo,” João Paulo declared with equal indignat