At Andrade Clinic, the atmosphere in Dr. Maurício de Paula’s office had grown heavy. Ronaldo sat on the edge of his seat, gripped by anxiety, his fingers clenched around the arms of the chair. Maurício, across the desk, had turned unusually serious, his eyes focused and unwavering.“Doctor, just tell me what I have,” Ronaldo pleaded.Maurício nodded slowly, weighing his words. “Mr. Silva, I noticed something that concerns me. Your mother had a stroke, didn’t she? She was hospitalized right here in this clinic.”“Yes,” Ronaldo confirmed, already feeling the weight of what was coming.“And you came to see me on a Sunday, straight after returning from a trip that was supposed to give you rest... mental recovery.”Ronaldo leaned back, already sensing the emotional blow he was about to receive.“I... I couldn’t get my mind to rest,” he admitted.“Mr. Silva,” Maurício said firmly, “do you not realize that if you don’t learn to manage your emotional health, you could meet the same fate in ju

In the elegant office of the Sterling Empire headquarters, Karl sat behind his imposing desk, receiving updates from Evan, who stood respectfully in front of him, reading from his tablet.“Mr. Hudson has canceled all the dates reserved for Vicente Gouveia’s concerts,” Evan reported.Karl smirked. “That was the least of his problems, wasn’t it?”Evan glanced up from the tablet. “His career’s melted completely, hasn’t it?”“Utterly,” Karl confirmed with calm cruelty. “Tell Edmund to book other attractions.”“Understood,” Evan replied.Just then, a firm knock interrupted the rhythm of the room. Evan moved to the door and opened it. Standing just outside was Ronaldo Silva, waiting to be acknowledged.“Yes... Mr. Silva?” Evan asked.Karl craned his neck to see which of the Silvas was at the door.“Secretary Evan,” Ronaldo said coolly. “Is your boss in?”“This is now Mr. Karl Sterling’s office,” Evan corrected, holding the door.“Then he’s exactly the man I’m here to see.”Evan turned to Ka

In the vestibule of the Borges House, the atmosphere had grown uncomfortably heavy. Matthew realized too late that Jackson didn’t want to talk about the “Ronaldo versus Patricia” debacle in front of Hélio. It was likely that Hélio wasn’t even aware of what had happened.Sensing something serious, Hélio raised his eyebrows, bracing himself.“For heaven’s sake,” he asked, “what happened with Patty and Ron?”Matthew glanced at Jackson before replying, carefully, “You don’t know, Seu Hélio?”“No, Matt... Wait — Jackson and Patty told me something earlier. They said you had been there.”From Matthew’s point of view, Jackson was once again pleading silently with his eyes.“Yes,” Matthew said, taking the hint and shifting course. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings about my intentions.”Hélio’s shoulders relaxed with a visible breath of relief. “Oh, I see. But Matt, you already called us to clear all that up.”“I did. I made it clear I had no i

That afternoon, at the elegant Gibraltar Club, Edmund and Tiffany were seated in a quiet corner, deep in conversation. The atmosphere between them had grown increasingly comfortable, marked by laughter and confessions. Yet Edmund hadn’t expected that getting to know Tiffany better would involve confronting the chaotic mind of his only son.“Tiffany,” he said, his tone tinged with shame, “don’t ask me to understand my boy’s troubled mind.”Tiffany’s eyes widened, surprised by the admission. “Why not?”“Because I’m the one to blame for it.”Her reaction was instant — softened by understanding. She took a small sip from her glass and smiled warmly.“That’s impossible. You’re the kindest, most grounded man I’ve ever had the honor to meet, Edmund.”His cheeks flushed a little. “Well... thank you.”“That’s why I refuse to believe you raised someone who only thinks with his—” she grinned mischievously, “—lower head.”Edmund sputtered mid-sip, nearly choking on his drink. A loud pfff! escaped

As the sun dipped low over the Silva Mansion...Ronaldo stepped in the living room with the sharp scent of aftershave still clinging to his skin and his clothes freshly changed. His eyes scanned the room anxiously until they landed on his grandparents, Leonardo and Marta, both settled in their usual armchairs. Marta was absorbed in her romance novel — at least until Ronaldo’s sudden outburst startled her, making the book snap shut without so much as a bookmark to save her place.“Grandma, Grandpa... thank God I found you!” Ronaldo blurted, his voice breathless and strained.Marta clutched her chest in mock alarm. “My darling boy, you’ll send us straight to the afterlife with that tone!”Leonardo furrowed his brow and gestured to the couch. “Sit down, Ron. You’re going to tell us why you had that nervous breakdown.”Ronaldo dropped onto the sofa, his breath ragged. His legs bounced restlessly, the signs of inner turmoil written all over his body.“What is it now?” Marta asked, watching