Jacqueline stormed into Maurício’s office like a force of nature, slamming the door so violently that the man nearly toppled from his chair. He blinked, startled, his face paling.“What— what is the meaning of this, Miss Andrade?” he stammered, standing halfway, his composure slipping.Jacqueline advanced like a locomotive, her heels echoing on the tile floor, and before he could react, she struck him across the face with a sharp, ringing slap that echoed through the clinic.“You disgusting, perverted pig!” she shouted, her voice trembling with fury. “You think you’ll get away with what you did? You won’t!”Maurício staggered back, clutching his cheek, his eyes wide with shock. “I demand an explanation!”“Consider yourself uninvited to my wedding,” she snapped. “You will not lay a finger on Patty Borges!”“That’s enough!” Maurício bellowed, rising to his full height, trying to recover his usual air of authority.The same dark, oppressive presence that had terrified Linda.Jacqueline s

Ernesto strolled with Linda through the port courtyard of the Silva Oil Company. The place was alive with movement, the rhythmic clang of metal, the barked orders, the synchronized ballet of dockworkers and stevedores hauling cargo beneath the blazing sun.Linda watched them with quiet fascination, as though she were studying every motion, certain she would soon be among them as an employee.Her father’s voice broke the spell. “Why are you staring so much at the workers? It’s not as if you’re planning to learn how to do their jobs.”Linda turned to him, frowning slightly. “Father, don’t you want me to work here, near you?”“I’d like that,” Ernesto replied, his tone heavy, “but not under the circumstances you’re in right now.”She lowered her head, her voice soft. “You don’t have to worry about me.”“You weren’t simply dismissed,” he said sternly. “There’s something else you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”“Please, don’t make a scene about this.”“I will, if I find out it had anything

In the Hudson family’s sunlit kitchen, Edmund felt cornered by his own son. How could he possibly confess that the woman who made him feel twenty again was the same age as Bryce?“I’d rather respect the young lady’s privacy,” Edmund murmured, trying to maintain his composure.“YOUNG lady?” Bryce shot back, catching this excerpt. “I suspected as much. Her moans are far too young and clear to belong to a woman of... maturity.”“Bryce!” Edmund barked, irritation cracking through his usual restraint. “Show some respect for your father!”Bryce only shrugged, unconvinced. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But it’s strange, that’s all.”Taking advantage of the distraction, Edmund swiftly snatched the knife from Bryce’s hand and began spreading butter on his toast with unnecessary urgency. “One day, when she’s ready, I’ll introduce you. Now hurry up and eat — we have plenty to do at the cultural hall today.”“Yes,” Bryce said, lifting his cup halfway before stopping. “And I hope Tiffany is feeling better

Ernesto waited patiently as Gustavo threw on a pair of loose boxers and a white undershirt before their talk about Linda could begin. When the young man finally sat on the edge of the bed, still half-asleep but attentive, Ernesto didn’t waste time.“What happened to my little sister?” Gustavo asked, his voice rough from sleep.“She showed up at Silva Oil Company,” Ernesto said gravely. “Applied for a job — secretary, or even dock worker.”Gustavo’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? That’s insane!”“Of course it is,” Ernesto agreed. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”“She was fired from the clinic?”“She didn’t say clearly,” Ernesto replied, his tone shadowed by worry. “But I can only imagine one reason.”“She quit because of that flirty doctor,” Gustavo muttered darkly.Ernesto’s face softened as he recalled the scene. “She cried in my arms, son. I just... I don’t know how to protect her anymore.”“I do,” Gustavo said, his expression hardening.“I was hoping you’d say that,” Ernesto a

Hélio crossed the garden of his house, sunlight glinting off the rippling surface of the pool. His eldest son was gliding through the water with the effortless rhythm of a professional athlete, each stroke cutting cleanly through the turquoise reflections.“Son,” Hélio called out with good humor, “you ever think about entering a competition?”Jackson slowed his pace and rested his arms along the pool’s edge, chest heaving with even breaths.“No,” he replied, “I prefer swimming as a hobby.”Hélio studied him for a moment. “You don’t seem very happy with everything that’s been happening lately.”Jackson looked away, his expression clouded. “I’m glad my sister got Matt back. But there’s something else on my mind.”“Tell your old man,” Hélio urged, taking a seat on a nearby lounge chair.“Nathan asked for my help,” Jackson said, lowering his voice. “He wants to expose his half-brother, Gustavo Alvares. He suspects Gustavo was the one who sold drugs to Kirk Camargo — you remember, the guy