“Yes! I knew it!” Nathan shouted, his voice cracking with vindication. He pumped a fist in the air, the sheer relief nearly buckling his knees.Beside him, tears streamed freely down Elaine’s face.“Finally,” she whispered, leaning into him. “Finally, the truth.”Maurício watched the display with professional detachment, though a hint of a smirk was visible on his lips.“Well, folks, I hope you can now move on with your lives.” He turned to the third man in the room, holding out a manila folder. “Mr. Sterling, will you be wanting a copy?”“Of course I do,” Matthew snapped, snatching the folder with enough force to wrinkle the paper. “I’m not having certain people coming after me later, claiming the opposite just to demand child support.”Elaine bristled, stepping forward. “That will never happen, Matt! Nate and I are going to get back on our feet, and you won’t stop us!”“You don’t need to explain anything to him, honey,” Nathan said, wrapping an arm around her waist. His voice sounde

Patricia stormed into the modeling studio just as the shoot was resetting. The director, a woman whose artistic vision seemed entirely driven by her libido, had decided that the most “authentic” way to sell toothpaste was to have Jackson shirtless, clad only in silk boxers, under the pretext that the character had just rolled out of bed.The crew bustled around, adjusting reflectors, everyone silently acknowledging the director’s true motive but saying nothing.It was against this backdrop of artificial morning light and exposed abs that Patricia found her brother, venting her fury about Matthew.“Matt isn’t the father, and he was furious?” Jackson asked, the prop toothbrush hovering near his mouth.“He threw a chair through the window, Jackson!” Patricia’s voice cracked, her hands trembling. “THROUGH. THE. WINDOW! If it hit a pedestrian down there, they’re dead!”“Why would Matt be that upset?” Jackson frowned, lowering the brush.“What do you think, bro? He WANTED to be the father o

Vanda and Patricia stood in the kitchen, the half-made key lime pie abandoned on the counter.“OK, let’s take this piece by piece,” Vanda said, wiping her hands on her apron.“The DNA test came out, Mom. Matt isn’t the father of Elaine’s baby.”“But wasn’t that what we were hoping for this whole time?”“Yes, Mom, but...” Patricia’s voice cracked, thick with unshed tears. “Matt was furious! He threw an office chair through the window! Through the closed window!”Vanda pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, her brow furrowed in concern.Hélio walked into the kitchen at that moment, sensing the heavy atmosphere. “What is happening here?”Vanda released Patricia but kept a hand on her shoulder. “Matt isn’t the father of Elaine’s baby.”“And that should be cause for celebration,” Hélio stated, confused.“Dad, Matt was furious,” Patricia sobbed. “He WANTED to be the father just so he wouldn’t come out of the story looking like a cuckold!”Hélio’s expression darkened with indignation. “Th

The atmosphere inside the Andrade Clinic had curdled into something toxic following Paulina’s defense of her daughter.Emmanuelle attempted to stand, her legs trembling, but Charles saw the trajectory of her fall before it happened. He lunged forward, catching her just before her forehead could collide with the sharp corner of Maurício’s mahogany desk.“Darling, watch yourself,” he muttered, steadying her.“Thank you...” Emmanuelle gasped, clutching her chest. “God... the sheer violence of a favela woman. It’s exactly what one expects, isn't it?”“Funny,” Paulina said, her voice cold as ice. “You never seemed bothered by us being from the favela before.”“Maybe that was our mistake!” Charles barked.“Mrs. Alvares, what does it cost to simply listen to the truth?” Maurício interjected, emboldened by his employers' presence. “Your son is a drug dealer and your two daughters are tramps.”“That is a lie!” Paulina stepped forward, her finger pointing accusingly at the Andrade couple like a

Inside the Silva Mansion, the atmosphere was a study in contrasts. Leonardo stood rigid, disbelief etched into his weathered features, while Ronaldo sprawled on the sofa, radiating the smug satisfaction of a man who believed he had won the lottery.“Ronaldo, you cannot simply propagate fake news,” Leonardo scolded, his voice tight.“I don't believe this!” Ronaldo threw his hands up, feigning exasperation. “Isn't this what everyone was rooting for? What everyone expected?”“I must confess that, yes, the outcome is desirable,” Leonardo admitted, pacing the room. “But mocking Matthew as a cuckold should not be our priority.”“Oh, but I do mock him!” Ronaldo leaned forward, a malicious grin stretching across his face. “For the first time, Matthew Sterling is being made a fool of. No, wait... it’s not the first time. It’s a good thing Uncle Karl came back from the dead to take over the conglomerate, otherwise...”“Enough,” Leonardo cut him off, waving a dismissive hand. “Forget your cousin