Vanda and Patricia were alone in the Borges House kitchen. The lasagna was getting cold, and Patricia looked at it with temptation.“Ron said he’s staying for dinner,” said Patricia, kind of hypnotized.Snap, snap.Vanda snapped her fingers right in front of her daughter’s face. “Earth to Patty! Are you going to snap out of it and promise to save a slice for Ron?”Patricia jolted, shaking her head to clear the daydream. “What? No, Mom. I’m barely having any. I absolutely cannot gain an ounce. I have to fit into that wedding dress.”Vanda chuckled, leaning against the counter. “Honey, Ron isn’t going to care about a couple of extra pounds.”“But I care!” Patricia smoothed her hands down her sides, her vanity flaring. “I need to be perfectly toned. I need to be in peak physical condition to survive my husband on the honeymoon. Believe me, there’s going to be a lot of... hammering.”Vanda burst into a fit of conspiratorial giggles, and Patricia quickly joined in, her cheeks flushed a bri

The Borges family sat around the grand dining table, the centerpiece of the evening being Vanda’s (and Engrácia’s) spectacular, multi-layered lasagna. Ronaldo sat beside Patricia, officially welcomed back into the fold.Patricia, the same woman who mere hours ago declared she couldn’t afford to gain an ounce to fit into her wedding dress, had claimed the absolute largest square of lasagna in the pan.She scooped up a forkful, her eyes fluttering shut as she pulled the bite away from the plate, letting the hot mozzarella stretch into an impossibly long, gooey string.“Mmmm...” Patricia moaned, leaning closer to Ronaldo. “Honey, you have to taste this. You’re going to love it.”Across the table, Jackson chewed his food mechanically, his jaw tight. He watched his sister put on a performance that looked distinctly, uncomfortably akin to a deeply intimate, romantic act.He gripped his fork, fighting a sudden, violent urge to reach under the table and kick his future brother-in-law squarely

Bella stood over the bathroom sink, splashing cold water on her face before furiously dabbing concealer under her eyes to mask the dark circles. She dragged a toothbrush across her teeth, trying to scrub away the lingering evidence of a wild, sleepless night with Jorge.By the time she stepped back into the kitchen, she looked presentable enough to pour a steaming cup of coffee for the unexpected guest sitting at her table.“I don’t have to go into the podcast studio today,” Bella said, sliding the ceramic mug across the granite counter.Liz wrapped her manicured fingers around the cup. “Miss Alvares...”“You can just call me Bella.”“Alright... Bella.” Liz sat up straighter, her posture impeccably formal. “As I’m sure you know, I deeply regret attempting to manipulate my son into leaving Patty. However, the fact remains that I obtained that sinister substance directly from your older brother.”Bella’s shoulders stiffened. “I know, Mrs. Silva. But your son really crossed the line on t

At the Andrade clinic, Charles and Emmanuelle received news that displeased them.Emmanuelle paced the office, her heels clicking a sharp, frantic rhythm against the linoleum. Her face was flushed, her voice rising to a jagged edge. “Liz! You are the anchor! Without your testimony, Gustavo Alvares walks free. You’re the only way to ensure he spends his life behind bars!”Liz didn’t flinch. She stood with a stillness that made Emmanuelle’s desperation look amateurish. “We don't know if he'll get life imprisonment, Emmanuelle,” she replied, her tone as level as a horizon line.Charles leaned heavily against his mahogany desk, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the edge. He narrowed his eyes, searching Liz’s face for a crack. “Is this about your own skin? Are you refusing your civic duty just to keep yourself out of the mud?”A frost settled over Liz’s expression. “My husband’s company has endured enough headlines. It doesn’t need another scandal to bleed it dry.”“And that’s it? You j

At Golden Letters, Vanda’s face was lit with radiance. She practically vibrated as she told Jackson the news.“He’s coming, Jackson! He actually said yes!”Jackson didn’t look up from his tablet, though a corner of his mouth twitched. “Who’s the guest of honor? Did you finally land Kevin Costner for the signing?”Vanda let out a girlish giggle, her hand fluttering to her chest. “I wish!” She cast a quick, conspiratorial glance toward the door, lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper. “I just hope your father didn’t hear that.”“Mom, relax. Dad is at home, probably waist-deep in that rhododendron patch he’s been obsessing over.”Vanda’s cheeks deepened to a shade that rivaled the flowers in question. Her children remained blissfully — or perhaps willfully — ignorant that the “rhododendron patch” was the primary setting for her and Hélio’s most fierce and unbridled romantic marathons.She cleared her throat, smoothing her skirt with sudden interest.“Well, your father certainly has the