Nathan instinctively scratched at his ears, as if he’d misheard. Andreia froze, her breath caught in her throat. Even Vicente, for the first time, looked visibly shaken.“Nathan isn’t my sister’s son,” Karl declared. “And they know it. Not only is Vicente a freeloader, but he had the audacity to father a child with one of his many mistresses. A woman you all know well. Imagine the scandal if that had played out?”******Meanwhile, in the sleek office at Sterling Empire headquarters, Matthew and Sheila burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubling over at the bombshell Karl had just dropped. Jackson, on the other hand, looked utterly lost.“Wait, what just happened?” he asked, eyes darting between the two.Matthew wiped tears from his eyes, finally catching his breath. “What’s there to explain, Jackson? Everything my dad said — it’s all true.”Jackson

At the Silva Oil Company that morning, tension lingered in the air like the aftermath of a storm. Leonardo and Marta stepped into Ronaldo’s office and found Ronaldo and Patricia already standing, visibly shaken. Their expressions told of sleepless hours and troubling revelations.Leonardo gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. “Some video, huh?”Marta, thoughtful and a bit wistful, added, “I always sensed a resemblance...”Ronaldo turned toward her. “Well, Grandma, you’d remember Mr. Sterling, wouldn’t you?”Marta nodded, her eyes distant with memory. The image of her daughter, Liz, glowing with youthful infatuation, floated back to her. “Your Aunt Liz was always head over heels for Karl Sterling. He was a hunk, no doubt, but he also knew how to handle business. If that ‘accident’ hadn’t happened, he would’ve inherited the conglomerate — not Matt.”Patricia glanced around, worry creasing her brow. “Has anyone heard how Matt’s doing?”Leonardo scoffed lightly. “He’s probably toasting with champ

Inside Ronaldo’s office at Silva Oil Company, the conversation among the Silva family and Patricia was still in full swing.“Now that we know the whole truth — the truth that sets us free,” Ronaldo said, “what happens with Aunt Sheila’s relationship?”“They stay married, of course!” Marta snapped before anyone else could speak. “She’s not a widow anymore — never was!”Patricia let out a breath of relief. “Good thing her little romance with Jonah Lopes didn’t work out.”“Looks like destiny to me,” Leonardo mused.“Oh, please,” Patricia chuckled. “Mr. Sterling definitely knew what he was doing. He won Sheila back without her even realizing it.”Suddenly, Marta turned to her husband with urgency in her voice. “Leo, we need to get to Sterling Mansion!”Leonardo blinked at her. “What’s the rush?”“How can we be sure Alice isn’t over there right now filling Karl’s head with nonsense?”He threw his hands up, frustrated. “Didn’t you just say that their marriage was never actually annulled?”“

“You’re all talking like I’m not even here,” Karl remarked, his voice dry.Sheila turned her attention to Matthew. “Matt, where’s Elaine?”“She’s on her way, Mom. She was at Golden Letters.”Karl smirked knowingly, his amusement barely hidden. He could guess what Elaine was trying to accomplish.Sheila pressed on, emotion swelling in her voice. “Well then. All of you in the Sterling family know I love Karl. I was happy with him. And I want to be happy with him again — for however many years I still have.”“That’s right, Mom,” Matthew agreed softly.But Alice had her own vision for the family’s future. “Don’t you think it would be better for all of us if my son married someone truly fit to lead the conglomerate?”“Like Elaine?” Marta interjected with sharp sarcasm.The room fell into an uneasy silence as Alice’s fork slipped from her hand, clattering loudly against her porcelain plate.Karl’s voice was calm, almost amused. “No, mother-in-law. Not like Elaine. Because Matt isn’t going t

Cindy sat behind her desk in her office at Urbano Magazine, juggling an onslaught of phone calls. Her fingers moved with practiced efficiency across the phone and keyboard, her voice steady despite the chaos around her. Just then, Patricia stepped into the room, clearly concerned for her future sister-in-law.“Cindy, do you have a minute?”Cindy held up a hand, signaling for patience while she finished the call.“Mrs. Gouveia has announced she plans to return to the magazine while I’m away,” she said briskly into the phone. “You can get all your answers from her... Okay, bye-bye!” With a sigh, she hung up. “Ugh. Every news outlet has lost its mind.”“I figured something like this would happen,” Patricia replied, stepping closer. “That’s why I’m wondering if Andreia is truly prepared for this kind of frenzy.”Cindy leaned back in her chair, exhaustion in her posture. “I honestly don’t know. I’m just trusting what she told me. She said I could go on the trip with you all, so... I’m goin