Mark considered Mary Ellen's suggestion about interviewing Celia.Mary Ellen leaned forward. “Mary Ellen, you’re aware the public will connect the dots that Celia used to work here. And if haters start digging up her dirt?”Mary Ellen shook her head. “Leave that to me. We’re not going to mention the time Celia was getting railed by half the cast of Times of Glory, especially Jake Brett, her official railer.”“You mean her ‘official boyfriend’?” Mark pursed his lips.“I wouldn’t call that a relationship,” Mary Ellen replied with disdain. “Anyway, we also won’t mention the fateful moment when Celia accidentally drank the aphrodisiac coffee Lawrence Sodré had meant for Briana and ended up relieving the symptoms by riding Karl.”“Luana thanks her for that,” Mark said in good humor.“So, do I have your approval to do the interview?” Mary Ellen’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.Mark rested his hand on his chin.Maybe it was finally time for his ex-wife to shine in the entertainment industr

“You’re welcome... I know you from the papers. Mark Ferro, husband of Briana Vasconcelos. Word is you just had a baby. Congratulations.”“Yes, but don’t worry. I doubled the security,” Mark replied mysteriously. “Am I speaking to Jean D’Arveil?”“The one and only.” Jean wanted to ask about the security at the hospital, but Mark’s question caught him off guard.Mark gave a very faint smile. Perfect, he’d managed to throw the clever bastard off balance.“I believe I owe you thanks for what’s happening,” Jean said, standing up and extending his RIGHT hand. “Thanks to you, my niece is in a beautiful relationship with Christopher Vasconcelos, your wife’s cousin.”Mark shook Jean’s hand, but his eyes were fixed on the LEFT hand.It was clearly a prosthesis!He kept the faint smile. Had Elara not explained to her uncle what this “beautiful” relationship really entailed?“Well, since my dear wife and I are organizing a little engagement party at my house, I thought it best to meet the fiancée

Mark sipped his cappuccino, letting the foam linger on his lip. “I gave her strict instructions. She promised to keep it clean.”Jake gave a bitter laugh. “After you said that, sure.”“No. She brought it up first, though I think she was mocking Celia when she did.”Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t trust her completely, Mark. God, it feels like Celia will never get a break.”Mark set the cup down. His tone softened, almost matchmaking. “It bothers you. A lot.”Jake exhaled, defeated. “Fine. You win. I still care about her. But I couldn’t keep dating someone who was dead-set on sleeping her way up the Vasconcelos ladder just for a promotion.”Mark’s expression didn’t change, but his voice carried quiet promise. “No man deserves that. And if you found out she built everything she has now without selling herself... would that change anything for you?”Jake’s eyes glistened. “It would.”Mark gave a small nod which translated: leave it to me, then lifted the cup again.Before the co

Outside Sweet Aroma, firefighters battled the blaze, thick black smoke twisting into the afternoon sky. Paramedics moved quickly through the shattered storefront, guiding dazed customers to safety.A few limped toward waiting ambulances, glass still glittering in their hair.Mary Ellen stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed, eyes sharp. She had already abandoned any thought of interviewing Celia today. When she spotted Mark stepping through the broken doorway, she knew exactly where her focus belonged.Mark met her gaze and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were on your way out.”Mary Ellen jerked her thumb toward the street. “I was. Swear to God. The explosion went off right behind me. All I saw in the rearview was smoke and fire.”Mark dusted glass from his sleeve. “Good. Then you can head to the hospital. Or back to Vasconcelos.”Mary Ellen shook her head. “Not a chance. João’s on his way.”Jake and several stunned customers exchanged puzzled glances.To them, the arriving officer was

“You have a point, Lord Ferro,” Ribeiro conceded, though his hand hovered instinctively over his notebook, the habits of a by-the-book officer dying hard. “But I still need to maintain proper protocol for the station records.”Mark’s lips curled into a cynical smirk. “Just write that the imbecile attacked me, and I acted in legitimate self-defense.”“And when exactly will this hypothetical defense take place?”“I’m willing to bet my chips it happens at Christopher and Elara's engagement party.”Ribeiro’s jaw went slack, his eyes widening in disbelief. “But... the party is happening at your house!”“If you are worrying about Briana and my son, don't,” Mark said, leaning in close. He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, breathing the intricate details of his security measures directly into the sergeant’s ear, ensuring only Ribeiro could hear the trap being set.Nearby, Mary Ellen was in the middle of gathering witness statements when she spotted the hushed conference. Her nose