The next morning, the grand dining room of the Vasconcelos Mansion held a calm atmosphere as Gilson and Claudia sat alone, enjoying their breakfast. That tranquility was quickly interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps echoing through the marble halls — someone was clearly in a rush.Before either of them could comment, Katrina swept into the room with a radiant smile, as though she'd just returned from a delightful vacation in Paris.“Good morning, beautiful people!” she beamed.Gilson shot up from his chair so abruptly that it scraped loudly against the floor. “Daughter!” he shouted. “Where the hell have you been?!”Katrina stopped in her tracks, startled. “What is this, Dad? Is that how you greet your beloved daughter?”“Where have you been?” he demanded, voice sharp. “Or do I even need to ask?”Caught off guard, Katrina searched for support, her eyes darting toward her mother.From Katrina’s point of view, Claudia offered no salvation — only a disapproving shake of her head.

Back at the Ferro House, still in the master suite, Briana set her phone down and began sponging her arms and shoulders, mulling over her father’s news.Moments later, Mark stepped into the bathroom, dressed in a sky-blue robe, gazing at her as if she were a goddess.“Good morning, my love,” he said tenderly.“Good morning. I just spoke to my father — right before my mother devoured him alive,” Briana quipped.Mark stiffened, a little embarrassed to be privy to his in-laws’ bedroom antics. “What did he say?”“They’re thinking about firing Katrina. Apparently, she finally showed her face at the mansion.”Mark sat beside the tub, running his fingers through her hair and brushing bits of foam from her skin. “You know, Katrina spent most of her time in Lagoon City spying on me. Ray Dixon showing up was like divine intervention — he distracted her.”Briana tilted her head, teasing. “It’s almost like you sent him there on purpose, sweetheart.”Mark hesitated. How could he possibly explain t

At GLAMOUR headquarters, Briana pushed open the door to her office. It was empty, and she sighed softly.“Luana, you’re being missed...” she murmured to herself.Behind her, Karl appeared, dressed for once in a proper shirt and tie.“Hello, Briana.”She turned swiftly. “Karl! Where’s Luana?”Karl answered awkwardly, “She went to the police station. I’m sorry, Briana.”Briana moved toward her desk, her tone sharp. “She should be apologizing — to me, Celia, and Mary Ellen, who’s lying in a hospital bed right now.”“She lost her temper,” Karl tried to explain, voice low.“From what I’ve heard, she asked Mary Ellen if Celia was planning to sleep with you again.”Karl’s face flushed with shame. “A baseless question.”“Exactly,” Briana snapped. “That again implies it was premeditated. And knowing that the drugged coffee was meant for me, I feel personally offended that Luana’s bringing that up like it’s somehow Celia’s fault.”Her frown deepened as Karl looked away, swallowing his words.**

After Nestor exited, slamming the door behind him, Claudia turned to Gilson, practically seething with envy.“Sweetheart, don’t you think those two—”“No, dear!” Gilson interrupted quickly. “Don’t picture my brother doing that. Gross!”“I’m not picturing him, I’m picturing her,” Claudia shot back bitterly. “As annoying as she is, I seriously doubt your brother can keep up with her in bed.”Gilson reached for his phone. “I’ll check.”Determined not to let Sandro and Nadir win even in the realm of intimacy, he dialed their mansion.Moments later, in the hallway of the Vasconcelos Mansion, the butler stood awkwardly outside the Sandro’s suite, phone pressed to his ear and cheeks flushed in embarrassment.“Young Mr. Vasconcelos,” the butler stammered, “I’m not sure I should answer such a thing...”From behind the closed door came unmistakable sounds: creaking bedsprings, rhythmic thudding against the wall, Nadir’s giggles, and Sandro’s animalistic growls.Back in Gilson’s office, the CEO

At Vasconcelos Company, in Gilson’s office, he and Claudia sat surrounded by papers. They were reviewing all of Briana’s promoted shows, deciding which to cancel.A stack of printed programs lay between them. Despite boasting excellent viewership ratings, nearly every single show had been crossed out with aggressive red pen strokes — driven more by personal spite than professional logic.“I wonder if my brother finally stopped fooling around and came to work,” Gilson muttered, squinting at the paperwork.Claudia slammed her hand down on the desk, scattering documents and breaking one of her perfectly manicured nails.“Forget those perverts, my love!” she snapped. “Don’t you see we have a golden opportunity here?”Gilson leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “You’re right. While no one’s paying attention, we can axe all these shows no one watches.”At that moment, Katrina stormed in and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, sighing heavily.“Hello, darling,” Claudia greeted, almost as