Briana stepped into the restaurant, greeted warmly by the maître d’ at the entrance. The blast of cool air from the AC offered a welcome contrast to the heat outside, prompting her to pause and savor the momentary relief.But as she moved further into the dining area, a shift in the atmosphere became impossible to ignore.From her perspective, it was clear — several staff members and diners turned to look at her, some with hesitance, others with thinly veiled hostility.A handful didn’t bother hiding their resentment, eyes narrow and judgmental. Briana pressed her lips together in a tight line.She understood the message.Composing herself, she made her way to the food station, picked up a shallow plate, and began serving herself from the day’s offerings — white rice, beans, chicken lasagna, fries, potato salad, and quail eggs topped with pink sauce.She moved to the scale, where the young man who usually greeted her with familiarity now remained silent. He weighed the plate and hande

“Katrina!” Gilson barked. “Are you trying to kill me?”Katrina shot her mother a questioning look, silently mouthing “Is he mad about the door?”Claudia, exasperated, tried to redirect. “Daughter, did you see the noon news?”“I might’ve glanced at it,” Katrina replied with blasé sarcasm. “Mary Ellen, that Glamour employee, woke up from her coma after getting a plate to the head from Luana Barros. The same skank Christopher’s been lusting after for years.”Gilson’s fists tightened, rage simmering.“That’s not the story,” he said through gritted teeth, rising slowly to his feet. “We’re talking about the nightclub where you were filmed dancing with Ray Dixon. It’s been shut down. Turns out it was part of the same criminal scheme as Red Light.”Katrina went cold.She felt a freezing sensation in her chest, as though her heart had stopped mid-beat. Her eyes widened, staring ahead blankly as the magnitude of the situation hit her. Her mind flashed to the lucrative partnership pending with S

Outside the Glamour Studios in the soft haze of late afternoon, Karl wandered through the active set of Times of Glory. Just ahead, a medieval-themed scene was in full swing.Actors, dressed as villagers and warriors of a bygone age, performed fluently without cue cards, their lines clearly memorized and rehearsed. Camera operators moved with precision, capturing the best angles while the head writer monitored the script closely, making sure every detail aligned with the original plan.Nearby, the makeup artists took a brief pause from their usual duties to admire the view — specifically, one of the actors clad in an open leather vest that showcased a chiseled, lightly hairy chest. Another actor, dressed as a warrior, gripped a faux sword that looked startlingly real at first glance.Celia arrived on set, walking quietly to avoid disrupting the scene. She knew the rules — any interruption would get her thrown off the set by the director, and Karl wouldn’t hesitate to report her to Bri

“Well,” Luana said smugly, “looks like she got the message.”“What message?!” Briana’s voice rose, sharp with exasperation.“That she can have as many guys as she wants — as long as she leaves mine alone.”“Luana,” Briana said, trying to keep her cool, “maybe Celia never had eyes for Karl in the first place.”Feigning reasonableness, Luana nodded slowly. “Yeah, of course. Now that she’s locked up in Jake Brett’s dressing room getting ‘pounded’ by one of those endless hunks from Times of Glory, I’m totally at peace.”Briana blinked, stunned by the venom in Luana’s tone. “It hasn’t crossed your mind that Celia and Jake might actually have something... real? Solid and healthy?”Luana scoffed with the kind of contempt that only she could master. “Brie, you’re sweet. Innocent. But women like Celia aren’t for marrying and raising kids. That’s why Mark dumped her for you.”Briana opened her mouth to correct her — that it had actually been the other way around — but honestly, she didn’t have

Meanwhile, at the Dixon Penthouse, Ray Dixon lounged poolside, basking in the afternoon sun. Sunglasses shaded his eyes as he flipped through the script for his upcoming single-camera sitcom. The vibe was easygoing — until his phone buzzed.The screen lit up with the name GERENTE FERRO. Ray had deliberately saved the contact under that name, knowing that if anyone else happened to glimpse his screen, they wouldn’t read “LORD Ferro.” Better to be safe than scandalized.He answered coolly. “Hello?”Mark dragged out a chair and sat, phone pressed to his ear.“Hello,” he said smoothly. “How’s it going? Have they slandered you yet?”On the other end, Ray chuckled. “Nah. Linda’s boys probably have their asses glued to their seats, deleting every little rumor.”“I’m sure,” Mark replied, his tone calm but cautious. “Still, it never hurts to be prepared. Here’s what I suggest — get a statement ready. Something you can release if someone does manage to stir up a scandal.”“Got it,” Ray said. Th