Early in the morning, within the elegant Vasconcelos Mansion, Gilson and Claudia strolled into the dining room hand in hand, laughing like teenagers reliving the innocence of their courtship days. But as they entered the room, their cheerful expressions gave way to surprise.There, seated at the table, were Sandro and Nadir — very much alive and present. Sandro looked utterly spent, with heavy bags under his eyes and a posture that screamed exhaustion. Clearly, the past twenty-four hours had been physically intense for him.Nadir, in sharp contrast, appeared radiant and unbothered — fully made up and calmly stirring sugar into her coffee.“Did you lose something?” Nadir asked indifferently, not even glancing up.Gilson dropped into a seat with a smirk. “Sandro did! What’s the matter, big bro? Can’t handle the heat anymore?”A sharp voice echoed from elsewhere in the house.“Who’s speaking obscenities again?” came Althea’s unmistakable tone.Gilson froze, silenced like a scolded pup.M

Frank’s voice broke the silence. “I think they wanted to punish her for marrying you.”Mark let out a sigh of frustration. “That only proves how unprofessional they are. A brilliant series being sacrificed because of petty family drama — something the audience has no part in.”“Well,” Frank said with a note of urgency, “that just means we need to give everything we’ve got to the new series we’re producing at the Pratt Entertainment studios.”Mark allowed himself a small smile, a memory surfacing. “By the way... is your son aware we’ve hired Ray Dixon?”Frank immediately began to sweat. He tugged at the collar of his blue shirt.“Er... What did my son do this time?”“Nothing... yet,” Mark said. “But he’s convinced Ray Dixon is trying to seduce my wife. You think that’s possible?”Frank’s nerves

The bed in Karl and Luana’s bedroom looked crooked, but neither of them seemed to care. After all, the instability of the furniture was the least of their concerns. Though the heat of their earlier activity had only just subsided, both lay beneath the covers from the shoulders down, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thoughts that were intrusive but necessary.“We need a lawyer,” Karl said, breaking the silence.“Who’s going to defend us?” Luana asked, her voice laced with worry.“There’s always someone willing to do it. Maybe some fresh graduate.”Luana pursed her lips. “I don’t want a rookie defending me.”“That’s assuming we have a reason to need one,” Karl replied.With effort, Luana turned toward him, wincing in pain as she moved. “Do you think we’ll get out of this lawsuit?”“Yes,” Karl said, his voice suddenly firm. “All you have to do is apologize to Mary Ellen and stop acting like I want to sleep with Luana.”“That’s not funny!”She lifted a hand to push his shoulder, bu

Sandro realized too late the blunder he'd made.“Uh... I'm sorry... There are just so many assistants who sleep with my older brother, trying to get pregnant so they can live off child support...”Celia shot back, sharp as a blade. “But he doesn’t get anyone pregnant because he doesn’t do it the ‘normal’ way, right? He’s devilishly clever, and he knows it!”Sandro, shaken but still trying to make sense of things, asked, “But if you didn’t want it with him, why didn’t you ever call the police?”Celia opened her mouth to answer — but the words caught in her throat.The truth was complicated. She hadn’t reported Gilson because he wasn’t the only man she’d slept with. The others had been different, relationships she had planned, consented to.She quickly changed the subject.“Uh... hey, didn’t you want to talk to your daughter? Be my guest!”Without waiting for a reply, she stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her. Sandro shook his head, frustrated and confused.“I thought

Around midday in the Vasconcelos Company.Sandro returned to Gilson’s office holding a freshly printed list. He handed the paper to Althea, who took it with the calm authority of someone who still quietly ruled the company. Her sharp eyes scanned the document.“Hmm... this list is more specific,” she noted. “And some series were spared.”Raising her head, she looked directly at Gilson, calm but firm.“There are a few shows here I’d like to keep,” she continued. “The audience margins are still solid. And...”She pointed to a particular drama series on the page.“I’m watching this one.”Katrina and Claudia exchanged glances, clearly frustrated. Gilson swallowed hard, staring into the distance, unwilling to voice his defeat.“My children,” Althea said, her voice carrying a tone of finality, “I understand your concern about the funds we need. But now, with Sodré Bank investing in us, it’s time to move forward. There’s nothing to fear. With Sandro’s strategic adjustments, we can overcome t