Mark stood beside the bed inside the master suite of the Ferro House, eyes trained on Briana. He was quiet, tense, waiting. In her hands, she held the high-tech bracelet, her thumb hovering over the activation button.She hesitated, staring down at it as if it might explode. Something held her back — not fear exactly, but a whisper of doubt.Mark finally spoke, gently. “What’s wrong, darling?”“I’m afraid,” Briana confessed. “Afraid I’ll press this button and find out you’re not the Mark I love.”Without a word, Mark knelt in front of her and took her left hand in his.“But wouldn’t it be better to know everything?” he asked.She nodded slowly. “Yes... it would. But why do you sound like this is some secret... something forbidden?”“The first part is true,” he said simply.Briana narrowed her eyes, lifting the bracelet and giving it a shake. “So, whatever I see here... it stays between us, right?”Mark chuckled softly, but there was a somber edge to his voice. “Unfortunately, we can’t

Next day.In Mary Ellen’s cozy apartment, Celia sat at the kitchen table, enjoying her breakfast of golden pancakes drizzled with thick caramel syrup. Beside her rested a steaming cup of decaf coffee with whole milk — her usual morning indulgence.Across the table, however, Mary Ellen barely acknowledged the aroma of breakfast, her eyes glued to the tablet in her hands. There was a hunger in her gaze, but not for food — she was devouring digital evidence, proof that Lawrence had not, in fact, been the hero of the infamous college reunion.“You’re not going to eat, you creature?” Celia asked, popping a fresh berry into her mouth and raising an eyebrow.Mary Ellen didn’t look up. “How can anyone think about food when the raw, unfiltered truth is staring them in the face?”Celia rolled her eyes and reached into a ceramic bowl brimming with ripe berries. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”“I’m feeding myself with irrefutable evidence,” Mary Ellen quipped, still mesmerized

Gene and Ray stiffened, their backs suddenly rigid. Their eyes widened as they turned to face Karl, their expressions silently begging Mark to keep the charade intact. Mark, however, remained as cool and composed as ever.“Good morning, Karl,” he said pleasantly. “Yes, I’m considering a visit to Parliament.”Gene and Ray stared at him in horror, silently pleading: Don’t blow our cover!Karl, unaware of the tension, wandered over to his desk with a laugh. “And may I ask what you’ll be honored for?”Mark leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming. “Let’s just say I’ll be recognized for helping the police dismantle Lawrence’s nightclub network.”Karl laughed. “I thought the credit went to the police — especially Sergeant Ribeiro.”“Oh, don’t worry,” Mark said, “he’ll be commended as well.”Gene and Ray exchanged glances of relief.They understood the coded message: Mark was going to Parliament not only for royal matters, but also to ensure Ribeiro’s promotion moved forward — an elegant rewa

At Glamour, inside Mark’s office, Mary Ellen placed a set of copied documents on his desk — duplicates of the materials she’d handed over to the police. The originals were still with Sergeant Ribeiro.The thump of the folder hitting the desk made Karl jump from his seat. He approached with curiosity, peering over at the pile.“Hey, Mary Ellen, what’s all this?”“These,” she said with pride, “are the documents proving that Lawrence Sodré couldn’t possibly have been the hero of the college reunion.”Mark, who had known the truth from the start, allowed himself a small, private smile.It was satisfying to see others connecting the dots without him having to say a word.Mary Ellen had done the work for him, and now he could stay discreet.“I was at that party,” Mark said, flipping through the pages. “Lawrence showed up last. People just assumed he was the one who sent those men in gray suits.”“Exactly! People really need to think things through better.”Mark turned his head slightly, hid

At Vasconcelos Company, inside Sandro’s office, he adjusted a phone stand, angling it to face one of the white walls with quiet precision.“Is this good, darling?” he asked without turning.Nadir, seated nearby, gave an approving nod. “Perfect. So, is our family member going to survive?”“He will,” Sandro assured her, then gave her a sly glance. “Now I hear another member of the family barely survived the... night shift.”Nadir’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Can you blame her?”Sandro chuckled. “At this rate, she and Mark are going to bless us with triplets if they keep up that level of intensity.”“Well, at least it looks like we’ll have a little peace now,” Nadir said, stretching her legs.“Exactly.” Sandro took one last glance at his reflection in a nearby glass surface, smoothing down his hair and buttoning his blazer. “Let’s record this announcement.”With the phone fixed in place, Nadir stood behind it like a seasoned camera operator, adjusting the angle slightly.“You thi