After a restless night, everyone summoned by Mark gathered in the secured operations room. Linda was already there, arranging the seats and keeping an eye on the glass door, waiting for the others to arrive.It slid open with a soft hiss, and Regis walked in, flanked by Vargas and Everton.“Good morning, gentlemen,” Linda greeted with her usual calm.“Good morning, Linda,” Everton replied, a faint smirk on his lips. “It’s been a while.”“It really has,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”Their awkward smiles were enough of an answer.“Lord Ferro is on his way,” Vargas said quietly.The door opened again, and this time Susana Linz entered, composed and dignified as always.“Linda… everyone,” she greeted warmly. “How are you all holding up?”“Mrs. Linz, welcome. Please, have a seat,” Linda replied.Everton raised a brow. “Well, this must be serious; we’ve got the Vice President of LCN with us.”Susana sat down gracefully. “Indeed,” she said dryly. “I didn’t come here to discuss television

Katrina entered the dining room just as her family was finishing breakfast.“I really need to schedule my gym session,” Claudia said, delicately dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin. “After such a generous breakfast, I must’ve gained at least a few pounds.”Gilson smiled at her from across the table. “You’re as beautiful as ever, my dear.”“That’s love for you,” Sandro quipped, his tone dry.Althea nodded approvingly, but Claudia’s eyes flashed toward Sandro.She understood perfectly what he meant. In his mind, Gilson’s compliment was motivated purely by affection, not accuracy. In other words, Claudia was gaining weight, and everyone knew it.Before the familiar morning quarrel could ignite again, Katrina strode in with a purposeful air. “Grandma, I need to talk to you right now. Morning, everyone.”Claudia turned at once. “Darling, is there a problem with the baby’s nursery?”“No,” Katrina said, her voice tight. “There’s a problem with Mark’s list!”Althea exhaled impatient

Althea leaned back on her sofa with Dalila’s help, settling into her usual morning routine. The remote control lay close at hand, ready to summon her beloved dramas and Turkish series, an indulgence she shared with Briana and Nadir. But before pleasure came duty.On the coffee table rested a thick folder: Mark’s infamous list, complete with the names and photographs of the young women he deemed suitable to marry Christopher.Dalila’s eyes flicked toward it, and she felt a pang of quiet insecurity. Those elegant faces, those pedigreed names... she could never belong to that world.“Dalila,” Althea said, her tone commanding yet calm, “call my grandson. We need to discuss that list.”Dalila’s lips parted in distress. “Old Madam Vasconcelos, I’m terribly sorry… Young Master Christopher insisted on going to work.”“He left?” Althea’s sharp voice sliced through the air. “He’s in mortal danger!”“I tried to persuade him, Madam, truly... but I didn’t dare press further,” Dalila confessed.Alt

Karl finished his lunch and wandered into the living room in nothing but quick-dry shorts, the picture of lazy ease on his day off.He grabbed the remote, flicked the television on, and scrolled until a news channel settled into his living room like an unwelcome guest.The anchor, suit pressed and expression trained to bland neutrality, reported in that measured, anxious cadence. “So far, there is no concrete information about who might be behind the attacks in Braspolis,” the man intoned, “The population remains terrified, and many are avoiding going out on the streets by car, congesting public transportation options.”The screen filled with images of a city in panic: buses overflowing at the doors as desperate passengers squeezed in; subway stations a heaving sea of heads; people fighting for taxis with elbows and shoves; rideshare drivers at their wits’ end, exhausted and swamped by demand.Karl watched, his face closing into a shadow of suspicion. The images — sardined commuters,

Briana and Nadir stood speechless, their eyes wide with wonder as they stepped into the baby’s new room.Before them stretched a space that felt both serene and alive: a soft, pale-sand color washed over the walls, grounding the room in quiet elegance.One wall was paneled in light wood, its grain running in gentle horizontal lines that caught the light.Built into it, a set of asymmetrical niches held carefully chosen pieces, small treasures that spoke of care and balance.The crib, crafted from natural wood, was simple and timeless, as if it had grown from the very heart of the house itself.A plush wool rug, thick and warm beneath their feet, defined the play area, where a few toys made of soft, organic materials rested in perfect harmony.By the window stood a nursing chair with sculpted lines and a raw linen fabric that invited rest.Beside it, a floor lamp cast a diffused glow, ready to illuminate nights that would breathe slowly and tenderly.The linen curtains softened the day