The Rocha family’s dilemma needed to be resolved.Josias cleared his throat and took the floor. “Ahem... Okay, I think we know what needs to be done. Son, we need to conduct a DNA test.”J.J. reacted, staring at Josias with tears in his eyes.“I’m sorry, but we need to be certain. Alan raised a valid point.”J.J. retorted, glaring at Alan, “Do you think it would be easy to fake someone’s life who was presumed dead? Come on, that only happens in soap operas.”Alan crossed his arms, smiling faintly, feeling he was cornering an imposter. “Actually, in the case of our late brother J.J., it would be easy to simulate. He died before he was ten years old. And you’re saying your grandfather has passed away. In other words, the only person who could verify your story is dead.”David noticed animosity brewing. “Um... Alan, take it easy. If this guy is our brother, you’ll need to apologize.”“David, don’t be naive!” Alan reprimanded him, “We are the most powerful family in Lagoon City. It won’t
The next day. The Rocha family is once again discussing J.J. in the living room.“So, folks, what have you decided?” Josias asks, sitting in his armchair.“Do the DNA test today.” Simeon suggests as the patriarch. “If the guy is really J.J., he needs to be welcomed into the family.”Dora maliciously suggests, “Before someone else grabs him.”Melissa raises her eyebrows. “Who are you talking about, Mom?”“Angela Souza, for example.” Dora replies with a mischievous smile. “She might influence the guy against us, blaming us for abandonment.”“What abandonment?” William asks indignantly. “Mom, didn’t you know he was kept on Bezerra’s farm without us knowing?”Josias extends the letter from Ephraim that had been on his lap. “This letter explains everything. I believe this letter is legitimate. Even though he makes some angry comments about me, he says he wanted to keep the grandson as a form of comfort.”Melissa nods, trying to calm things down. “Well, we should remember that things were p
At General Hospital, Josias, J.J., David, and Alan are in the corridor after the nurse has collected blood samples from all of them.David comments while pressing a cotton ball on the spot where the needle pricked his arm, “It feels like we just got a shot like when we were kids.”“Good times,” J.J. comments, trying to fit in.Alan shots a skeptical glance. “You remember a lot, don’t you?”J.J. decides not to be intimidated and looks at Alan. “I remember the stewardess trying in vain to calm all the passengers who were panicking and screaming for help, knowing they were facing death. I remember my mother hugging me, crying, and promising everything would be okay. Well, it turned out okay... for me, not for her.”Seeing J.J. with misty eyes, Josias intervenes between the brothers. “Alright, that’s enough of the confusion. It must have been a horrific experience. After everything is confirmed, we’ll have a long talk about it.”“Thank you.” J.J. refrains from using the word ‘Dad’ to avoi
Josias and Caio are displeased with what little they heard from Sofia and Alan.Alan notices their accusatory looks. "What's up, guys?""You still have the nerve to ask?" Josias complains, "What does this kind of conversation mean? Is it the Vasquez family filling you with doubts and uncertainties?"Sofia is offended again. "Now I know who Caroline takes after!""Sofia, you don’t make things any easier either!" Alan reprimands his wife. "Dad, I've had my opinion formed from the beginning."Caio suggests, "It seems like you want J.J. to stay dead."Alan shakes his head. "It's not like that, cousin. If that young man really is J.J., I will welcome him with open arms. As the older brother, I suffered a lot with his death.""But don't you realize that David is already getting attached to him?" Josias touched on the main point.Alan feels a jolt, his heart rate increasing. "Ah, I get it. David is forming an army of those born out of wedlock to wage war against me."Josias crosses his arms
Erasmo reacts horrified by his wife's extreme and violent behavior.He stands up slowly, trying to calm the beast. “Dear, are you okay? Maybe you need a romantic dinner at Crystal Blue...”“My anger will not be appeased by romance!” Olivia screams at the top of her lungs, “I’m tired, do you hear me? TIRED!”“Tired of what?” Erasmo asks in a dazed manner.“I’m tired of always being Lagoon City’s punching bag! Everyone thinks they can say whatever they want about our family!” Olivia stomps her foot, trying to vent years of humiliation. “They mock our daughter, they mock our living room, they mock our company, and they root for us to go bankrupt... What do these people want? For us to kill ourselves?”Erasmo tries to hug his wife, but Olivia slaps him.“GET OUT! Do something, man! We can’t live like this anymore! I DON’T WANT to live like this anymore, do you understand?” Olivia is reacting hysterically, having reached her limit.Luís enters the office to join his aunt’s tirade. “Guys, w
The curiosity in the room was palpable as the Rocha and Campos families gathered in the small office at General Hospital.The young man who claimed to be J.J. stood quietly, his presence both a beacon of hope and a source of doubt.The Vasquez family had been conspicuously excluded, a decision that left Alan simmering with frustration.“Dad, why did you forbid my family from coming? They won't just believe my word,” Alan asked, his voice tight with restrained anger.Josias, ever the stern patriarch, replied with a sour edge, “If they don’t believe you, it means you’re not credible, huh?”Melissa, sensing Alan’s rising tension, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.Dora, trying to lighten the mood, chimed in, “I don't think they would believe us even if we filmed it.”Simeon, in his usual dry manner, added, “We are very sorry, my grandson, but where did you tie up your donkey, huh?”Alan, refusing to let the conversation derail further, stated flatly, “Don’t forget, you have a grea
At Rocha Constructions, Alan entered his office with a stormy expression, the weight of his thoughts pulling down his usually confident demeanor.The room, despite the hum of the air conditioning, felt colder than usual, reflecting the chill in his mood.Caio walked in soon after, immediately sensing the tension in the air.“Brrr... Can you turn up the air conditioning, cousin?” Caio asked, rubbing his arms as if trying to fend off the cold.Alan, his tone gloomy, replied, “I didn’t adjust the temperature.”Caio looked at him, wrapping his arms around himself to stay warm. “What was the result? My dad said they were going to the hospital today.”“They delivered the results to Dr. Hogan,” Alan said, his voice heavy with frustration, “knowing that he couldn’t receive our complaints.”Caio’s brow furrowed in confusion. “And why would there be complaints?”Alan’s response was sharp, almost bitter. “The guy who ‘came back to life’ is really J.J.!”Caio’s face lit up with excitement. “WOW!
The afternoon sun poured through the windows of the quaint Mountain Café, casting a warm, golden hue across the room.Karen, struggling with the growing weight of her pregnancy, finally managed to settle into one of the tables. Rodrigo approached, his face a mask of uncertainty as he braced himself to handle the demands of the impatient woman.“When is the baby due?” Rodrigo asked, trying to maintain a professional demeanor.Karen, her gaze distant and detached, responded curtly, “Soon. Can you get me an orange juice with no sugar? I don’t want to gain more weight than I already have. And a natural sandwich, no ketchup or mayonnaise. I don’t want to harm my baby.”Rodrigo rolled his eyes discreetly before jotting down the order on his notepad. Just then, Nadia entered the café with a jubilant expression, her eyes sparkling with excitement.“Honey! It’s been confirmed that J.J. is our J.J.!” Nadia announced, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.Rodrigo’s face lit up with a genuine smile