In João Paulo’s office at LCN Editorial, the room got thick with tension.Helen and Sofia, their faces flushed with anger, were confronting each other. João Paulo, who remained seated behind his desk, got his demeanor nonchalant.“Get out of here immediately!” Helen demanded, her voice sharp with indignation. “How dare you make such demands?”Sofia, her eyes blazing with fury, added, “Do you think you can say whatever you want about the Vasquez family and get away with it?”João Paulo leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. “I confess: this is quite entertaining!”Sofia’s rage reached its peak. “YOU BASTARD! I want a retraction published tomorrow. Are you hearing me?”Helen pressed on Sofia with mockery, “You still haven’t answered us if it’s true or not that you squandered the money Alan lent.”Sofia, cornered and defensive, shot back, “That... that is none of your business! The money was used for Vaztrans!”João Paulo’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “You say it’s non
As dusk settled outside, the living room of João Paulo's house was filled with the warmth of family life. Helen and Rosemary sat together, engaged in a conversation, while Sandra entered with a notebook clutched in her hands, her face beaming with pride.“Look, Mom!” Sandra said excitedly, holding up her notebook. “The teacher gave me a point for keeping my notebook up to date and organized!”Helen’s face softened with maternal pride. “Really, sweetheart? And why did she do that?”Sandra’s chest swelled with pride. “The teacher said that I copy everything she writes on the board and answer the questions correctly.”Helen’s eyes sparkled with approval. “Oh, that's wonderful! Congratulations, sweetheart.”Rosemary, looking at Sandra with a fond smile, added, “I hope to have a studious daughter like you, Sandra.”Sandra, eager to help, offered, “I can help her whenever she has difficulties. My favorite subject is Portuguese.”Rosemary laughed softly. “Ah, she’ll be a writer or journalist
Helen gently applied a bandage to João Paulo’s left cheek, her movements tender and precise. Rosemary entered the living room, her presence a welcome relief.“Hey, I left Sandra with Walter. How are you all doing?” Rosemary asked, her voice filled with concern.João Paulo looked up at her with a grateful expression. “Rose, thank you so much for being discreet.”“You’re welcome,” Rosemary replied warmly. “I could see you needed it. So, are you going to be okay from now on?”Helen, touched by the concern, chimed in, “Rose, thank you very much. You need to get back to your husband, right?”Rosemary smiled, though there was a hint of urgency in her voice. “There’s nothing that can’t be talked about. Besides, he wouldn’t go without dinner.”João Paulo nodded, glancing towards the clock. “I believe Nadia and Rodrigo are coming home from work starving.”Rosemary laughed softly, the worriedness easing. “Well, I really do need to go then. Bye!”She bade farewell to her neighbors, leaving with
Kelvin stumbled through the entrance of the Mountain Penthouse, his disheveled appearance betraying the effects of the evening’s indulgences at Crystal Blue.His tie dangled at an odd angle, his suit jacket draped haphazardly over his shoulders, and his steps wavered as he walked. The sight of Karen, hunched over with a pained expression, immediately drew his attention.“What’s going on?” Kelvin asked with concern.Karen, clutching her belly, managed a strained smile. “Honey... I think it’s time...” she murmured through the discomfort.The realization hit Kelvin like a jolt. Today, he was about to become a father!******Meanwhile, across town, Melissa and Mary were deeply engrossed in their work. Melissa’s office was filled with scattered papers and scripts for the next episodes of ‘Love Spins the World’. Mary, ever the attentive assistant, noticed a mistake in the script.“Mom, you forgot again to put a question mark instead of a period here,” Mary pointed out, her voice firm but he
Next day. The conference room of Rocha Constructions buzzed with the low murmur of conversation as Josias, Alfred, Alan, and Caio gathered for a meeting. Josias stood at the head of the table, ready to address the group with an important announcement.“So, everyone,” Josias began, his voice authoritative, “it’s settled that Reuben will be our representative in Rio de Janeiro. He sent me a rather discouraging report about our Rocha Hotel located in Ipanema. He uncovered a sinister system of corruption orchestrated among bellboys and supervisors.”Alfred, visibly perturbed, let out a scoff. “What else can you expect from someone who lives in Rio?”Caio, ever the mediator, interjected. “Calm down, Alfred.”Josias continued, his tone unwavering. “Well, we have Octavio representing us in São Paulo, Wallace in Minas Gerais, and now, my son-in-law Reuben. I believe he is well qualified for this position, having worked diligently here at headquarters by my side for many years.”Alan, looking
At the Vasquez mansion, the atmosphere was calm and pleasant. The doorbell, chiming like celestial bells, prompted Engrácia to answer it.She was surprised to find Josias waiting with a smile on his face.“Good morning, Mr. Rocha. Is anyone from the family expecting you?”“No, I came as a surprise. But I believe no one in the family will mind, right?” Josias winked mischievously.Engrácia took two steps back and allowed Josias to enter.As she led him to the living room, he found Luís sitting on one of the sofas, reading a newspaper.“Good morning, young man. I don’t think we’ve properly met yet.” Josias greeted Luís, approaching him and extending his hand.Luís was caught off guard by Josias's unexpected visit. He shook Josias’s hand firmly. “Pleased to meet you. Luís Vasquez, Sofia’s cousin.”“That’s good. My brother gave you a rather infamous nickname, didn’t he?” Josias teased, sitting on another sofa.Engrácia quickly excused herself to call Sofia or Alan, or both.Luís frowned an
At the Vasquez Mansion, Josias continued pressing Sofia and Luís for an explanation about what happened with João Paulo. Luís cleared his throat and spoke up. “Ahem... Mr. Rocha, did you know that because of this nonsense, I lost the chance to date a beautiful girl?” “Really? Do I know her?” Josias smiled in that peculiar way, leaving it unclear to Luís whether he was being understanding or mocking. “Yes. Her name is Suzy Cogo, and she’s Eugenio Cogo’s niece.” Luís crossed his arms, deciding to believe that Josias wasn’t taking him seriously. “Eugenio Cogo is the hotel manager. You’re the supervisor.” Josias spoke without much emphasis, dragging out the conversation and confusing the listeners. “And your son, David, works at the reception, courting her behind my back,” Luís grumbled. “They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Sofia felt her heart racing, the atmosphere becoming tense. “Uh... Luís, there’s no need to insult anyone. David probably didn’t even realize he w
At Rocha Hotel, Luís bumps into Eugenio in the corridors.“Luís, good morning.”“What’s so good about today?” Luís snaps back, his tone sharp and rude.Guests and hotel staff are shocked by Luís' behavior, shaking their heads and moving away from the grumpy man.Eugenio clicks his tongue. “I see you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Want to talk about it in my office?”“If I talk to you, you’ll just send me to HR!” Luís retorts, scowling and bitter.“Nothing is so bad that it can’t get worse.” Eugenio opens the director's office door and ushers the supervisor inside, insisting on helping him.Inside, Luís sighs, his demeanor shifting from tough to tearful. “I can’t take it anymore, Eugenio. It feels like being a Vasquez in this city has become a life sentence!”“Aren’t you exaggerating a bit?” Eugenio sits down at his desk.“I can’t convince a half-baked journalist to remove my title of ‘Spanish Stallion.’” Luís grumbles, punching the air as if João Paulo were there, “I punch