Helena was sitting in the back seat of the black car, sent by her daughter Isabel to take her to her wedding with Leandro at the registry office. However, her surprise was immense when she realized that the driver was none other than her ex-husband, Bruno. A mixture of shock and indignation took hold of her as Bruno drove through the streets of São Paulo. Her heart began to beat faster as she tried to process the situation. What was he doing there? And why on earth was he driving the car? She stared at Bruno seriously, unable to understand what he was up to. “What on earth do you think you're doing here?” she asked, her voice overflowing with disbelief. Bruno briefly turned his face to look at Helena, displaying an enigmatic smile. “I've already said I'm doing something grand,” he replied, with a confident tone. Helena's eyes narrowed with disdain at Bruno's response. She couldn't believe he was actually kidnapping her on the day of her wedding to Leandro. “So, your 'something gr
Isabel, Antônio, and Emanoel were gathered in a corner of Ibirapuera Park, where they had improvised a small altar for their parents' wedding, Bruno and Helena. They were all anxious, waiting for their parents to appear after the conversation they were having somewhere in the park. Antônio looked at Isabel with a concerned expression. “Are you sure this plan is going to work?” he asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. Isabel held her brother's gaze confidently. “Of course it will, Antônio. Trust me,” she replied, determined. “You managed to get Leandro out of the way, didn't you?” Emanoel intervened, adding his support. “Yes, Antônio had a little help from me in that. Leandro should be far away by now, maybe even in Paris at this moment,” he said, trying to calm his brother's concerns. Melissa, Antônio's wife, watched the scene with interest. “Look, here comes Bruno,” she announced, drawing the siblings' attention. The three children turned to see Bruno approaching, his somber
The years had left their marks on Bruno and Helena's lives, but they had also strengthened them. On that quiet afternoon, the serenity of the backyard of their home in the upscale neighborhood of São Paulo was interrupted only by the gentle sound of chess pieces moving across the board. Portraits adorned the walls, telling the story of the family that resided there. Dante, Bruno's eldest son, smiled alongside his wife Maria and little Nilton, the grandson who filled the house with joy and laughter. Isabel, the couple's daughter, was represented beside Caleb, her husband, still childless but radiant as ever. Antônio, one of Helena's twins, proudly displayed his family, alongside Melissa and their two daughters, Sofia and Lena, whose laughter echoed through the memories of that house. Meanwhile, Emanoel, the tireless traveler, had his portraits scattered throughout the world's most remote places, testimonies of his adventures as a backpacker. At the center of it all, framed in a promi
The scorching noon sun beat against Helena's car windshield as she drove along the winding roads of Poconé towards the family farm. Every mile traveled felt like an echo of the burden she carried in her heart, a mixture of longing and melancholy that only intensified with the proximity of the place she had avoided since Bruno's departure. Helena took a deep breath as she observed the vastness of the landscape around the farm. Poconé's blazing sun reflected off the dirt roads, creating a golden atmosphere over the rural scenery. Every piece of that place evoked deep memories, some comforting, others painful. As she parked the car in front of the farmhouse, a bittersweet sensation enveloped her. This was the last thing Helena wanted to do after Bruno's loss, but Dante's summons had made it clear that there was something important to face there. Exiting the car, Helena felt a lump forming in her throat. It was as if Bruno's presence were imprinted in that place, every corner, every sh
The last rays of sunlight disappear on the horizon, applauded by a lively group of four surfers who were sitting on the beach sand with their surfboards, watching the final summer sunset they shared together: "That's it, guys! This was the best ending of my life," said one of them, emotionally, while glancing at his other friends. "Come on, Gabriel, calm down," one of them said, laughing at his friend's drama. He stood up, repeatedly adjusting his shorts over his bulging belly, unsuccessfully. "We still have this year, buddy. There's graduation..." "There's Nilton's Bike. By the way, I'm just curious about what will happen with that email you sent to the bride who got dumped a few hours before the altar... You were quite bold in your response, so you better be at the store when that bomb explodes," said the brown-haired friend with wavy hair, serious. "Well, yeah," agreed another friend with dreadlocks, standing up and cleaning his shorts at the same time. "Today was just the begin
"Happy birthday to you, On this dear date, Many happinesses, Many years of life…" "It's a hit, it's a hit, It's a hit, it's a hit, it's a hit, it's a hit, It's time, it's time, It's time, it's time, it's time, Boom!" "Helena, Helena, Helena!!" the employees of the Arabic restaurant cheerfully sing, accompanied by the shy birthday girl's family, in front of her chocolate cake with candles that resemble fireworks. The celebration draws attention from other tables, including Bruno, who until a few minutes ago dialed the same number on his phone for the twentieth time. He smiles as he admires the young blonde girl blowing out her candles. "With whom will she...?" one of the guests stands up and asks. "Oh no, Marcelo, please..." the birthday girl pleads, holding onto her guest's arm. "With whom will she, with whom will she, with whom will Helena get married...?" the guy continues without paying attention to Helena's pleas, joined by the others — "It will depend, it will depend,
"Come with me to Rio de Janeiro," Suzana whispers before taking Bruno's lips, pressing his body against the bed where they recently made love. She continues to shower his face with kisses until she reaches his ear, where she seductively nibbles his lobe before whispering again, "Come with me... You won't regret it." "You know I can't," Bruno replies, caressing Suzana's short hair and guiding his fingers behind her ear. "We've already talked about this, my parents need me here in Parati. You know about my mother's situation... and my father..." "But it's only a few hours from here... It's only six hours... You can come on the weekend..." Suzana suggests, interspersing her words with light kisses on Bruno's lips. "Spend the weekend with them..." "Just as it's only six hours for you to come from Rio and spend the weekend with me here in Parati," Bruno retorts, observing dissatisfaction taking over Suzana's face. "It's not that simple, is it?" "I didn't say that, but if that's what you
Helena approaches the guys standing on the sidewalk right where she had reserved the bike rental and two-wheeled tour. She was distracted when she notices one of the guys turning towards her, and to her surprise, it was Bruno's face she comes face to face with. The blonde feels her face flush, and she was sure her face had turned into a tomato at that moment. "Compose yourself, Helena," she thinks as she gets closer to them. The situation only worsens when Bruno smiles at her and says, "Hey, girlfriend." "Girlfriend?" Lucas questions, not understanding anything. "Hello, Bruno," Helena responds awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear to disguise her shyness. "How are you?" "Girlfriend?" Lucas repeats, emphasizing the word, being ignored. "I'm fine, and you? How are you after your twenty-second birthday?" Helena replies. "Girlfriend?" Lucas repeats once more, being ignored again. "I also turned... I mean, I'm also twenty-two," Bruno stammers. "Cool..." Helena says, feeling unc