EPISODE 146

Hours later,

At the Montes De Alba Mansion,

Helena is in her home office, busy with her own things when Carlos comes into the office. He is visibly furious. He stops right in front of her. She looks at him and asks him what is wrong. Carlos who is extremely furious gets straight to the point. He asks her why she would offer Gabriel and his children part of the company. Helena sighs. She says that she can see that Gabriel talked to him. Carlos says that Gabriel is not important and that what he is interested in, is why she would make Gabriel an offer behind his back. Helena tells Carlos to stop being so melodramatic.

 

She then tells him that with things the way they are they should consider all options except giving up total control of the company. Carlos insists that after everything they did, and how hard they have worked to grow the company, they are not going to cede an inch to the Montes De Alba's. Helena tells him that neither Gabriel nor his children are going to let them have the company and they should just negotiate, the best deal possible for themselves. Carlos sarcastically asks Helena if Gabriel sweet-talked her into offering him the deal. Helena is beginning to get angry. She asks Carlos if he would rather, lose everything while trying to keep it all.

 

Elsewhere,

In Antonio and Gabriela's house,

Antonio is in his home study. He is stressed because he still has no idea where his grandmother is. He runs a hand through his hair and remembers all the good times, he has had with her. They have had their differences, but he loves her and he knows that she loves him. He remembers when Hannibal was still a baby, his grandmother told him to make sure the baby never called her great grandmother. He asked her why and his grandmother told him that it made her seem like an ancient object. Antonio smiled and his grandmother pointed at him and insisted that she was very serious. Antonio promised his grandmother that his son would never call her great grandmother.

 

He then comes back to the present. He paces around the room. Gabriela comes and finds him in that state. She knows that the lack of information about his grandmother's whereabouts is stressing him. Antonio stops when he notices Gabriela is in the room. He asks her if she and the kids are fine. Gabriela says that the three of them are fine and the children are asleep. She says that it is he who is clearly not well. Antonio assures her that he is fine. He adds that he is stressed because his grandmother is missing but otherwise he is fine. Gabriela says that she knows that something is up and she can tell.

 

She adds that he started acting differently even before his grandmother went missing. Antonio denies that he is acting differently. Gabriela asks him if it has anything to do with how bad his relationships with both his father and his grandfather are getting. Antonio asks her what his father and grandfather have to do with anything. Gabriela says that she has noticed that both relationships especially the one between him and his grandfather are getting worse. She adds that she knows that it has something to do with his grandmother.

 

Meanwhile in Martin's house,

Marianna is in the kitchen; she is finishing clearing up when Martin walks in. She asks him if Dianna has fallen asleep. Martin says that it took a bit of time but she finally did. He then goes and takes a jug of water and pours himself a cup. Marianna watches him drink for a few seconds then looks away. He puts the glass down and asks her if she is fine. Marianna says that she is. She adds that she wanted to tell him something. Martin says that he is listening. Marianna says that she wants to go to the police to follow up on her father's murder case. Martin is a little shocked. He asks her why she would come up with the idea all of a sudden.

 

Marianna says that it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea and that she had been thinking about it for some time. She says that her grandfather is old and he can't follow up and her aunt and uncle are busy and can't follow up all the time. Martin asks Marianna if that is all there is to it. Marianna says that it is. Martin gets straight to the point. He asks Marianna if she would tell him if she had more information about Emma's murder. Marianna says that she respects him too much and appreciates everything that he has done for her. She assures him that she would never lie to him about that. Martin relaxes a little bit. He asks her when she would like to go. Marianna shrugs and says she would like to do it as soon as she can. Martin tells Marianna that it is fine and that she can do it whenever she wants.

 

Back at the Montes De Alba Mansion,

Carlos sarcastically tells Helena that whenever it came to Gabriel her common sense, left her. Helena sighs and tells Carlos that things aren't as they were before when they had full control of the company. She then asks him what he would rather do. Carlos insists that they have to continue fighting for the company. He adds that they have to do whatever it takes even if it means getting rid of the whole Montes De Alba Family. Helena says that things were very complicated at the moment especially with the trial going on. Carlos says that it has been so many years since the accident and there is virtually no evidence against them. Helena says that trying to get rid of anyone will only attract the attention of the investigators, and that was the last thing they needed.

 

Carlos says that they did it once and they can do it again. Helena reminds him that the twins weren't helpless children anymore and Gabriel is well again. Carlos shrugs and says that they once dealt with them and they can do it permanently. He adds that as for Gabriel, the crazy old man is not a challenge. Helena says that Gabriel is no longer crazy and he isn't foolish either. She adds that Gabriel is very intelligent and if they underestimate him, it will be at their own peril. Carlos tells Helena to stop being melodramatic. He insists that they can comfortably handle the Montes De Alba's again. Helena sighs.

 

Back in Antonio and Gabriela's house,

Antonio knows that Gabriela is watching him keenly, and so he chooses his words carefully. He says that they are just stressed because of what happened to his grandmother and are a bit snappy with each other. He adds that he hasn't ever really been close to either his father or grandfather and now with his grandmother missing, neither of them is in a particularly good mood or has much patience with each other. Gabriela wants to believe him but something tells her that there is something else, something much more. She says that his grandmother's disappearance is getting stranger and unexplainable every day. Antonio asks her what she means. Gabriela says that for starters, his grandmother was still recovering when she went missing.

 

 

She then adds that there has been no information not even a demand for ransom and him, his father and his grandfather aren't acting quite the way one would expect in such a situation. Antonio says that people deal with stressful situations differently and just like his father and his grandfather he isn't too emotional. Gabriela asks him if he has used his knowledge of computers and hacking to find his grandmother. Antonio is caught off guard. He says that he hasn't. Gabriela asks him again what is going on. Antonio again insists that nothing is happening. Gabriela says that it’s fishy that with all his advanced knowledge of computers he hasn't tried to look for his missing grandmother. Antonio tells himself that she (Gabriela) is as nosy as her sister, and if he tells her one thing, she will want to know everything.

 

Elsewhere,

Gabriel and Anna Patricia were out for dinner. She asks him what he did that day. Gabriel says that he went to the company to see Helena but she wasn't there, so he talked to Carlos. Anna Patricia eyes him suspiciously and asks him what he is up to. Gabriel smiles and he says he is simply doing his part. Anna Patricia asks him what he means by his part. Gabriel says that he may not be able to do much because he hasn't completely recovered but he will do all he can. Anna Patricia tells him that he sounds like Gabriela did as a child, whenever she had been caught doing something. Gabriel smiles and says that he had gone to see Helena so he could find out if there was a weak point that they could use against her, but he ran into Carlos instead. Anna Patricia says that Helena wasn't at the office because she went to bother her. Gabriel asks her if she is fine.

 

Anna Patricia waves him away and says that what Helena did is nothing new or different. She adds that it's the same game of psychological warfare she has always used. Anna Patricia tells Gabriel what her mother said (about Helena being more prone to making mistakes in her current frame of mind). Gabriel tells Anna Patricia that he likes how her mother thinks. He adds that he too has noticed that Helena is becoming a bit more erratic. Anna Patricia adds and more dangerous as well. Gabriel tells her the danger is there but they need to make Helena and Carlos self-destruct as much as possible. He adds that so many years have passed and if any justice is to be gotten for the families of the three men killed, they need to explore all options possible.

 

Anna Patricia asks him if going to Helena's office was part of exploring all options possible. Gabriel nods and says it was. He adds and says that he went to rattle up Helena a bit but when he found Carlos instead, he quickly realized that a much better idea had materialized. Anna Patricia asks him what that idea was. Gabriel says that he decided to tell Carlos about Helena's proposition and as expected she hadn't told him anything. He adds that what he did was plant a seed of distrust. Anna Patricia asks him if he wants to make them argue and fight. Gabriel says that is exactly what he plans to do. He says that one of the only ways to destroy Helena and Carlos is to break them apart.

 

Two days later, on Friday,

At the nearby police station,

Marianna is sitting in an empty room by herself. She replays part of the conversation, she had with Claudia. She takes a deep breath and clasps her hands tightly together. She says to herself that what she is doing is crazy. Just then, she hears voices, and the door is opened. She turns and looks behind. A police officer enters the room. She stands and greets him. He sits on the main chair. Marianna apologizes for taking his time since she knows that he is very busy. He says that it's not a problem because since she is the daughter of one of the three men killed in the case he is investigating, it would be expected that she would be interested in the progress of the case.

 

Marianna says that she does want to get justice for her father and the other victims but she came for another reason. She adds that she just used the investigation as a cover. The officer asks her if she has some information. Marianna says that she does and what she knows is another twist and turn in the case. The officer asks Marianna what she found out. Marianna says that for starters Claudia came to visit her. The officer says to himself that the case kept on getting more interesting. Marianna begins by saying that some time back, Claudia had found an envelope in her husband's home office.

 

At Montes De Alba Inc.,

Gabriela and Adrianna are talking in the cafeteria. Gabriela tells Adrianna that she doesn't know how to help Antonio. She adds that something is clearly wrong but he won't tell her. Adrianna asks her if she thinks that he is that way because of his grandmother. Gabriela says that obviously he is stressed and worried about his grandmother but she feels it's much more than that. Adrianna asks her like what for example. Gabriela says that there is something else going on behind the scenes. She adds that on top of that his grandmother's disappearance and the circumstances behind it are both very strange. Adrianna agrees. Gabriela says that what is even weirder is that Antonio has done nothing to try and find her.

 

 

Adrianna is shocked. She says it is weird especially with Antonio being such a genius in computers. She adds that since she is sure Antonio loves his grandmother and therefore would never harm her, maybe his hands are tied. Gabriela asks Adrianna how. Adrianna says that she doesn't know but she just feels it. Gabriela says that if Antonio is being arm-twisted, threatened, or blackmailed, she has to find a way to help him. Adrianna says that there isn't much that either of them or Antonio can do about whatever it is that may be going on. Gabriela says that it's all too much. Adrianna says that she understands how she feels.

 

Back at the police station,

Marianna had finished telling the officer investigating the case, about the envelope Claudia found, the suspicious accident, the subtle threats Juan Patricio made on Gabriela and Ricardo, Antonio being followed, basically everything Claudia told her. He says to himself that this case just keeps on getting more and more interesting and stranger. He asks Marianna if she remembers anything else or she was told anything else. Marianna thinks about it for a few seconds then says that she doesn't. She adds that she doesn't think that Claudia would try and contact her again either for everyone's safety.

 

The officer tells her that she should immediately come to the station in case she is contacted or she remembers anything. He asks her if she has a copy of the documents, a screenshot, or anything. Marianna says that Claudia gave her soft copies on her phone. The officer says that at the moment, they would be unable to search the Diaz mansion to look for the documents but they can start investigating the authenticity of the documents, using printed versions of the soft-copies once, she sends them. Marianna says that she will do it immediately and removes her phone.

 

Elsewhere,

At the Diaz Mansion,

Juan Patricio is in his study. He is pacing around his office nervously. How did his wife outsmart him and his son? He asks himself who Claudia asked for help if she didn't ask Antonio. He says that Antonio is very intelligent and there isn't anyone his wife knows who is as smart as their grandson. He says that it is hard to believe that his wife can be that sneaky and conniving. Just then there is a knock on the door. He tells the person to come in. The door is opened and one of his henchmen comes in. Juan Patricio gets straight down to business and asks him if there is anything new to report about his grandson. The henchman says that there isn't.

 

He adds that if Madame Claudia is getting assistance, it isn't from Antonio. Juan Patricio then says that makes his wife an even greater danger, because they don't know who is helping her and they cannot deal with that problem. He adds that they will continue monitoring Antonio just in case but they have to think bigger and wider. The henchman asks Juan Patricio what about following her money trail and checking things like her credit card usage. Juan Patricio says that was one of the first things he did. He adds that if his wife is still hiding safely, she must have some extra money, and by the looks of it, it is a decent amount.