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9:12 p.m.

Death-Cast did not call because he is not dying today.

Many, many calls today believed otherwise for Death-Cast, but Joaquin kept his empire in check, ensuring all that Death-Cast

will live on despite the threats. He did not take kindly to the board members who were overly concerned about Alano. Joaquin

firmly reminded them that not only does Alano know the ins and outs of this business at nineteen years old better than they

do, but that he recently survived an assassination attempt. Had any of them survived an assassination attempt? No. That is

bound to mess with anyone’s brain, even a brain as brilliant as Alano’s.

“What about Alano deactivating Death-Cast?” was asked by many.

It was such a popular question that Joaquin worked with his team to prepare a press release that would explain how the assassination attempt by the Death Guard led to Alano’s carefully worded “nervous breakdown.” Joaquin urged that they avoid identifying Alano’s psychotic break until a psychiatrist diagnosed it as such because he does not want the board members concerned about Alano’s ability to lead; after all, they would challenge Joaquin’s sanity too if they knew that he speaks with ghosts. The press release is designed to redirect blame on the Death Guard and rebuild confidence in Death-Cast, the Page–Paquin ticket, and Alano himself.

This press release needs to be approved, signed, and shared by Alano, whose reputation would strongly benefit after what has

admittedly not been his best PR week. Between the story of Alano’s freakout in the call center on his first night as a herald,

the assassination attempt, the incident with the Dario boy, and now his pro-natural status exposed, the name Alano Rosa has

been cycling through the news far more than Joaquin likes, making Alano look more and more vulnerable every time he’s mentioned.

Joaquin will always defend his son, always clean up his son’s messes, like a good father.

No one—and he means no one—will ever use his son against him.

How dare Rolando Rubio challenge Joaquin’s parenting. “Are you suggesting that I put my son’s life at risk?” Joaquin asks.

“I am not suggesting anything,” Rolando says coolly. “I am telling you that even a family on top of the world like yours is

not untouchable.”

“I am very aware of my family not being untouchable because not only did an assassin attempt to kill him, he was threatened

by your stepson.”

The silence in the room is tense, much tenser than when Joaquin’s blood was boiling over Rolando blaming Andrea Donahue’s betrayals on him. Paz glares at Joaquin, as he has many times, but now he senses a danger, like daggers in his eyes—bullets in his eyes. He is not alone. Alano himself has murder in his teary eyes: Is this what a son looks like when he wants to kill his father?

“We said we would not do this,” Naya says.

Yes, they did agree to shelve the matter of the Dario boy almost punching their son, but tensions are high and alcohol has

been drunk from his flask in trips to the restroom and poured into his glass of this delicious mango smoothie. Joaquin has

not blacked out this agreement, but he is ignoring it.

“Pazito was wrong to raise his hand at Alano,” Gloria says firmly. “There is no excuse, and I have made that clear to my son.

If I didn’t believe in Pazito’s restraint, we would not be hosting Alano and endangering his well-being.”

“You understand why I am concerned for Alano given Paz’s father,” Joaquin says.

“Pazito is not Frankie and you will not villainize him in his own home,” Gloria says.

As Paz tears up, Alano holds the hand that almost hit him.

Why is his son always taking the side of this boy over himself?

“D-do, do you know everything about your son?” Joaquin asks Gloria, slurring as he imagines what could have happened if Paz had shot Alano while trying to kill himself on the Hollywood Sign. Maybe it’s time she knows how their sons really met.

“You don’t know everything about your son,” Alano quickly says.

Joaquin tilts his head. “Is that what you think?”

Once again, Joaquin will always clean up his son’s messes, like a good father.

Does Alano truly believe that he got away with murder on luck alone and not because Joaquin cleaned the blood on his hands?