Episode 23 - The Temptation

Berta and Sofia subjected Betty to an interrogation about her lunch date, and Betty was still tight-lipped, and they asked her if she had lunch with Nico, her platonic love, because they were eager to meet him. Sofia asked Betty if she had been given a pay raise now that she’s assistant to the President, and when Betty said they haven’t, Sofia told her to talk to Armando. Betty said she wouldn’t dare.

Julia called Betty and told her that her dad’s situation at work was pretty bad.

Armando, Mario, and Betty were meeting to figure out the expenses for the new launching, and they were cutting costs. They asked Betty for copies of the supplied samples and Betty added RagTela’s proposal to the pile, which took Armando by surprise. She told him that Miguel gave her the samples and offered them a 10% discount. Armando asked that they cut corners even more, but his friend told him not to do it because the cheaper materials are the lower the quality. But Armando only wanted to lower costs so he can meet his goals and did not listen to Mario’s advice.

Betty had to do an analysis of the proposed expenses and had to select the best provider. She mentions San Remo and RagTela and reminded them about Miguel’s offer of a discount, so Armando told her to contact RagTela to negotiate the sale.

Daniel met with Patricia at her apartment, where she told him that Armando went to all the banks with Betty, and that while Armando is out of town on business, Betty is going to be at the helm of EcoModa.

She also told him that she saw Betty with Miguel, adding that this was very suspicious. Daniel told Patricia that he didn’t care about Betty’s whereabouts, he only wanted to know what Armando was up to. But Patricia had succeeded in planting the seed of doubt, so Daniel talked with Olarte who was well known for offering bribes and asked him to find out if Betty was being paid under the table by RagTela. Daniel and Patricia went to bed, after which he just left her and she felt used.

Betty got home and was very worried to find her dad drunk and sad, because he was sure he definitely going to be laid off. Betty told Nico about not being able to get him a job at EcoModa and also begged him not show up there because she told her friends that she was in love with him. He was surprised to hear this and asked her when this happened. Betty told him not to be an idiot, that she was not in love with him, she was just using him as an excuse since her co-workers were either married or dating. And that he also couldn’t show up because she had described him to them as tall, strong, a real Casanova, with money and power.

Betty confided in Nico about the bribe offer, which she said would be her salvation. She also told him that RagTela was offering the best prices, that there was nothing underhanded about their offer. Nico advised her against taking the bribe.

Mario offered to give Aura María a ride home, but they end up at a hotel where they slept together.