Carla realizes that she does not want to stay in Düsseldorf. But before she and Stella can leave again, she has to take care of the Lahnstein Holding – and of Ansgar…

Carla (Claudia Hiersche, left) is happy that she can soon start a new life with Stella (Anne Wis)

Monday, February 1, 2010 (3551)

Carla, Stella and Elisabeth are still in the hall. After letting go of Carla and welcoming Stella as well, Elisabeth asks for Sophia. Carla and Stella pretend to be shocked for a moment for having forgotten about Sophia, then Carla smilingly tells Elisabeth that Sophia is outside with Justus, the butler.

Carla asks for her uncle Ludwig. Elisabeth explains to her that Ludwig is on a business trip to Zurich but will be back the next day. She then wants to tell Carla about Maria’s deceit, but is interrupted by Ansgar and Maria, who enter the hall.

Upon seeing Carla, Ansgar of course cannot stop himself from making a snarky comment about her return. Carla ignores him and goes over to say hello to Maria, whom she hugs and calls “mother”. When noticing Maria’s apparent uneasiness, Carla becomes suspicious and asks what is going on. Maria asks to speak with Carla in private, but Elisabeth intervenes, saying that she wants to make sure that Carla learns the whole truth. Both Carla and Stella look confused.

Carla and Maria go into the living room, followed by Elisabeth. Maria again tries to get rid of Elisabeth, who insists on staying. Maria starts off by saying that she is sorry and never wanted to hurt Carla, then confesses to Carla that she is not Carla’s mother Francesca, but her younger sister Maria. She tries to apologize to Carla and explains to her that all she wanted was to have her own family.

Carla is shocked, and asks about the DNA test. Elisabeth explains to her that the test was fake. Carla wants to know whether her brothers Leonard, Constantin and Ansgar already know that Maria is not their mother. Elisabeth tells her that they do, and that Ansgar was actually the first to find out. Carla wonders why he did not say anything, then realizes that Ansgar used his knowledge to gain power over the Lahnstein Holding.

To up the ante, Elisabeth then also reveals to Carla that Ansgar actually is Maria’s biological son from a brief affair she had with Carla’s father Johannes. All those news are too hard to handle for Carla. She leaves the living room, but not before stating that her whole family is just sick.

Later, Stella finds Carla in the administrator’s office. She apologizes to Carla for having forgotten the time while catching up with her former colleagues among the castle’s staff, who told her that Elisabeth had taken over her job as the castle’s administrators for a while, and also about Ansgar’s wife Tanja. Stella assumes that that was what Maria wanted to speak with Carla about. When Stella refers to Maria as Carla’s mother, Carla explains to her that Maria is not her mother.

Stella wants to comfort Carla, but Carla explains to her that she will not break out in tears because of Maria, as Maria is not worth it. Stella tells Carla that she does not have to pretend to be strong in front of her and takes Carla in her arms.

Carla enjoys Stella’s embrace for a moment, then lets go of her and assures her that she is fine. She then goes to to look after Sophia, leaving a worried-looking Stella alone in her former office.

The next day, Carla is back in her office at the Lahnstein Holding, apparently catching up with the latest business developments. Ansgar comes into her office and, in a sarcastic tone, offers his support, saying that she might need it because of all the shocking news she has to deal with. Carla retorts that at least one of the revelations was good news, which is that Ansgar is not really her brother.

In a condescending tone, Ansgar then asks whether her trip with Stella – who he refers to as Carla’s “service mouse” – was so boring that Carla needed to go back to work, but Carla chooses to ignore him. Before Ansgar leaves her alone, her warns her to keep an eye on their uncle Ludiwg, who – in Ansgar’s opinion – tries to establish himself in the Lahnstein Holding.

When Ludwig returns to the castle, he receives a phone call from Carla, who asks him to meet her for lunch at Schneider’s. Ludwig then meets Maria, and they talk about Carla’s response to the revelation that Maria is not her mother. Maria thinks that Carla and her brothers will never forgive her, but Ludwig encourages her to keep trying to explain her behaviour to them.

At Schneider’s, Carla and Elisabeth are waiting for Ludwig at the bar. Elisabeth asks Carla whether she remembers her uncle Ludwig. Carla tells her that she does not, but that Ludwig’s voice on the phone sounded somehow familiar to her.

Ludwig arrives at Schneider’s. Carla greets him with a hug. Ludwig tells her that he is happy to meet her, but that their getting to know each other will have to wait for a moment. He looks over to the door, where Maria is standing. Carla turns away, but Maria approaches her and tries to talk to her.

When Maria touches Carla, Carla loses her temper and slaps Maria in the face. Then she turns around and starts to cry.

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