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**Chapter 11: Whispers in the Vineyards**
The constable's investigation had cast a shadow over San Violetta, but for Isabella, the unearthed remains were more than a mystery—they were a puzzle tied to Luca's fractured memories. The vineyard felt different now, the lavender-scented breeze carrying tension rather than tranquility. As she wandered through the vines that evening, she found herself drawn to the grove where she had discovered Emilia's letter.
She stopped when she saw someone in the distance—Carlo, pacing along the vineyard's edge. His presence was unwelcome but predictable, and the look in his eyes as he approached her was darker than she'd ever seen.
"Does it bother you?" he asked, his voice low and biting. "Knowing the man you're tangled up with might be connected to that grave?"
Isabella stiffened, refusing to rise to his bait. "And what about you, Carlo? You seem awfully invested in Luca's past. Why is that?"
Carlo hesitated for a moment, the smirk on his face faltering. Then, as if deciding against an answer, he turned sharply and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the vineyard.
The moment unsettled her, but she had no time to dwell on it. When she returned to the stone house, she found Luca waiting for her, his expression tight with resolve.
"I remembered something," he said quietly, his voice shaking. "Something about the night she died."
Isabella's breath caught. "Tell me," she urged.
Luca hesitated, his eyes distant as he struggled to piece the fragments of his memory together. "There was someone else in the vineyard that night," he said finally. "Someone arguing with Emilia. I tried to stop them, but when I reached her, she was already…" He faltered, unable to say the word.
"Who was it?" Isabella asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Luca shook his head. "I don't know. I couldn't see their face, but… there was something familiar about them."
Before Isabella could respond, a sharp knock at the door interrupted them. Luca opened it cautiously, revealing the constable on the other side.
"I need to speak to both of you," the constable said, his tone grim. "We've found something else—something that changes everything
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