The vineyard was silent, but the weight of what had happened lingered in every shadow. The remnants of the fire that had consumed the cottage hours before still smoldered in the distance, smoke curling like ghosts into the cold night sky. Isabella sat on the edge of the stone steps, hands trembling, fingers tracing the outlines of the flash drive she had just uncovered. Her mind felt like it was spinning out of control, each revelation twisting her thoughts tighter and tighter.

Dante approached quietly, his boots crunching softly against the gravel. He had left the car running at the vineyard entrance, engine humming like a low warning. His eyes,...