Elena didn't speak for several seconds.
"You knew she was reported missing," she said finally. "And you didn't tell me."
Daniel's jaw tightened. "I needed proof first."
"Proof of what?"
"That my grandmother lied."
The words hung between them.
They left the archives together, walking toward the vineyards where the hills rolled endlessly under the pale afternoon sky.The air felt heavier than usual.
"My grandmother always said she left Seravalle by choice," Daniel continued. "Heartbroken. Betrayed. But she never talked about details."
"And now?" Elena asked.
"Now I think she didn't leave at all."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out something folded and worn.
A diary page.
"I found this hidden inside her old jewelry box," he said. "It was torn out of the original journal."
Elena unfolded it carefully.
The handwriting was rushed.
If something happens to me, it will not be an accident. I trusted the wrong people.
Especially him.
There was no name written.
But at the bottom corner—
A small symbol.
An olive branch drawn in ink.
Elena's breath caught.
That same symbol was carved into the old wooden beam inside her grandfather's vineyard cellar.
"I've seen this before," she whispered.
Daniel looked at her sharply. "Where?"
"At my family's vineyard."
The wind moved through the vines around them, a low whispering sound.
Daniel's expression darkened.
"So whatever happened in 1987," he said quietly, "didn't just involve my grandmother."
Elena met his gaze.
"It involved my family."
And for the first time, they both understood—
This wasn't just a mystery anymore.
It was personal.