chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Reunion

Florence, Present Day

Days had passed since the discovery beneath the villa, and Sofia felt the weight of history settle deeper into her bones. Each letter, each artifact, was a thread pulling her closer to Beatrice—and to something beyond reason.

Marco met her in the villa's sunlit courtyard, holding a bundle of old parchment.

"I found something in the archives," he said, eyes bright with urgency. "A letter from Matteo—addressed to Beatrice, but never sent. It speaks of a reunion... a promise to find her again, no matter the cost."

Sofia's fingers trembled as she unfolded the fragile page.

"My dearest Beatrice,

Though the world would tear us apart, I swear on my soul that I will find you in every life, in every breath. Hold to that hope as I hold to you. Until the stars fall and the rivers run dry, I am yours."

A shiver ran down Sofia's spine.

She looked up to find Marco watching her closely, the same storm-gray eyes from the garden now softened with something unspoken.

"Do you believe it?" she whispered. "That love can survive time itself?"

Marco's hand brushed hers. "I don't just believe it—I feel it. In every dream, every moment here."

The villa seemed to breathe around them, alive with the echoes of a love that refused to fade.

And as the sun dipped below the Tuscan hills, Sofia knew their own story was just beginning.