They arrived at his Grandma's house, and she welcomed them warmly...
Yes, Paolo, what brought you here today?
Well, Grandma, you caught me, I need something, Bella has some questions she wants to ask you, I'm tired, I'm going to take a shower, get us lunch.
Oh, dear Bella, you can ask me anything.
Well, madam, you sure know most of the people in this town, don't you?
Yes, my dear, the grandmother winked at her, and all the news was delivered to me without making a move. But, Bella, is there anyone you want to ask about specifically?
Actually yes, but please do not withhold any information from me. I am in dire need of any detail no matter how small. Do you remember Stella, she was a friend of Paolo, that girl who used to live with Madame Eve.
That girl !! Are you okay, Bella? Don't you remember your sister?
ma'am, did you say my sister?! You mean that because we lived in the same house, um, Bella lost her words, she stumbled for a while, and there was a long silence, Bella waited for the lady to explain. She wished that this was another bad dream, that it was just hallucinations in her head, that the grandmother said other words but she didn't understand.
Madam, would you explain that I don't understand anything anymore, would you please say something?
Grandma interrupted her, well, Bella, it seems that you do not remember anything, that poor Stella is your sister, yes your sister, you were like twins, although There is an age difference between you and you do not look alike, nothing was separating you, how good and pure she was.
That girl loved you and took care of you as a mother and a friend, and how much she resembles your mother in her beauty and compassion.
Do you know who my mother is? Madam. Eve never told me about her, please tell me about her.
Lady Eve considers herself your only family.
How did they die and when? Tell me everything.
Well, my dear Bella, wait for a second, Grandma got up and took a long time to come back, she was carrying an old photo album, and she pointed to some pictures there, these pictures here belong to your mother and father, and here are also pictures of Stella and you, but your pictures end at the age of two years It seems that at that time that terrible accident happened, their funeral was attended by the whole town, they were very good, they had many contributions and donations in everything.
Here comes another shock to Bella, she checks the pictures over and over again, and she has always known this couple. She used to pass by their pictures hanging in the corridors of buildings in the town, in the hospital, the courthouse, and even in the church, their contributions are everywhere, how no one told her One day, they are her parents, the famous Medici family. She threw all her questions at the grandmother. Are we not, Stella, and I, the heirs of this rich family? How has no one claimed us? Where is our original family, of course, they know us, don't they?
Dear Bella, there are so many things you don't know, someone seems to have done everything in their power to keep you a secret. A plot took place that night, the night of your parents' accident. I've been trying to figure it out ever since, but I'm alone in this and I'd rather keep it that way.
Are you trying to say, madam, that my father's accident was foul play? did anyone have a grudge against them, you said that they did not offend anyone.
On the contrary, they did well For everyone. My dear, I never said that the accident was planned, I don't think so, no one benefits from the death of your parents for sure, the strange thing is not the accident, what happened later is the strange one, and as I told you I've been looking into the matter since the first days after the funeral but I stopped for years After my son was involved in the matter, they got him involved in matters bigger than him until he became the one who runs such schemes. Someone in your father's family contributed to issuing death certificates for you and Stella as well, but you were not in the accident, my dear?
How can you be so sure, madam, that we weren't, you base your whole supposition on the fact that this family had two daughters the same age as me and Stella?
No, Bella, I know for sure that you did not leave with your parents because your parents were with me that night, your mother wanted to buy a piece of land to build a fabric factory, and the accident happened minutes after they left my house, they cannot have reached the other side of town where you were in the mansion With the nanny, I remember it well because I always wanted to see you. Your mother always brought you with her when she came to me.
Stella was a little older than Paolo. I can't forget your angelic faces, but she said it was a business visit so she preferred that you stay at home.
Well, why didn't you tell me that earlier, how many times have I come to you before I even knew Paolo?
I needed some time to connect the dots. I knew that you two did not die, but I did not know what happened to you. I went and told your father's family, but your great uncle kept stopping me until he finally instructed the servants to throw me out, this increased my suspicions as Madam. Eve got two girls who were adopted by the church less than a month later. All of this made me think, but one thing was missing
I mean to see Madam. Eve was involved, it never crossed my mind that she was in this plot, she is good but life was hard on her, and I cannot say of her husband, he was the town's only doctor then, he was a bribe-taker and he was finally fired for it, but at the time he was still the doctor in charge, so it's easy for him if he was promised money, to forge your death certificates, and it's easy for him to adopt you, so maybe Madam. Eve didn't know.
Well, that explains a lot, but you haven't told me yet, how do you know we're the same? I saw Stella, and she was Paolo's friend so she came here a lot, she was a copy of your mother, so I asked her a lot of questions, and it all came back to me, all those things that I ignored.
and now that I see you in front of me I'm sure you are little Anastasia "Tazia" that was your name and the eldest child was Vanessa It's the same, Stella.
Did you tell Stella any of this?
No, of course not, despite my certainty, but I am cautious. As you can see, this whole gang is led by my son. I hope you understand that I cannot take risks without evidence, even if I have, I am also taking risks. My words against all of them.
How was Father Giovanni involved in the matter? He had recently started his duties in the church, and while he never told me, this is one of my assumptions, the funeral ceremony needed four coffins, while there were only two bodies, this could not pass without the knowledge of the father, and he also got into many fights with Maria at the time, and She left him after that, not to mention that the adoption took place through the church.
He did not face any difficulties in his divorce, as he left a house for Maria and bought another one. He has no money to do so unless he receives... bribe.
These are all assumptions, madam!
I may be old now, Bella, but I know my son very well, all has changed after that as if he sold his soul to the devil.
didn't he tell Paolo that his mother died while she was giving birth to him?
yes and I did too, it's a burden I'll carry to the end of my life. Paolo wouldn't stop asking about his mother, so it was safer for me to tell him that his mother had passed away. What is strange about telling him the truth, why did you not tell him that she is still alive, who gave you the right to decide that for him? Does it not hurt you to see your grandson suffer? Don't you have a conscience?
No, Bella, I already told you that Father Giovanni changed back then, and it seems that some supported him in his corruption. He was going to put me in a mental ward or an elderly home and be done with it.
Why did he take Paolo? Why didn't he give him to his mother? would it be a win-win for him?
No, Bella, I did not finish my word. He took Paolo to take revenge on his mother, she was a helpless young lady, and he soon gained all that power, but he also tortured that poor boy, as he considered him somehow responsible for their separation.
Let's leave Paolo's mom now. if you did not tell Stella anything and no one else knows, except the nanny. Could the nanny tell her?
I don't think so, I went to the palace, and the servants were all deported immediately but Stella was older than you so she knows who she is, maybe once she got older she figured it out on her own.
So um, they thought about everything, well there is only one way to find out if it is all true.
Do you still not believe me?
No, madam, not at all, but you must understand that it is not a legend or a rumour we are talking about here, it is my life, and I am tired of them playing with it.
Well, what do you suggest, why don't we dig up Anna's grave, or Vanessa's? That too is easy, too many passers-by died here, at that time more than at any other time, they could lay down any two bodies, and your uncle, if my suspicions were correct, had thought of everything, he was not one to leave anything to chance.
Well that leaves me with one fact, Stella and I were adopted together, and all indications are that we are sisters, now let's focus on the present, Stella has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, no one knows anything about her, and whoever knows doesn't seem willing to talk. I and Paolo have come to our knowledge that Stella tried to escape through the town's only port, says the old man who lives there, but she did not, she was last seen disappearing into the woods.
What do you know about this, madam? Do you have any expectations?
It was rumoured for some time that the old doctor, Mrs. Eve's husband had gone bankrupt, as he lost all his money at the gambling table. What made things worse was that he lost the money he took from some loan shark, a notorious old man who recently lost his wife, as her illness became severe and she died about two months ago.
This It's all true As for the rumour that the old man had promised to marry him to Stella in exchange for his accumulated debts, I'm not sure about it, except that such baseness may not be a rumour at all.
she was a beautiful young girl with hopes and dreams, we can't call it a marriage, Shame on that deal! Almost a month ago, the date of the alleged wedding, We would have confirmed that rumour, but Stella disappeared, as you know, suddenly, no one knows where the old man, Madam Eve's husband also disappeared. Madam. Eve kicked him out of her house, and their big quarrel was witnessed by several neighbours, but no one knows the reason, followed by Stefano de Medici two weeks later Who is your older cousin, he is a young man but has a strong presence, the truth to be said. he came to Father Giovanni and an almost a fight happened between them, that I witnessed with my own eyes, but I could not make out its full content, he was saying that his father was about to die and that he wanted to correct the mistakes of the past and he had a lawyer with him, The family lawyer I think he came to ask about both you, as I mentioned before, that you were adopted by the church.
Has anyone reported Stella's disappearance?
No, Madam. Eve didn't. I suspect she had a hand in it. She might have been dragged into that maelstrom against her will.
Well, madam, I will check all this one way or another, but now I will return to another important matter before Paolo returns, but I hope you will be frank about this, is Miss Donatti Paolo's mother?
My God, Bella, you are so observant, I was afraid you would notice sooner or later. Yes, it's a good thing you didn't tell Paolo, promise me you won't?!
No, madam, I think it is unfair for me to seek the truth while hiding it from Paolo.
Neither of them noticed that Paolo had entered the room a few minutes ago and had heard all their talk about his mother. He stood there, still, unable to move. No one can guess what thoughts are flowing into his head. but one thought was emerging through others, Bella was right in her suspicions. She is not exaggerating. If they have all deceived me all this time, what is to stop them from deceiving her? And soon he left the house before anyone could explain anything to him.
Bella apologised to the grandmother, stressing that she had to explain to Paolo everything she had said previously and to focus on that Giovanni threatened his mother to take him from her forever, to put him up for adoption in a place she does not know. Tell him all of this, please, so that things may be reconciled between them one day, Bella said that, although she hated Miss Donatti, she knew very well what it was like to live without a mother.
Bella ran after Paolo, but this time she couldn't catch up with him. He was long gone. Bella thought for a moment, where would he go? Of course, to Miss Donatti's house, that makes sense.
Bella arrived at Miss Donatti's house, she opened the door wide and searched the whole house, neither of them was there, neither Paolo nor Maria, the sun was about to set, so she went out to go home, she ran through the dense trees surrounding Miss Donatti's house, it seems that she lost her way, she heard a sound, the closer she got, the more sounds she hears, she stopped a little and hid. she saw Miss Donatti, well who is she speaking to?! Bella took a quick look, and she was shocked, Madam. Eve was there, Father Giovanni, The old man, and Madam. Eve's husband is also there.
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