The first rays of sunlight crept over the rolling hills, brushing the landscape with golden warmth. Soft tendrils of mist clung to the valleys, glowing ethereal in the light. Birds began their morning chorus, their songs mingling with the faint rustle of the breeze through the trees.

Alessia sat on a stump in the woods, hand outstretched, palm full of birdseed. She held as still as possible, consciously filling and emptying her lungs slowly through her nose. The scent of earth and pine filled the air as the sun climbed higher.

Still, he wouldn't come.

The chaffinch in the bush hopped from branch to branch, a flutter of blue and brown. He stopped to sing a short song, then preened beneath his wing.

Her arm was getting tired. She could have easily stayed in bed for a few more hours, too. She'd stayed up late, pouring over her grandfather's books. She did take one short break to go outside and grab a bite to eat, say a quick hello, and then retreat back inside. Her duty had been done. The bare minimum, but at least she'd shown her face.

The party had looked as she expected. Eight ladies stood around the pool gabbing, only two of whom Alessia knew by name. The music was too loud to hear what anyone was saying. Except when Veronica was telling them about her "boyfriend" and their mother started asking Alessia questions about the dust on her dress.

That's when she called it a night and went back to her books. Thankfully, Gian had been nowhere to be seen.

Alessia suppressed a sigh of frustration. The chaffinch seemed to look in her direction, head tilted. Then he flew off.

It was time for some coffee. She tossed the seeds to the ground and shook off the few that stuck to her skin, then walked along the wooded path back to the house, enjoying her last few serene moments of the day.

Three of Veronica's friends sat at one of the patio tables, chatting about a shop that had recently opened in the Siena city center. They smiled and waved at Alessia as she approached.

"Buongiorno," Nadia called out in a sing-song voice.

Alessia smiled and slowed her steps. "Sleep well?"

"Just lovely. Your boyfriend looks even lovelier though." Nadia sighed, looking pointedly over Alessia's shoulders.

Alessia turned halfway. Gian sat at the table on the other side of the patio, his gaze focused on the laptop screen propped in front of him, his mouth was set in a serious straight line.

"He's..." not my boyfriend. Oh, what was the point?

"He's nothing like Luca, is he?" Elena said, leaning forward.

"No. No, he's not."

"Is he coming with you to the wedding?" squeaked the third girl. Alessia couldn't remember her name.

"No," Alessia said quickly. The wedding was in ten days... the day Gian would be leaving. Perfect timing. She didn't bother to explain this. The questions were exhausting, so she took a step away from the table.

"Are you going to introduce us?" Nadia asked sweetly.

Never. "He's working. Espresso? Cappuccino?"

The ladies requested their coffees—three cappuccinos—so Alessia trudged into the kitchen. Nonna sat at the table, sipping tea from a mug, and Veronica and Mama buzzed around. They chattered and laughed. The mood in the kitchen was light, as if all the arguing from yesterday was forgotten. Was it all just nerves? Hopefully.

"Oh, Alessia," her mother said as she turned away from the sink, grinning, "you'd already disappeared upstairs last night before I could tell you. But you, Veronica, and three of her friends, are going to a three-day spa retreat in Genova. This Tuesday."

Alessia's mouth dropped open. A three-day spa retreat?

"And don't say a word about money." Mama closed her eyes and waved her hands in an X. "It's a gift from Zia Ines."

"It'll be great," Veronica added dreamily as she slowly dried a spatula. "I've already booked my facial and yoga sessions."

Alessia's heart started to race. It really did sound like a pleasant idea. They could escape from all the stress, get pampered, and just relax and rejuvenate. Maybe she and Veronica could actually sit down and try to understand each other and be friends again. She wanted this. She needed it.

But she couldn't leave. She only had nine days. Nine days to find something she wasn't even sure existed. And she hadn't even started digging yet. She didn't know if the spot she wanted to dig today was the correct location. But Tuesday was five days away. Maybe by then, she'd have found something. But by going on a spa retreat four hours away, she'd be leaving it all for the wolf.

Her stomach churned. She had to figure this out somehow. But, she wasn't going to spoil the mood right now, so she smiled.

"That sounds... fantastic!" In a daze, she walked up to the espresso machine and turned it on. She couldn't say no. It would cause even more drama on top of everything else. She'd have to explain why, and even then, Veronica would think she was just making excuses. Why did this all have to be so complicated? Zia Ines lived in Genova and was probably excited over a visit from them, but if only she'd chosen from one of the many thermal spas in Tuscany.

Alessia went through the motions, making one espresso and steamed milk after the other. Veronica placed them on a tray and took them outside to her friends, so Alessia made one more espresso, for Gian.

She walked back outside, ignored Veronica and her friends, who were too busy chatting away to notice her, and set the espresso cup down in front of Gian. He pulled his gaze from the laptop to look up at her. Heat crept up her neck as his eyes lingered, making her stomach flutter as if a bird was trapped inside. She really needed to forget their conversation in the car yesterday.

"I'm going to dig," she started. She really had no choice, anyway. With only five days to find the artifacts, she had to do something.

Gian raised his eyebrows. "You know the location?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. But we need to start looking."

"What about metal detectors?"

"I sent an email to the archaeological department at the university last night. I haven't heard back yet, but I'll check again later at lunchtime. I thought I could at least take some soil samples to the lab for analysis. That could help locate human activity."

"All right." He picked up the espresso cup, downed it in one swig, and snapped his laptop shut. "Let's go dig."

***

Kneeling beside a shallow trench, Alessia slipped on her gloves and selected a small, sterile trowel. She scraped the soil methodically, each movement precise, collecting a sample from just beneath the surface where human activity might have left its invisible mark. She deposited the earth into a labeled plastic bag, sealing it tightly before making a quick note in her logbook.

The soil, rich with promise, would go to the university to undergo trace metal analysis—tests that might reveal traces of copper, lead, or other elements indicative of ancient tools or habitation. Alessia smiled faintly, imagining the hidden stories lying dormant in her hands. Here, thousands of years ago, people had walked, labored, thrived, suffered... It was so easy to forget all her problems when her mind escaped to the ancient past.

"You're nuts," came Gian's voice from behind her. "This is verging on insanity."

Alessia huffed, and stood up, the magical moment ruined. "It's not insane. This is a scientific method."

Gian leaned against a stone wall speckled in light green lichen, built over a century ago by one of her ancestors. He held the maps and letters in his hands, flipping back and forth between the sheets. His black hair was unkempt, falling in damp strands across his forehead. Dirt streaked across his cheeks, hands, and arms.

Ugh. How did the dirt make him look even better? He'd been more helpful than she thought he would be. He dug where she'd indicated and cut the trench walls perfectly straight. She had to admit archaeology looked good on him.

Alessia crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. The breeze caught wisps of her dark brown hair, but she ignored it. "It's not impossible. The letter says the coin marks the spot where they, or the Etruscans, buried something important. If we think logically—"

"Logically?" Gian interrupted, throwing his hands up. "The maps don't even have a scale! Or clear landmarks! Look at this." He jabbed a finger at the paper in his hand. "What is that supposed to be? A tree? A rock? A turtle?"

Alessia gritted her teeth, biting back a sharp retort. "It's clearly trees," she said, stepping up to the wall to stand next to him. "And this—" she pointed to another symbol, a circle with jagged lines around it "—is the sun. Which means this line here could be a ridge or a hill."

Gian handed them to her and crossed his arms. "Could be? You don't sound too confident."

"Well, forgive me for not being able to decipher a sixty-year-old sketch perfectly," she snapped, her patience wearing thin. "I'm doing my best here, Gianmarco. If you have a better idea, let's hear it."

He opened his mouth to argue but stopped short. His jaw tightened, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine. But what if we try something systematic? We divide the property into sections, start digging near the most obvious landmarks, and work outward."

"Systematic digging without a clear starting point?" Alessia shook her head. "That could take months. We don't have that kind of time."

Gian groaned, pacing again. "This coin... why a coin? Why not a marker stone or a statue? Something less... invisible."

Alessia allowed herself a small smile. "Probably because my grandpa didn't want just anyone finding it. Coins are small, easily overlooked. It was clever, actually."

"Clever," Gian muttered, kicking a rock. "Sure. If you're the one hiding it. Not so much for the ass wipes sixty years later trying to dig it up."

Alessia ignored him, her gaze returning to the map. She traced a finger along the faint lines, murmuring to herself. "If this hill is here... and the sun rises there... the turtle trees could actually be..." She snapped her fingers. "The east field. Near the old olive grove. We can try that next."

Gian stopped pacing, skeptical. "You're guessing."

"I'm making an educated deduction," she corrected, rolling up the map.

"A guess."

"The olive grove is the only place that might have looked like a turtle sixty years ago. And it's near the highest hill on the property. It fits. So today, we also grid out that area and take some soil samples. If nothing shows up, we'll still be able to try with the metal detectors. But maybe we can save ourselves the effort of having to search all eighty acres by narrowing down the possible locations."

"I can't believe I'm going along with this," Gian muttered, tossing a trowel into a bucket with a loud clatter.

"You're the one who wants to get it done in ten days. Well, nine actually." She wet her lips. Maybe now she could convince him to stay longer. "If we had more time—"

"We don't have more time," Gian said sharply. "Nine more days to get this done or you won't see another cent."

Alessia sighed. So, that was one strike. All she could do was keep working on him, chipping away at his resolve, even if it took all day. Pressing her lips together, she picked up the shovel and handed it to him. "Then we better keep digging."