Tomorrow will be the first school day in her final year, which means that she has to make an extra effort. However, she decided to meet Paolo tomorrow. After school she has a lot to talk about and Paolo is the first friend who can talk and give his honest opinion. She always preferred silent, receptive friends. Anyway,  Only three days had passed for both of them.

 Their third meeting was no less enthusiastic than the first. Paolo hugged her for a long time, she thought that he would never let her go. Praise be to God, I thought you would not come back. 

 And why not? Of course, I wanted to come back that evening, but you will not believe what happened? Bella took the letter out of her pocket and there is other news I must tell you, I will tell you everything but not here, it better be away from prying eyes.

Well, have you heard about the deserted garden? it is not very deserted, it contains a hut that my mother had left against her will,  no one has claimed it, so I lived in it for some time, except that my heart was squeezing inside it as if the walls of the house were narrowing down to strangle me, that woodpile was more faithful to her than people.

 through a long country road that splits from the main street, flowers were growing miraculously on both sides and from afar you can see a small wooden wall surrounding a small house. 

That was Paolo's hut, he said I do not think the house is in its best shape, if you think staying outside is better, Bella interrupted him, we'd better just keep a low profile.

From the inside, spiders'  net filled the place, and a family of mice lived in the living room, which fled immediately as soon as the door opened. Other than that, everything seemed to be fine. 

Bella asked why your mother had left the house. It seemed to me from your words and your sad tone that you had a hand in her departure, excuse my rudeness, but I have the desire to get to know you, and your pale face that day did not leave my thoughts. I will never be able to see you like this again.

Paolo's eyes welled up with tears, but he quickly pulled himself together and said, "Well, if I knew you well, you wouldn't stop asking. I've never told anyone before, even Stella." my mom was a beautiful women called Maria and as all beauties she lacks a good luck, she fell in love with a young man, I do not bring myself to mention him, and I hope you will excuse me for that, she travelled with him until they settled here and bought this house and got married, but I did not see her because she died on the day she gave birth to me or so he told me, but I swear to you, Bella, I feel that she is watching over me, all these books that you see were left by her At the beginning of each one of them she left a letter that  started with my dear Paolo, and so I knew my name because no one cared about me enough to give me one, that damned one who I refuse to mention told me that she wished she had not had me and hated me before I even was born and I returned the favour to her, this can not be true, her letters were my lifeline, a woman of this delicacy cannot be as that abominable person says?! 

My grandmother always told me about her, and that Giovanni, who is her son, was very upset by the departure of his dear Maria, so he joined the church. And he left me there.

Is that why he was calling me an ill-fated bastard?

 He said, with a voice filled with sorrow. They forget that I lost her too. Bella calmed him down, but she was shocked. Father Giovanni?? He is your father!

 Paolo got up and he had gathered himself, yes that is the devil who claims to serve God he's my father, that's enough about me, you came here and said you have a lot to talk about.

yeah right well the message I gave you is clear it's Stella and if we don't get any more surprises she was talking about me.

  Yes, that is clear, Paolo said.

 I haven't found anything about Stella yet, but Madam. Eve goes after Sunday Mass to the assembly in that building across the church, and she meets with the ladies of the neighbourhood, there something must come out of that den of gossip, but there is another thing on my mind. 

Do you know the old man, Eve's husband? As far as I remember, he did not leave the house much, except that since I returned, I have not seen him there. And I can assure you that Madam. Eve was hiding something when I asked her directly about him, and telling me about him was her greatest pleasure but she haven't done that since I got home and I took it upon myself to search his room and that's what I did early this morning but he wasn't there, in fact, none of his things were taken and if he had gone on one of his trips why would she hide that??

 Things are getting weird and if we're going to get anything going Bella first we have to know what you were doing in the woods, now that we have the letter, I assume that you might have been there to meet Stella, the dates coincide but why? This is the key to unlocking this mystery.