CHAPTER NINTEEN

VINCENZO

Alessia sat on the edge of the bed, her grip on Anya's hand tight as tears streamed down her face. The sight of her anguish tore at my heart. I approached them, my steps heavy with a mixture of worry and determination.

The doctor, his expression grave, approached me and placed a small bottle in my hands. I examined it closely, my brow furrowing as I sought to understand its significance.

"What is this?" I inquired, my voice tinged with a mixture of urgency and frustration.

The doctor's gaze met mine, his eyes filled with a sombre understanding. He exhaled heavily before delivering the weighty revelation. "She was poisoned. That bottle was found with the culprit."

My fingers tightened around the bottle, my knuckles turning white as the gravity of the situation sank in. The vile scent that wafted from it reached my nostrils, assaulting my senses with its putrid odour.

"How come Anya could not smell this in her food?"