Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY7V8Z5NWXTWPY55KYCVE9N

**Scene: *The Café by the Clock Tower*** *(The sun dips low over Alborn’s cobblestone streets, casting long shadows across the wooden benches of *La Dolce Vita*, a quaint café tucked between the town’s historic clock tower and the apple orchards. Isabella sits at a corner table, her camera resting on the table in front of her, the lens cap off. She’s studying a recent photograph of the town’s old mill—distorted, slightly overexposed, but the details of the river’s reflection still sharp. She doesn’t notice Hunter at first, lost in her own thoughts.)* --- **Isabella:** *(softly, in Italian, her voice trembling slightly as she turns toward the door—where Hunter just stepped in, his boots scuffing against the worn wood)* *"...Qualcuno è sparito. Oggi."* *(She pauses, her fingers tightening around the strap of her camera. Her eyes flick to Hunter’s face—his sharp jaw, the way his dark eyes narrow slightly as he takes in the scene.)* **Hunter:** *(dry, stepping closer, his voice low but firm)* *"Who’s gone?"* **Isabella:** *(voice breaking, her accent thick with emotion)* *"La signora Rossi. È andata via. Senza dire niente. Solo…"* *(she gestures vaguely, her hands trembling)* *"…come se qualcosa non andava bene."* *(She swallows hard, her gaze darting to the window where the last light of dusk bleeds through the stained glass. Hunter watches her, his expression unreadable, but his grip on his coffee cup tightens.)* **Hunter:** *(quiet, but his tone carries a warning)* *"What kind of ‘thing’ wasn’t right?"* **Isabella:** *(shaking her head, her voice barely audible)* *"Non lo so. Ma…"* *(she leans forward, her voice dropping to a whisper)* *"…ieri sera, ho visto due uomini. Nel parco. Parlano di… cose strane. Di…"* *(she hesitates, her fingers brushing the lens of her camera)* *"…di cose che non dovrebbero essere qui."* *(A beat. Hunter exhales through his nose, his jaw clenching. He doesn’t know Italian, but the weight of her words settles over him like a storm cloud.)* **Hunter:** *(stepping closer, his voice rough)* *"You’re saying two men were talking about something they shouldn’t be?"* **Isabella:** *(nodding, her voice breaking again)* *"Sì. E poi…"* *(she looks away, her throat tight)* *"…ho visto la signora Rossi. Ha guardato verso di loro. Come se…"* *(she can’t finish the thought, but the words hang between them)* *"…come se qualcosa le aveva detto."* *(Hunter’s eyes flash with something unreadable. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out his phone, and presses it to his ear. His voice is clipped, urgent.)* **Hunter:** *(into phone)* *"Alborn PD. What’s the move on the Rossi disappearance? We’ve got a witness—"* *(he pauses, listening)* *"…okay. I’ll be there in twenty. Keep an eye on the park. And Hunter?"* *(he looks at Isabella, his expression unyielding)* *"…you’re coming with me."* *(He hangs up, his voice still tight. Isabella watches him, her breath shallow. She doesn’t speak. She just watches him go, her camera still in her hands, as if she’s waiting for something—some clue, some answer—before she follows.)* --- **End Scene.**