A flicker of hope ignited within Isabella. She thanked the elderly woman and hurried away from the location.

She hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address of the temple on the city's outskirts.

The air inside the temple was thick with the heavy scent of burning incense. The ancient ritual filled the space.

Each step Isabella took toward the main hall made her heart beat faster.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door. A wave of sandalwood fragrance greeted her. The statues of the deities stood solemn and majestic in the dim light.

"Excuse me," Isabella said, approaching a monk who was praying. She showed him a photograph of her mother. "Have you seen this woman?"

The monk studied the photo carefully. He then shook his head slowly. "I am sorry. I have never seen this woman."

Disappointment crashed over Isabella, extinguishing her fragile hope. Had her mother truly vanished without a single clue?

"However…" the monk hesitated, a distant memory seeming to surface. "Several years ago, a woman who looked similar stayed here briefly. She left something behind."

Hope flared in Isabella's eyes once more. "What did she leave?"

The monk disappeared into an inner chamber. He returned moments later holding an old, ornate key. "This. She said it might be of use someday."

The key was cold and heavy in Isabella's hand. Its design was ancient and unfamiliar. She turned it over, searching for any markings, but found none.

The serene silence of the temple was suddenly shattered by the ringing of her phone.

It was Ethan. "Isabella, where are you?" His voice was sharp with urgency.

"I'm at the temple on the outskirts," she replied, her own voice slightly hoarse.

"I'm coming to get you," Ethan stated. The call ended abruptly.

Standing at the temple's entrance, Isabella gazed out at the distant mountains. Her emotions were a turbulent storm.

What secret was her mother trying to protect with this key?

A black Maybach soon pulled up. Ethan stepped out and quickly walked over to her.

"Did you find anything?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Just this," Isabella said, handing him the key.

Ethan took it, examining the aged metal intently. His brows furrowed in deep thought.

"Let's get in the car," he suggested.

He helped her into the vehicle and then got in himself.

As the car drove away from the temple, Isabella looked back at the receding structure. Her heart was heavy with uncertainty.

Hidden in the shadows, Sophia watched the car disappear into the distance. Her eyes flickered with a toxic mix of jealousy and burning curiosity.

She hadn't expected to run into Ethan and Isabella here in Salzburg.

She clenched her fists tightly. Her sharp nails dug into her own palms.

"Isabella," she muttered bitterly under her breath. "What is it about you that makes Ethan care so deeply?"

Inside the car, Ethan held the old key, lost in thought.

The design of the key felt strangely familiar to him.

"This key… it looks remarkably like one from a pendant my grandmother used to wear," he remarked suddenly. "But that pendant has been missing for a very long time."

Isabella's heart began to race. Could this key be connected to the Blackwood family?

"Your grandmother?" she inquired, her voice laced with curiosity.