EPISODE 8: THE CRISIS ## CHAPTER 1: THE STORM The call comes at 3 AM. Dante answers on the second ring—the Marchetti instinct to always be available, always be prepared. "What's wrong?" Elena watches him in the darkness, sees his face change from sleepy to sharp. "How much?" A pause. "All of it? You're certain?" Another pause. "I'm on my way." He's out of bed before she can ask questions, pulling on clothes with the efficiency of someone practiced in emergencies. "The warehouse in Milan. The entire spring allocation. Someone broke in and contaminated the storage tanks." His voice is flat. Controlled. "Fifteen thousand cases. All of it destroyed." Elena's blood runs cold. "Contaminated how?" "We don't know yet. Industrial sabotage is the current theory. The police are involved." He stops, meets her eyes. "This is the biggest loss in company history." "I'm coming with you." "Elena—" "I'm your wife. I'm your head of viticulture. And I know those wines better than anyone." She's already dressing. "You're not facing this alone." He doesn't argue. They're on the road within minutes. --- ## CHAPTER 2: THE DAMAGE The Milan warehouse is chaos. Police tape. Investigators. Worried employees clustering in groups. The smell—wrong, chemical, nothing like wine should ever smell—hits them before they reach the door. "Signor Marchetti." The facility manager...