Here you will find recaps for generation 1 (rewrite version) of Monte Vista Stories. You can use these to catch up to where the story is at the moment, in case you’re too busy to read it all. Alternatively, they’re for if you need a refresher of what happened in the last chapter, since there’s sometimes a long time between chapters. If you’re not up to date and want to avoid spoilers, tread with care!
1. Vittoria:
Carlo Mancini is still rocked by the death of a good friend, who was murdered suddenly and in broad daylight. Tensions are running high in Monte Vista and in his gang, so when he notices a young woman seemingly following him, he asks his right hand man, Franco to look into her. It looks to be a mere coincidence so Carlo instead focuses on a woman he meets in the square and immediately invites out. At home his brother, Camillo, is agonising over the restaurant he’s going to buy, but Carlo comforts and reassures him that he’s talented and will do just fine. In the evening, Carlo heads off on his date, but midway through it, he notices the same woman from before and he realises it’s not coincidence that she’s there. He takes his date home and heads back to his house, only to find his stalker on the doorstep. She tells him her name is Vittoria Nespola and she wants a place to stay.
2. Welcome to Monte Vista:
Carlo is flabbergasted at Vittoria’s question, but she’s insistent that she wants to stay and in return, she’ll tell him who killed his friend. Reluctantly, Carlo let her come inside, though not without getting a few men to keep watch. Once inside, Vittoria tells him that she’s on the run from her kind of boyfriend, Gallo, who’s violent and also the man who killed Carlo’s friend. Gallo is the leader of a rival gang, the Giocondos, though he has kept it hidden for a long while to stay in power. After some consideration, Carlo says that he’ll have to fact check her story, but for now she’s allowed to stay, so long as somebody keeps an eye on her all day. He also warns her that if his brother gets hurt because of her, he’ll kill her. Once Vittoria is alone, she writes down all the lies she’s just told Carlo to keep track of them. She’s worried because Carlo is smarter than she expected, plus he’s insistent that he’s seen her before.
3. Breakfast Meetings:
Vittoria gets up early and meets Carlo’s brother for the first time. Camillo is shy and reserved though he livens up once he gets into the kitchen and makes breakfast for himself, Vittoria, and Giacomo who was Vittoria’s guard for the night. While eating, Vittoria is disturbed when Camillo also feels like he’s seen her before. Before they can talk about that, Carlo shows up and heads out. Carlo meets up with Franco at a café to talk about Vittoria. Franco hasn’t found anything about her, gang related or otherwise, leading them to conclude that her name is fake. Besides that, they’ve learnt that Gallo used to be a drug dealer and pimp and they speculate that Vittoria may be a prostitute. Carlo tells Franco to have someone drive by the Giocondos before he heads off on a date at the museum with Paolina.
4. The Hitman:
Vittoria feigns being on her period to convince her guard to let her stay for hours in the bathroom. While in there, she changes into a disguise and climbs out the window. She meets up with Antonio ‘Tonio’ Moretti, a hitman that her ex Gallo normally uses. She tells the hitman that Gallo sent her as thanks for killing Giuliano Buonarotti. To her surprise, the hitman completely denies doing the hit, stating that it would be suicidal to kill Carlo’s friend. Vittoria heads back. Once she’s out of the bathroom, she asks Alonzo to finally take her out to see town and he agrees to take her to the Monte Vista Museum.
5. The Museum:
Carlo is at the museum with Paolina and she asks him about art. He confesses that he doesn’t know much about art – his dad was the artist in the family, but he’s deceased. While they’re talking he moves in for a kiss, but he’s interrupted by the sound of Vittoria’s voice. Carlo takes her away for a talk and to admonish her for stalking him again. She promises that she wasn’t stalking him – it was a coincidence this time. He doesn’t buy and lays into her for not existing – he demands to know who she actually is, but she refuses to tell because she doesn’t trust him. He promises that so long as she’s in his house, she’ll be safe. He senses that his promises makes her vulnerable and he decides that he will keep her safe, no matter who she turns out to be. Vittoria leaves the museum with Alonzo and back at Carlo’s house, she feels a pang of homesickness – Carlo reminds her of her friend, Alberto, who similarly promised to keep her safe. She looks at a gunshot wound in her back that’s not fully healed and then she lays down to reminisce.
