Luca stepped out of the hospital room slowly.
The door closed behind him with a soft click, but the sound echoed louder than it should have in his mind.
He didn't move immediately.
For a few seconds, he simply stood there in the corridor, his expression dark and unreadable.
The image of her face…tearful, fragile, completely unlike what he expected…lingered in his thoughts.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
He had seen Sarah angry.
He had seen her defiant.
He had seen her stand her ground without fear, even when she was completely outnumbered.
But that girl inside the room…
That wasn't the same woman.
Luca's jaw tightened.
He began to walk, his footsteps slow and controlled against the polished hospital floor.
The guards straightened the moment they saw him.
"Sir," one of them greeted.
Luca didn't respond immediately.
Then, without looking at them, he spoke.
"Stay here."
"Yes, sir."
"Make sure she doesn't leave."
The guard nodded quickly. "Understood."
Luca paused.
Then his voice dropped, colder than before.
"…And call someone."
The guard hesitated slightly. "Sir?"
"I want everything about her investigated," Luca said.
"Everything."
The guard frowned in confusion.
"Sir, but she is…"
Luca stopped walking.
Silence fell instantly.
He slowly turned his head.
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
The guard immediately lowered his head. "Yes, sir."
Luca's eyes darkened.
"Find out where she has been."
"Who she has met."
"And why…"
He paused slightly.
"…she feels like a stranger."
Inside the Room…
Elana's eyelids fluttered slowly.
Her body felt heavy, as though something was pressing down on her chest.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Then her eyes opened.
Silence.
The room was completely empty.
No nurses.
No guards.
No Luca.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her eyes quickly scanned the room.
The door.
Closed.
Locked.
Her chest tightened.
A familiar fear crept into her heart.
Then…
Her gaze shifted.
The window.
The blinds were not fully closed.
A small opening.
Enough to see outside.
Enough to escape.
Her heart began to race.
Slowly, carefully, she pushed herself up from the bed.
Pain shot through her legs, making her stumble slightly.
But she didn't stop.
She couldn't.
She refused to stay trapped.
Step by step, she moved toward the window.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Her hands trembled as she reached for the frame.
She pushed it open.
Cold air rushed in, brushing against her face.
For a brief moment, she hesitated.
Fear flickered in her eyes.
Then…
Determination replaced it.
She climbed out.
Her feet hit the ground outside.
Mud splashed instantly against her skin as she stumbled forward.
The cold ground sent a sharp shock through her body.
But she didn't stop.
She ran.
Her breathing grew louder, faster.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Freedom.
She was so close.
So close…
"Stop her!"
A voice shouted from behind.
Elana froze for half a second.
Then she ran faster.
Footsteps thundered behind her.
"Miss, please stop!"
But she couldn't.
She wouldn't.
A hand grabbed her arm.
She struggled immediately, shaking her head violently.
A broken sound escaped her throat…raw, desperate, filled with fear.
"Please!" one of the staff cried out. "You can't leave!"
Another voice followed, trembling.
"If you leave, he'll kill us!"
Elana froze.
Her body went still.
Her breathing slowed, but her eyes widened.
They weren't chasing her because they cared.
They were afraid.
Afraid of Luca.
The realization hit her hard.
Her strength faded.
Within seconds, they restrained her again.
Later…
The door opened once more.
Luca stepped inside.
The air in the room shifted instantly.
Elana sat quietly on the bed.
But something caught his attention immediately.
His gaze dropped.
Mud.
Dark stains covered her legs.
His expression hardened.
"What happened?" he asked coldly.
The staff exchanged nervous glances.
"Sir… she tried to escape," one of them said carefully.
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Luca stepped closer.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
His eyes locked onto her.
He was about to speak.
About to lose his temper.
But then,
She looked up.
Her eyes were red.
Tear-filled.
Not defiant.
Not angry.
Just afraid.
The words stopped.
Luca exhaled slowly.
"…Leave," he said.
The staff didn't wait.
They rushed out immediately.
The room became quiet again.
Luca stood there for a moment.
Then slowly, he walked toward her.
He crouched in front of her.
Elana flinched slightly.
But didn't pull away.
He reached out and gently held her ankle.
She stiffened.
But he didn't hurt her.
Instead, he helped her stand.
"Come," he said quietly.
He led her toward the bathroom.
Warm water flowed softly from the tap.
Luca knelt down again.
Carefully,
He began to wash the mud from her legs.
His movements were slow.
Gentle.
Unexpected.
Elana stared down at him, confusion filling her eyes.
This was not the man she knew.
Not the man who threatened her.
Not the man who spoke of killing so easily.
After a moment, Luca spoke.
Low.
Controlled.
"Who did this to you?"
Silence.
Elana said nothing.
She couldn't.
Luca's hands paused briefly.
Then continued.
"Who made you afraid like this?"
His jaw tightened.
His grip on her leg firmed slightly.
"Tell me."
His voice dropped.
Cold.
Dangerous.
"And I will kill them all."
Warm water flowed steadily from the tap, filling the quiet bathroom with a soft, continuous sound.
Luca knelt in front of her, one hand steady as he carefully rinsed the mud from Elana's legs.
The brown stains slowly washed away, revealing pale skin beneath…marked with faint bruises and scratches.
His movements were slow.
Careful.
Almost… gentle.
Too gentle for a man like him.
Elana stood still, her body tense, her fingers slightly curled at her sides as if she didn't know what to do with herself.
Her breathing was uneven.
Her chest rising and falling just a little too fast.
Her eyes never left him.
Confusion filled them.
Confusion… and something deeper.
Something heavy.
Inside her mind,
Everything was loud.
Everything was breaking.
What made you think I am Sarah?
Her chest tightened painfully.
Her gaze trembled slightly as she stared at him.
I am not her…
Her fingers twitched faintly.
How could you forget the face of your own fiancée?
A sharp, bitter feeling rose inside her.
How can you look at me… and not see the difference?
Her thoughts grew heavier.
Darker.
Look at me…
Look at me properly…
Her throat tightened.
But no sound came out.
It never did.
My name is Elana Brunette…
The words echoed silently inside her.
Not Sarah.
Her breathing became shaky.
People call me Nelly…
The name felt distant.
Like it belonged to someone she used to be.
Before everything went wrong.
Before everything broke.
Her vision blurred slightly as memories surfaced without warning.
Faces.
Voices.
Lies.
Promises that were never kept.
I have been betrayed…
Her chest ached.
Broken…
Her hands trembled slightly.
Hurt by everyone who was supposed to love me…
A tear formed slowly at the corner of her eye.
I am already in pain, Luca…
Her lips parted slightly, but no words followed.
Only silence.
Even if I tried…
Her body felt heavy.
Even if I wanted to…
Another tear slipped down her cheek.
I could never be her…
Her heart clenched tightly.
I cannot be Sarah.
Her breathing hitched.
I am not a happy bride…
The thought shattered inside her.
I am a broken bride…
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
And it hurts…
Her eyes filled completely now, the pain no longer hidden.
It hurts so much…
The tear finally fell.
Then another.
And another.
One after the other, silently tracing down her face.
No sound.
No cry.
Just quiet, unbearable pain.
And somehow…
Luca saw it.
He didn't hear her thoughts.
He didn't know her truth.
But he saw everything reflected in her eyes.
His hands slowed.
Then stopped completely.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He just looked at her.
Really looked.
Her expression.
Her trembling.
The way her body seemed like it could collapse at any moment.
This wasn't anger.
This wasn't rebellion.
This wasn't the woman who had stood at the altar with fire in her eyes.
This was someone else.
Someone fragile.
Someone already broken long before this moment.
Something inside Luca shifted.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling settled in his chest.
Uncertainty.
Doubt.
But also…
Something protective.
Elana's shoulders trembled again as another tear fell.
And that was enough.
Luca stood up abruptly.
Before she could react…
He pulled her into his arms.
"It's okay," he said, his voice lower than before, almost… gentle.
Elana froze instantly.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Her body stiffened.
She didn't move.
Didn't resist.
Didn't respond.
She simply stood there in his arms, as if unsure whether this was real or another illusion.
Luca's hand moved to the back of her head, holding her carefully.
Not tightly.
Not forcefully.
Just enough to keep her close.
"It's okay," he repeated softly.
"You're safe."
His voice carried a quiet promise.
One that didn't match the man he used to be.
"I won't let anyone hurt you again."
Elana's fingers slowly tightened against his shirt.
Her hands trembled slightly as she held onto him.
Because for the first time in what felt like forever…
Someone was holding her like she mattered.
Like she was worth protecting.
Like she wasn't alone.
But even in that moment…
Even in that fragile warmth,
A painful truth remained buried deep inside her heart.
He wasn't holding her because he knew her.
He wasn't holding her because he saw her.
He was holding her because…
He thought she was someone else.
And somehow…
That hurt just as much as everything she had already been through.