The Reckoning

Elena was awake.

Luca should have felt relief, should have believed that everything was finally falling into place. But as he sat beside her, watching the way her fingers trembled against the sheets, he knew—

Something wasn't right.

She was different.

Her body had survived, but her spirit… something had shifted.

"Elena," he murmured, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "Talk to me."

She exhaled shakily, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "How long was I out?"

"Five days."

Her lips pressed together. "And in those five days, you didn't kill Valerio."

Luca stiffened. "No."

Elena turned to him then, her gaze sharp. "You should have."

His breath caught.

"Elena—"

"I know you, Luca." Her voice was quiet, but it carried weight. "You don't let people who hurt you walk away. So why?"

He hesitated.

Because he'd seen something in her, even unconscious. Because he knew if he crossed that final line, he might never come back.

But none of that mattered now.

"He's nothing," Luca said finally. "We have bigger problems."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dante pushed open the door before he could answer.

"We've got trouble." His face was grim. "Valerio's not our problem anymore."

Luca rose to his feet. "Then who is?"

Dante tossed a phone onto the bed.

Luca picked it up. A video played on the screen.

A masked figure sat in a dimly lit room, their voice distorted.

"You thought this was over. You thought she was safe. But the fire has only just begun."

The video cut out.

Elena's breath hitched.

Luca's jaw clenched.

Whoever they were, they weren't just coming for him.

They were coming for her.

---

Next Chapter: Shadows of the Past—Luca and Elena prepare for war as a new enemy emerges from the darkness, threatening to destroy everything they've fought to protect.