140: Newfound status.

Elena.

I opened my eyes, my mind struggling to make sense of the warmth and color that surrounded me. I was alive, and that fact alone was both surprising and bewildering. How could I be alive? I vividly remembered the feeling of Bruno's hands around my throat, squeezing the life out of me. The coldness had consumed me, and I had embraced the certainty of death. But now, here I was, staring up at Luca's anxious face.

"Luca, what... what happened?" I managed to whisper, my voice weak and filled with disbelief.

His eyes searched mine, his worry etched deeply into his expression.

"Elena, I planned it," he confessed, his voice laced with a mixture of guilt and determination. "When Alessandro discovered your true identity, I knew DeAngelo wouldn't forgive you easily, especially with his memory loss. So, I secretly injected you with a toxin—a drug that simulates death."

I blinked, trying to absorb his words. He had risked everything to save me, resorting to an experimental drug that cou