“I loved you,” she whispered, her voice faint as darkness closed in. “But I had to let you go.”

Lucas’s breath was hot against her ear, his voice a low murmur. “You didn’t let me go, Michelle. You left. But now… now we’ll get back what we lost.”

Michelle’s world collapsed into blackness, a heavy, inescapable void that consumed her. But even in that darkness, flashes of her and Lucas danced behind her eyes: the laughter, the tenderness, the passion. The betrayal, heartbreak, and fear.

When she awoke, the cold stone floor was gone. She was no longer chained to the chair. Instead, she was lying on a bed—a soft, warm bed, wrapped in silky sheets that clung to her skin. The scent of lavender filled the air, and dim, golden light bathed the room. It felt safe, familiar, almost… comforting.

Confused, Michelle sat up slowly, her head throbbing. Her mind was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. She loved him. But she had fled to save herself. And now Lucas had found her again.

The door to the room creaked open, and her heart skipped a beat. There he was, standing in the doorway. This was Lucas, as she remembered him—strong jawline, piercing blue eyes that once made her feel so alive. His face was a mix of pain and longing.

“You’re awake,” he murmured, his voice no longer cold or menacing. There was a vulnerability there, something almost tender. He took a step toward her, but Michelle instinctively pulled back.

“Lucas,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “What… what is this? Why am I here?”

He stopped, his gaze filled with regret. “You don’t understand, Michelle. I had to do this. You left me, but I never stopped loving you.”

Michelle’s chest tightened. She could see the love in his eyes, but it tangled with something darker, something that frightened her. “Lucas, what we had… it wasn’t love. Not at the end. You changed. You scared me.”

Lucas flinched as if her words had struck him like a physical blow. “I never meant to hurt you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I only wanted to protect you. To keep you with me.”

Tears welled up in Michelle’s eyes. She remembered how his love had been intoxicating at first—how she had felt drawn to his intensity, his passion. But then it had turned into something suffocating, something that had consumed her.

“I loved you,” she said, her voice trembling. “But I had to leave, Lucas. You know that.”

He shook his head, his expression torn between anger and desperation. “I was wrong. I should have never let it get that far. But we can fix this. We can start over.”

Michelle’s heart ached. Part of her wanted to believe him, wanted to fall back into his arms and forget everything that had happened. But it wasn’t so easy.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “We can’t go back. Too much has happened.”

Lucas stared at her, his eyes searching hers as if trying to see the woman she had been. Then, slowly, he walked toward the bed and knelt in front of her, his hands trembling as he reached for hers.

 “I’ll be better this time. Please don’t leave me again,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Michelle’s heart broke at the raw vulnerability in his voice. This was the Lucas she had fallen in love with—the man who had made her feel like she was the center of his universe.

She gently pulled her hands away, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I loved you once, but we’re not the same people anymore. We can’t go back.”

Lucas stared at her, his face crumbling as if her words had shattered him. For a long moment, neither of them spoke, the silence heavy with unspoken emotions.

Finally, Lucas stood, his expression resigned. “You will love me again,” he declared.

With that, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving Michelle alone in the dimly lit room. As the door clicked shut behind him, Michelle’s chest tightened with a bittersweet ache.