Luca sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the dim glow of the city lights through the window. His mind was miles away, lost in a tangle of memories he had long tried to suppress, but they refused to be buried any longer. Everything had been going so well with Elena. Their recent closeness, the confessions, the laughter—it all felt so right, as if they were on the verge of something great. But there was a shadow hanging over them. A shadow of mistakes he had made in the past, mistakes that had pushed them apart.

Tonight, it weighed heavily on him, and it was time to confront the truth. Luca knew it was only a matter of time before those old wounds reopened, and the only way forward was to finally face what had happened years ago.

Five Years Ago

They had been inseparable—young, in love, and full of dreams. Elena was Luca's everything. She was the one person who saw him for who he really was, not the future heir to his father's empire but Luca, the boy with big dreams, a reckless heart, and a need to prove himself. He had wanted nothing more than to build a future with her, to carve out their own path far away from the expectations that had always weighed him down.

But life had a cruel way of pulling them apart.

The first time Luca realized something was wrong between them was during their last few months together. His father, Victor, had been pressuring him more than ever to take a more active role in the family business. Every day brought more responsibilities, more demands. He was torn between his love for Elena and the obligation he felt toward his father and the Russo legacy. His time with her grew shorter, the stolen moments fewer and farther between.

And then, one night, everything changed.

Luca had been in a meeting with his father, Victor, and their top executives. It was a typical business night for the Russos, discussing expansions and mergers that didn't interest Luca in the slightest. His heart was elsewhere, with Elena, who was waiting for him at the restaurant they had always gone to for their date nights.

He had promised he'd be there.

But the meeting had dragged on, and by the time Luca arrived at the restaurant, Elena was gone. He had stood outside, staring at the empty table, feeling a pit of guilt deep in his stomach. This wasn't the first time he'd missed an important moment. He knew she was getting tired of it—tired of always waiting, always playing second to his obligations.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into the empty night, but it was too late.

The tension between them only grew from that point on. Elena tried to be understanding, she really did. She always told him she believed in his potential, that she was willing to wait. But Luca could see it in her eyes—the disappointment, the frustration, the sense that something was slipping away.

He didn't blame her. He hated himself for not being able to give her the time and attention she deserved. He hated himself for not being strong enough to walk away from the demands of the business, from the expectations that had been placed on him since birth.

And then came the breaking point.

It was a crisp autumn night, and they had planned to spend the weekend at a cabin just outside the city. It was supposed to be a time for them to reconnect, to escape the pressures of their lives and just be together. But even then, Luca's phone had rung constantly—calls from his father, from clients, from business partners. He had tried to ignore them at first, but eventually, the weight of it all became too much.

Elena had been sitting by the fire, wrapped in a blanket, watching the flames flicker as they danced in the hearth. Luca had been pacing, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, an argument with his father ringing in his ears.

"Just leave it, Luca," Elena had said softly, her voice filled with exhaustion. "We came here to be together. Can't it wait?"

But it couldn't wait. At least, that's what Luca had told himself.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I just... I need to take care of this. I'll be back in a minute."

That "minute" turned into hours. By the time Luca returned to the cabin, the fire had died down, and Elena was gone.

She hadn't said goodbye. She hadn't left a note. And Luca knew, deep down, that it was over.

Present Day

Luca ran a hand through his hair, the weight of the memories pressing down on him. That night had been the last straw for Elena, and he couldn't blame her. He had pushed her away, even when she had fought to stay. His inability to prioritize her, to be the partner she needed, had driven a wedge between them.

And what had he done after that?

He had made the worst decision of his life.

In his desperation to fill the void Elena had left behind, Luca had turned to Shanaya. It hadn't been love—not really. Shanaya was a distraction, a way to numb the pain of losing Elena. She was there, willing to be with him, and at the time, Luca had convinced himself that it was enough. But it wasn't. Not even close.

Shanaya had seen it as something more, though. She had always wanted more from Luca, and when she realized that his heart would never truly belong to her, things had become complicated. Shanaya had clung to him, always hoping that one day, he would love her the way she wanted to be loved. But Luca knew, deep down, that his heart had never stopped belonging to Elena.

He had thought about Elena every day since they broke up. Every time he saw her, his heart ached with the weight of what could have been. And now, here they were, on the cusp of something new. Something that could heal the wounds of the past, if only he had the courage to face it.

Luca stood up from the bed, pacing the room as he tried to sort through his thoughts. He didn't want to make the same mistakes again. He didn't want to hurt Elena like he had before. But the truth was, he was terrified. Terrified that no matter how much he wanted to make things right, he would somehow mess it all up again.

But there was one thing he knew for sure: he loved her. He had always loved her, and he would do anything to make things right this time.

Luca grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found Elena's name. His thumb hovered over the call button, his heart pounding in his chest. He needed to talk to her. He needed to explain everything—to tell her how much he regretted the way things had ended, how much he still cared for her.

But before he could press the button, a knock sounded at his door.

He opened it to find his mother standing there, her expression soft and knowing.

"Luca," she said gently, stepping into the room. "I thought I might find you here, lost in your thoughts."

Luca smiled weakly, closing the door behind her. "I just... I can't stop thinking about everything. About Elena, about the mistakes I made."

His mother sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. "You were young, Luca. You were under so much pressure back then. It's not surprising that things went the way they did. But that doesn't mean you can't fix it now."

Luca sighed, sitting beside her. "But what if I can't? What if I just end up hurting her again?"

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with compassion. "The fact that you're asking that question shows how much you've grown. You've learned from your mistakes, Luca. You're not the same person you were back then. And neither is Elena."

She smiled softly. "You have a second chance, Luca. Don't be afraid to take it. But you need to be honest with her. About everything."

Luca nodded, the weight of her words sinking in. She was right. He couldn't keep running from his past mistakes. He needed to face them head-on if he wanted any chance at a future with Elena.

Later that night, Luca found himself standing outside Elena's apartment. His heart raced as he raised his hand to knock. This was it. The moment he had been avoiding for years. But this time, he wouldn't run. He wouldn't hide.

Because Elena was worth fighting for.

The door opened, and Elena stood there, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Luca?" she asked her voice soft and filled with uncertainty.

Luca took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. "Elena, we need to talk. About everything."

And as he stepped inside, Luca knew that this was the beginning of something new—something that could finally bring them the closure they both needed, and maybe, just maybe, the chance at the love they had both been waiting for.