Chapter 3

Serena's POV

Our car stopped in the back alley of an old casino. Through the window, I could see garbage cans reeking with stench, walls crawling with rust-colored water stains. It was dark and damp, completely unlike anywhere that would hold important clues. An ominous feeling spread through my chest.

"What are we doing here?" I asked Luca, my voice trembling slightly.

He didn't answer directly, instead pointing toward the casino's employee entrance. "You'll find out soon enough."

His demeanor made me even more uneasy. We got out and walked toward a rundown apartment building. Luca pressed the doorbell three times before we finally heard something hitting the floor inside and slow footsteps. After a long while, the door slowly opened.

A disheveled man appeared in the doorway, his left leg in a cast, leaning on a crutch. When he saw me and Luca, his whole body began trembling.

"I'm sorry, Serena! I was wrong, I shouldn't have treated you like that!" he pleaded. "You've already taught me a lesson, please just leave me alone!"

I stared at this stranger, nausea rising in my chest. He clearly knew me, but I had no memory of him whatsoever. More importantly, he definitely wasn't Elias. This man reeked of failure and desperation, completely different from the elegant, powerful Elias in my mind.

"I don't know him!" I shook my head frantically. "He's absolutely not Elias!"

Luca turned to me, his expression growing serious. "Then tell me, who exactly is Elias? What does he look like? What business is he in?"

I opened my mouth to answer, only to realize I couldn't describe any specific details. This discovery terrified me. Why were my memories of Elias so vague? His face was always like looking through fog in my mind. I only remembered the feeling of being loved and protected, but I couldn't grasp any concrete details.

But I still firmly believed that this limping man before me was absolutely not the Elias in my heart.

Seeing I couldn't say anything, Luca declared bluntly: "There is no Elias Monroe! The name you carved in your hospital room was all a symptom of your delusions!"

Those words hit me like a sledgehammer. Could Elias really be just my hallucination? But that feeling of being loved was so real...

He pointed to the man slumped in the doorway. "This casino lowlife is your only boyfriend. His name is Caleb Foster."

Luca began detailing how Caleb had deceived my feelings, embezzled the family charity funds I managed, and how he threatened me after squandering the money. Every detail made me feel sick and angry, even though I couldn't remember these things.

"After he hurt you, you had an emotional breakdown. To escape reality, you fantasized about a perfect arms dealer lover," Luca's voice carried pity. "Elias is a false identity you created during your mental breakdown."

Just then, a tearing pain shot through my head. I clutched my head with both hands, feeling like my brain was being ripped apart. A "memory" was suddenly awakened, blurry fragments gradually becoming clear and coherent.

Painful memories began flooding back. I "remembered" Caleb approaching me disguised as an investment advisor, his refined appearance hiding a greedy nature. He gained my trust and affection, sweet-talking me into following him to Chicago.

During our cohabitation, he whispered sweet nothings in bed, promising me a beautiful future while I was completely immersed in the illusion of love. Meanwhile, he was secretly using my financial access to embezzle family charity funds for illegal gambling.

When the money was gone, his true nature was completely exposed. He threatened to expose my financial irregularities, and to cover the shortfall, I had no choice but to work at bars to earn money. Later Luca discovered everything, rescued me, and punished Caleb.

These memories surged so violently, accompanied by intense shame and the pain of betrayal. I was almost drowning in these emotions. Now I finally understood how Luca had found me.

The psychiatric clinic doctors discovered the words I'd carved, knowing I came to Chicago looking for Elias. Based on my "history" with Caleb, Luca deduced I might have fled to Chicago's bars.

These memories were so complete and coherent, the pain so real. My rational mind told me that the pain of Caleb's betrayal was indeed enough to trigger mental illness.

But at the same time, a voice deep inside was desperately protesting: this was all too perfect.

Then Luca took my hand, his voice becoming gentle. "Serena, do you remember anything now?"

His touch sent a chill through me. I wanted to pull my hand away but was afraid of angering him.

He looked at me earnestly. "Now do you believe I wasn't lying to you? We just want to help you get better."

Then he persuaded me to go back and explain to David: "David has feelings for you. The engagement can still proceed normally."

Hearing David's name, a surge of anger instantly broke through all the confusion and fear. Regardless of whether everything else was real, David Cooper was absolutely a lie. Thinking back to my previous interactions with him, that hypocritical performance made me sick.

"Enough!" I roared, cutting off Luca.

I accused: "I'm not sure if Elias is fake, but that David Cooper you're talking about is definitely fake!"

"The man I met isn't a real tech entrepreneur at all. You're lying to me too!"

Despair washed over me like a tide. I felt like a manipulated puppet with everyone pulling different strings. I didn't know what was real, what was fake, or even if my own memories could be trusted.

I pleaded: "Luca, please, just tell me the truth directly. What exactly do you want to do to me?"

Caleb still cowered in the doorway while Luca's expression became unreadable under the dim streetlight.

Standing between these two men, I felt trapped in a massive maze of lies.

I didn't know what to believe anymore, didn't know what to rely on. The only certainty was that I had to find the truth, even if it would completely destroy me.