Chapter 4 Ava's Pov

The woman stepped closer, her hands trembling as she reached for me. Her eyes were wide, filled with shock and something else longing, perhaps.

"Luciana...?" she whispered, her voice trembling, eyes wide.

I blinked at her, stunned. "I-I'm sorry?" The words escaped my mouth before I could even fully understand what was happening.

She paused, her expression faltering, as if trying to make sense of my reaction. "Luciana... is that really you? After all these years?" Her hand hovered in the air, reaching for me, but she hesitated, unsure if it was appropriate.

I took a cautious step back, feeling a strange unease settle in my chest. "I don't understand... Who is Luciana?"

The woman's eyes widened, a tear escaping down her cheek. "But... you're-" She stopped herself, biting her lip, her hands trembling even more now. "You look just like her. Exactly like her..."

I glanced at Maria, seeking any sign of explanation, but she just watched in silence, her face unreadable. The room felt suddenly too big, the air heavy with unspoken words and unanswered questions.

The man who had entered earlier still stood frozen in place, staring at me with wide eyes. He muttered under his breath, almost to himself, "It can't be... Luciana is gone... We've heard of her death... years ago." His voice was hoarse, filled with disbelief.

The woman, who was still staring at me as if I were a ghost, shook her head in confusion, then stepped closer. "Oh my God," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but thick with emotion. "Elena..."

I swallowed hard, the name piercing me. "Elena...?" I repeated, the word slipping from my mouth without thought. It sounded so familiar, like something I should know, yet it felt foreign at the same time.

The woman's breath caught in her throat. "My little baby... You've been gone for so long, we thought we lost you." She reached out, her hand hovering over my cheek before gently cupping it. "Elena, is it really you?"

The weight of her words crashed into me. Elena? Was that who I was? But... I didn't know who I was. How could I? My mind felt like a blank slate, with only vague flashes of memories that seemed to slip away as quickly as they came.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't remember... I don't know who Elena is."

The woman's face faltered, but then she blinked rapidly, as if trying to convince herself that I was telling the truth. She looked at me with such a mix of disbelief and sadness, her face so familiar yet not. There was something about her that made my heart race, something in the way she looked at me like she had been waiting for this moment forever.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she gently pulled me into a tight hug, her voice shaking. "You look just like her," she murmured, her arms wrapped around me as if afraid to let go. "My sister, Luciana... she....she's gone. We thought you were too. But you're here. You're alive."

I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to feel. The name, Luciana, lingered in my mind, like a whisper I couldn't quite hear. Why did it feel like I should know her, like I should remember? But all I could see was the woman in front of me, her face so full of love and hope, yet filled with sorrow, too.

I stood there, feeling like an imposter in my own skin, unable to reconcile the feelings rising within me.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, my voice trembling now. "I don't know who you are either."

The woman stepped back, wiping her tears away hastily, as if embarrassed by her emotional reaction. Her gaze softened, and she looked at me as though seeing me for the first time, truly seeing me.

"My name is Mirabel," she said softly, her voice filled with grief and relief in equal measure. "Luciana's sister."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. Luciana's sister... That meant this woman, Mirabel, was family. But how could she be? How could I know her, yet not know her at all?

Mirabel's gaze didn't leave me. "We were so worried about you. We thought we had lost you forever," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "We didn't know what had happened to you. It's been... years."

I couldn't speak. The words felt locked in my throat, caught between the confusion and pain of not knowing my own past, my own identity.

Maria, who had been silent for a moment, spoke up then, her voice steady but filled with concern. "Ava, I know this is a lot. But you... you can't remember anything from before?" Her words felt like a confirmation, not just for me, but for Mirabel as well.

I shook my head slowly, my hands trembling slightly as I tried to process everything. "No, I... I don't remember anything. It's all just... blank."

Mirabel looked at me with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "It's okay, sweetie. We'll help you. We'll help you remember."

But as she spoke, I found myself growing overwhelmed. The flood of emotions, the questions, the uncertainty, it was too much. I could feel my chest tightening, my breath coming in short gasps as I tried to control the panic rising in me.

Without thinking, I excused myself. "I need... I need some air," I whispered, taking a step back. "I'll be outside, just for a bit."

Before either of them could respond, I turned and walked out of the room, heading for the garden. The cool air hit my face, and I breathed it in deeply, trying to calm the storm inside me. The weight of everything, of who I might be, of the memories I was supposed to have but didn't, was suffocating.

I didn't know what was happening in my life. I didn't know who I was. And I certainly didn't know what to do next.

What the hell is happening in my life?