ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 177: CCTV

Chapter 177

ROMEO POV

What the fuck am I doing.

The thought hit me the moment her weight settled fully against my chest.

Katya was light, her arms were still curled inward, fingers gripping the front of my shirt like it was the only solid thing left in the world.

Her face was buried against my shoulder, breath uneven, exhaustion finally winning where panic had ruled minutes ago.

I stood there for a second longer than necessary, recalibrating. This wasn’t a move. This wasn’t strategy.

There was no advantage to be gained from carrying a shattered girl through my hallway. And yet my feet moved anyway.

Nonna watched me lift Katya carefully, her gaze was sharp, assessing—not approving, not stopping me either.

Just measuring whether I would drop what I’d finally chosen to hold. Katya stirred slightly as I adjusted my grip, a small sound escaping her.

My body reacted before my mind could interfere. "It’s okay," I murmured, low and steady. "I’ve got you."

The words settled her as her head tucked closer into the hollow of my shoulder, breath puffing warm against my collarbone.

She didn’t look at me. Didn’t ask where we were going. Either she didn’t care or she trusted me enough not to ask.

I doubt the latter, she would rather trust a moving train than me. I wouldn’t even trust myself. I tightened my hold without meaning to.

My room was at the far end. There wasn’t anywhere to take her to, her old room had been damaged by marina—my fault— and I don’t think Katya would feel safe in the infirmary.

My room was the safest place. The most guarded. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

You don’t bring prisoners into your bedroom, a voice in my head snapped.

You don’t bring leverage where you sleep, I remember locking her in there before but Katya wasn’t either of those things anymore.

Her breathing hitched once as I passed the threshold into my room, then slowly evened out again.

I nudged the door shut with my foot, crossing to the bed and hesitated.

Another first. I didn’t hesitate.

Lowering her carefully, I set her down against the pillows, keeping one arm behind her shoulders until I was sure she wouldn’t slump forward.

She blinked sluggishly, lashes fluttering, eyes unfocused but calmer.

Still here.

I straightened, intending to step back—to give space, to reclaim some distance before this went any further off the rails.

Her hand caught my wrist. Not tight. Not demanding. Just there My gaze dropped to where her fingers curled around me.

She didn’t look up. Didn’t speak. But she didn’t let go either. "I will go get the doctor." nonna broke the stillness. I exhaled slowly through my nose, nodding my head to her.

The door clicked shut behind Nonna, I didn’t pull my wrist away.

Katya’s fingers were still looped around it. I stood there, caught in that fragile grip, unsure of what the correct response was supposed to be.

Comfort manuals didn’t exist for this. There were no rules for what to do when someone trusted you by accident.

"You’re safe," I said finally, not because I was sure, but because she needed to hear it from someone who sounded like certainty and I needed to get out of here.

Her eyes shifted toward me. They weren’t fully focused yet, but they weren’t empty either. That was progress.

"Don’t..." Her voice was rough, scraped thin. "Don’t leave."

The words hit harder than any accusation ever could. I nodded once. "I’m not."

I eased my wrist gently, slowly, testing. She didn’t tighten her grip but she didn’t let go either.

So I compromised. I sat down on the edge of the bed instead. The mattress dipped. She flinched, instinctively, then relaxed when nothing followed.

Her shoulders sagged a fraction, like she’d been holding them up for years. I noticed then how small she looked in my bed.

Swallowed by dark sheets, hair tangled, skin too pale against black silk, her back was soaked in blood.

I’m surprised she hasn’t passed out, it’s my fault. What! when did my mind started blaming itself?

I reached for the blanket, hesitated, then pulled it up carefully around her shoulders.

She watched the movement closely and didn’t recoil.

Another first.

Katya’s eyelids fluttered, heavy now, her body giving in to the crash after the storm. But just before sleep claimed her, her lips moved again.

"I’m sorry," she whispered.

I didn’t ask for what.

The door opened.The sound alone saved me from the conversation all together. Nonna wheeled back in, the doctor right behind her, white coat crisp against the dark of my room.

The shift in the air was immediate—professional, clinical—and Katya felt it before I could warn her.

She flinched violently. Her hand tightened on my wrist, her body shifting closer without thought, like instinct dragged her there.

Her shoulder pressed into my side, breath hitching sharp and fast.

I froze.

What the fuck....

The doctor stopped short, reading the room instantly. Her gaze flicked from Katya’s white-knuckled grip on me to her rigid posture, then back to Nonna.

"She’s struggling mentally," she said quietly. Not a question.

"Yes," Nonna replied just as softly. "She’s been hurt enough for one lifetime."

Katya’s trembling started again, subtle at first—then stronger. Her breathing picked up, shallow and uneven, eyes darting to the door, to the doctor, back to me.

"It’s okay," I said quickly, before the spiral could take hold. I angled my body slightly toward her, grounding. "It’s just the doctor. No one’s here to hurt you."

Her fingers dug in harder. The doctor lifted hers hands, palms open. "I won’t touch you unless you say it’s okay," she told her calmly.

"We just need to make sure you’re bandages are intact but with look of things, it needs changing"

Katya didn’t answer. Her head tipped forward, forehead brushing my arm. That was answer enough—for me, anyway.

Nonna leaned closer. "Tesoro, look at me," she coaxed. "You’re doing very well. Just breathing. That’s all."

The doctor nodded once, reassessing. "She’s bleeding through her top," she said gently. "I’ll need to remove it to check her back"

I already knew what that meant. I straightened immediately. "I’ll step out."

Katya’s head snapped up.

"No."

The word came out broken, panicked. Her grip tightened like a reflex. "Please—don’t leave."

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic. It was terrified. I looked to Nonna.She understood instantly. Her chair rolled closer, her presence calm and immovable.

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice so only Katya could hear. "I’ll be right outside," I said. "Nonna’s here. I’m not far." Her eyes searched my face, frantic, like she was memorizing it in case it vanished.

Nonna reached for her hand, covering it gently. "I’m right here, cara. Look at me."

That was my opening. Slowly, I eased my wrist free. Katya made a small sound of protest, but Nonna immediately filled the space, speaking softly, drawing her attention away.

I stood, backing toward the door without turning my back on her. Her eyes followed me until the last possible second.

Then I stepped out. The door closed quietly behind me.

I leaned my forehead against the wood for half a breath longer than necessary.

Get it together.

From inside, I could hear Nonna’s voice—low, steady, unbreakable. Katya’s breathing, uneven but slowing.

She was in good hands. "Romeo" A hand to my shoulder startled me. Instinct took over.

I grabbed the wrist and slammed the body into the wall before my brain could catch up, forearm pinning, fingers already tightening, every nerve on high alert.

"Don’t ever—" I stopped.

Antonio.

His back hit the wall with a dull thud, more surprise than pain flashing across his face. My grip released instantly, like I’d touched fire.

"Don’t do that again," I growled, already stepping back.

Antonio straightened his jacket slowly, eyes narrowed. "I just called your name," he said evenly. "Once."

I didn’t apologize. My attention was already shifting away.

"Have you done what I asked?" I said. "Marina. And the maid."

Antonio nodded. "They’re in the basement." He stop. One, two, thre..."You know this could start a war."

And here it was. I turned toward the corridor, already moving. "Then I’ll end it."

Antonio followed, his footsteps matching mine. "Romeo..."

"The CCTV," I cut in, having no time for a useless argument. "From the Volkov estate. Do you still have it?"

He hesitated. "Yes. You didn’t want to see it before."

"I want it now," I said. That made him stop. Really stop.

"You’re sure?" he asked. He so surprised by my sudden eagerness to check katya’s former home footage.

I had ordered them to get the CCTV before our attack but I never ever checked it, never had the time but now I do.

I needed to know if Katya was truly what my nonna is trying to say she was.

A victim.

"Take it to my office."

††

What do you think