ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 205: Clean up

Chapter 205

ROMEO POV

Katya’s door closed down the hall. I didn’t look after her. My attention was already back where it belonged.

"James?" He moved instantly. Not toward the body. Not toward Marina. Toward me.

"Real status," I added, my voice even.

"Security lockdown complete," he replied. "No further internal leaks. No outbound signals. Marco is currently being interrogated by Sir Antonio. He isn’t cooperating."

We’ll see. I shifted my shoulder slightly. The fabric pulled where it had stiffened with blood.

The pain registered, sharp and precise, but I filed it away. The bullet had only grazed me. I didn’t need a doctor. Not at the moment.

My eyes went back to the tablet. "James," I said without looking up. "Pick up my papers."

He moved immediately. I heard the faint shuffle as he crouched, the soft rasp of documents being gathered from the blood-slick floor. No hesitation. No reaction. Just efficiency.

And that’s what I love most about him, he was my most loyal man. He doesn’t ask questions to much unlike Antonio.

I swiped the screen. The footage opened without sound at first. Grainy. Night-mode. A timestamp blinking in the corner.

The first frame froze my hand for a fraction of a second.

Adelasia.

She was dressed in black, moving through the west corridor with purpose, her posture calm, familiar.

She knew the blind spots. She knew the cameras. I’d shown her myself years ago.

My jaw tightened. She didn’t hesitate at the security door leading to the lower level. The keypad flashed green.

Basement access granted. So it had been her. She was the one who’d gone down there. The one who’d opened Marina’s lock.

Whatever lingering guilt that had tried to crawl its way into my chest evaporated instantly. Burned off by the cold clarity of proof.

Betrayal always looks smaller on screen. Cleaner. Easier to destroy.

I swiped again. The footage jumped forward. Katya appeared in the frame outside this very elevator, barefoot, exhausted, mind somewhere else.

Everything played like before but this time there wasn’t a glitch. I saw as a shadow moved.

My fingers curled slightly around the edge of the tablet. Adelasia struck fast, metal hand hitting Katya head. An arm around Katya’s shoulders, dragging her forward.

Katya struggling immediately, hard but Reckless. She kicked, twisted, fought like someone with nothing to lose.

It was good instincts but a very sloppy execution. I was impressed with her not freezing like always.

I watched without blinking as Katya bit, clawed, slammed her elbow back with raw desperation. She fought like she didn’t expect saving.

I leaned back slightly, pausing as I saw Marina walking out of my expression hardening as i final piece settled into place.

Adelasia had been the one to Marina escape. She’d sabotaged my systems. And then she’d gone after Katya personally.

But why?

Why risk everything for Marina? They were not even friends from what he knew. And more importantly....

Why target Katya at all. My eyes narrowed at the frozen frame on the screen, Katya mid-struggle, defiant even while overpowered.

James straightened beside me, papers secured, waiting for my attention. I looked at him, holding out the tablet to him while he held the papers out to me.

We exchanged items, I flipped through the files once. I already knew what I’d find before I reached the header.

VALEROS.

Marina was so stupid to not had tried to escape for freedom. She’d been trying to steal. Papers she thought were leverage. Papers she thought still mattered.

Pathetic.

She still didn’t even know her dad was dead, I scoffed, She didn’t know that this papers were nothing now.

The Valeros estate had collapsed weeks ago. Assets seized. Power dismantled. Whatever authority these papers once carried had died with their head.

Adelasia had gambled her life on a corpse. I handed the file back to James. "Clear it," I said.

He took the papers and waited, perfectly still, eyes on me. My gaze swept the hall once more. The blood drying into the marble. Marina’s unconscious form sprawled where she’d fallen. The body on the floor near the wall.

I didn’t look at it long enough to name it.

"Clear everything on the floor."

"Yes, Don."

"Burn the body, she doesn’t deserve a ceremonial burial," I added calmly, Adelasia has laid her bed and I gladly put her to rest.

James nodded his head once. "And the other body?" He asked, looking at the other one unconscious body.

"Take her back to the basement. Secure room. Full restraints." He tapped his earpiece, already relaying the order.

"Keep Marco alive and awake. No matter what he says. No matter how long it takes."

"Understood." James met my eyes.

"I’ll deal with them another day." James moved immediately, issuing quiet instructions as men began to arrive from the lower level.

I looked once more at the bodies before turning, about to leave but stopped dead as I forgot to instruct James to fetch a doctor for katya.

Her head has been bleeding and all her injuries are sure to reopen after all that fight.

I turned to one of my men passing, "Call a doctor." The man passing me stiffened instantly. "For—"

"To the Donna’s room" I cut in, already moving, not thinking to much about it as I headed toward my wing.

Halfway down the hall, my gaze shifted. Katya’s door.

Closed.

Just as I’d ordered.

I slowed, then stopped altogether.

I’d told her to stay inside. To lock the door. Simple instructions. Survival-level instructions.

Still, I found myself turning away from my room. I changed direction, approaching her door. No sounds from inside. No movement beneath the frame.

I stood there for a brief moment, listening.

Nothing.

Good.

I raised my hand to open it and it was locked. I was satisfied that she had listened. At least something went well tonight. I turned and walked into my room.

Tomorrow would bring answers.

But tonight, I made sure the pieces stayed exactly where I wanted them.

††

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