ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 210: A dream

Chapter 210

KATYA POV

The morning light slipped through the sheer curtains. I’d managed a bath, or at least the closest thing to it I could handle without unwrapping the bandages on my back and head.

The water had been lukewarm, just enough to rinse away the stickiness of sweat and fear. I hadn’t lingered—every splash of water against my bruised skin reminded me of how fragile I still was.

I dressed carefully, pulling on the simplest clothes I owned: a soft blouse that didn’t rub against my wounds and a pair of loose pants.

I avoided anything tight or elaborate. The slightest discomfort sent a prickling reminder of last night’s chaos through my shoulders and spine.

Walking barefoot across the polished floor, I felt each step echo in the quiet halls. Every shadow, every flicker of light from the windows made me pause, forcing my breathing to steady.

The basement felt like a memory I couldn’t shake—the chill of steel against my back, the weight of his gaze. And the kiss.

My stomach clenched at the thought. Nonna’s floor, I needed to get to nonna. The first floor was warm, as I moved carefully to the elevator.

Nonna had always been kind to me, more than anyone in this house had ever been. And today, I had so much to tell her: everything about Adelasia, my attack after the cinema and the strange family feud running through the this family.

But some things—some things weren’t hers to know. That kiss, that terrifying, confusing brush of lips... I wouldn’t tell her. I didn’t even know how to frame it in my own mind, let alone in hers.

So I kept my head low, letting the soft morning light guide me forward, trying to hold onto the part of me that knew I still had a choice.

As I entered the elevator, my thoughts betrayed me—slipping back to the plan I’d made in the dark, curled up in bed like a coward pretending to be brave.

Play him.

The idea had felt sharp then. Desperate, but sharp. Like a weapon I could hold.

Now?

Now it felt ridiculous.

I almost scoffed under my breath. What the hell was I thinking?

Play Romeo Salvatore? The man who ruled this house with bullets and silence? The man who didn’t hesitate to pull a trigger or bend people to his will like they were nothing?

How exactly was I supposed to do that?

My breath slowed as doubt gnawed at me. I didn’t have anything special to offer. I wasn’t charming.

I wasn’t clever in the way women like Marina were—effortlessly beautiful, confident, polished like they belonged beside men like him.

Heck I didn’t even go to school. I glanced down at myself, at the careful way my clothes hid my bandages, at my bare feet, at the faint ache still stitched into my body.

I wasn’t pretty. I didn’t have a fine body. I wasn’t desirable.

At least... that’s what my fear kept whispering.

The thought made my stomach twist. So what exactly are you planning to use, Katya? I asked myself bitterly. Hope? Luck? Delusion?

But even as the doubt flooded in, something stubborn stayed planted in my chest. I didn’t need to be perfect.

I didn’t need to be Marina. I just needed a chance to have someone who was kind to me outside.

Someone who had nothing to do with my cursed life. I’ll try, I told myself quietly. Even if it kills me.

The elevator opened and I walked out, avoiding any guard’s eye, thinking any of them might know what happened between me and their wicked boss.

I stopped in front of Nonna’s door. The familiar warmth of it steadied me more than I expected. This was safe. As safe as anything in this house could be.

I lifted my hand and knocked once, softly, before turning the handle and stepping inside.

"Nonna?" I said gently as the door closed behind me. Nonna looked up the moment I stepped inside and her face lit up.

A bright, genuine smile spread across her features, the kind that made the room feel warmer just by existing.

"Ah—there you are," she said, her voice full and pleased. "My lovely girl."

Before I could even turn fully to close the door behind me, she was already moving. Her wheelchair rolled forward with surprising speed,.

"Come here, bella," she added fondly, reaching out as if afraid I might disappear if she didn’t grab me fast enough. "You look like morning itself."

I smiled back automatically, the tension in my chest loosening despite myself. It was impossible not to.

Nonna’s happiness was infectious, buzzing, bright, almost too light for a house that had swallowed so much darkness.

Why is she so happy?

The question echoed in my head as she drew closer, her eyes scanning my face with affection, not suspicion.

Didn’t she know? Didn’t anyone tell her what happened last night? About the death. About the lockdown? About the blood that had soaked into these walls like it always did.

My chest tightened.

I had planned to tell her. I really had. About Adelasia. About the what happened after the cinema.

About the way this family was tearing itself apart from the inside. I needed her to know—needed someone to know.

But I still know this house thrived on gossip. Secrets never stayed buried for long. Yet here she was—smiling, radiant, like nothing terrible had touched her morning.

My plan be the one to give her the gist faltered. Not now, I decided quietly, watching her eyes crinkle as she smiled at me. I won’t be the one to ruin this.

If there was news of death to be told, of violence and betrayal, it could wait. I could tell her later—when the smile wasn’t so easy, when the morning didn’t still feel gentle in her hands.

"Mia cara, I had a wonderful dream." I blinked, the words catching me off guard. A dream? The single word echoed in my head as I looked at her.

"Yes," Nonna said, nodding eagerly, her smile widening as if the memory itself was lighting her from the inside.

Joy danced in her eyes, pure and untouched. "A very wonderful dream." I found myself smiling back, softer this time, the weight in my chest easing just a little.

"A dream?" I repeated quietly.

She nodded again, full of certainty, as if it were the best kind of truth.

††

I could see we are now having 30+ Powers and finally the five honest reviews.

So y’all expect the three bonus Chapters, thanks.

Btw, what is your guess about the dream lol