ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 211: Dream pt2

Chapter 211

KATYA POV

Nonna gestured to the edge of her bed, her eyes already bright with expectation. "Sit, sit," she urged softly. "Come closer to me."

I did as she asked, easing myself onto the mattress with care, mindful of my back. The bed dipped beneath my weight, the familiar scent of lavender and old linen wrapping around me like something protective.

Nonna wheeled forward until she was right in front of me, close enough that her knees brushed the bed frame.

She studied my face the way only she ever did, not searching for weakness, but for truth.

"First of all, how was your night, mia cara," she asked gently. "Before I tell you about my dream."

I hesitated just a second too long. Her brows lifted, playful but sharp. "You slept well, sì?"

Then, as if a sudden thought struck her, she added, "You didn’t fall asleep in that cinema room, did you, hm?"

There was a hint of scolding in her voice now, soft but unmistakable. The kind meant to wrap concern in humor. I shook my head quickly, forcing a small smile onto my lips. "No, Nonna. I didn’t," I said.

"I slept fine." The lie slid out smoother than it should have.

Her expression relaxed at once, satisfied. "Good," she said, nodding. "That place is no bed for a young girl."

I kept my gaze steady, my hands folded neatly in my lap, hoping she wouldn’t notice how carefully I was breathing.

She leaned in a little, eyes shining again, excitement returning like sunshine breaking through clouds.

"Now," she said, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, "let me tell you about my dream..."

Nonna clasped her hands together, fingers trembling slightly as if the dream were still warm in her palms.

"I saw you," she began softly. "Not as you are now... but younger. Much younger."

I blinked, my spine stiffening just a little.

"You were a child," she continued, smiling faintly. "Running through this house with bare feet and messy hair. Laughing."

Her eyes shone as she spoke, fixed somewhere far past the walls of the room. "You called me Nonna like you have always belonged here."

My chest tightened.

Always belonged?

Where is she going with this? What kind of dream is this? In my head, confusion stirred sharply.

Nonna’s smile wavered, turning fragile. "In the dream, you were family," she said. "Blood family"

She inhaled slowly, emotion creeping into her voice. "You know about my son’s death, si?." Her gaze dropped to her hands. "Romeo’s mother—my poor child—she was pregnant, with a little girl."

My breath caught without permission.

"She never got to hold her," Nonna whispered. "I never got to meet both of them together ."

Grief folded into her features, old and well-worn, like something she carried every day without complaint.

My heart softened despite myself. No matter what this family was now, that loss was real. A woman had died. A child had never been born.

I swallowed.

That’s terrible, I thought quietly. No mother deserves that. But another thought followed, sharper.

What does this have to do with me?

Nonna lifted her eyes again, searching my face. "In the dream, you were that missing laughter," she said. "That warmth. As if God gave me back what was taken... just in a different form."

Okay, my mind rushed. This is getting strange. My pulse quickened.

I felt sympathy for her—truly I did. Her loss deserved mourning. But I was Russian. An outsider. An enemy. A nobody pulled into an Italian family built on blood, violence, and legacy.

I don’t belong in anyone’s dream. Still, I stayed silent. Let her speak. Let her finish.

Nonna reached out and took my hand, her grip warm but gentle. "It made me happy," she said softly. "For the first time in a long while."

I forced a small smile, my chest tight with things I didn’t know how to name.

"That sounds... beautiful, Nonna," I said quietly.

And it did. Even if I had no idea what she was really trying to tell me.

Nonna let out a slow, shaky breath. Her hand lifted again, this time brushing gently against the bandages around my head.

The touch was careful, almost reverent, as if she were afraid I might break beneath her fingers. "I spoke with Romeo," she said softly.

My shoulders stiffened without my permission.

"About your family," she continued, her thumb resting lightly against my temple. "He told me... you have no one anymore."

The words landed quietly. No drama. No pity. Just truth. "I’m sorry, mia cara," Nonna added, her voice thickening. "No child should be alone in this world."

Something hollow opened in my chest. I kept my eyes lowered, staring at the pattern in the bedsheet, afraid that if I looked at her I might give something away.

Before, I’d only my abusive father but Romeo had killed him, not like I cared anymore. I didn’t even miss him. Never really thought of him as my father after being locked here.

So nonna being empathetic to me was not really needed. Her hand tightened just a little, as if she were gathering courage.

"In my dream," she began again, slowly, "you were not alone. You were—"

A sharp knock cut through the room. "Nonna?" a voice called from the other side of the door.

The moment shattered.

Nonna closed her eyes briefly, a quiet sigh slipping from her lips. Whatever she had been about to say stayed trapped between us, heavy and unfinished.

"Yes. Come in." She called out at last, her tone composed again. Her hand slipped from my head as the door handle turned and Mr Antonio stepped inside.

Antonio inclined his head the moment he stepped inside, his posture respectful, almost formal.

"Buongiorno, Nonna " he said warmly. "You’re looking well this morning."

Nonna’s lips curved into a polite smile, though I could tell her attention was still split—part of her lingering on whatever she’d been about to say to me.

"Good morning, Antonio," she replied. "What is it?"

Antonio’s gaze shifted then, landing on me. Not unkindly. Not curiously either. Just observant, as if weighing something he already knew.

"Romeo would like to see Katya," he said evenly. "In his office."

The room seemed to tilt.

My heart flipped violently in my chest, that it almost stole my breath for a second. Romeo. His office. Now?

Every muscle in my body tightened at once.

Why?

What now?

Images flashed too fast—steel doors, his cold eyes, the gun in his hand, the kiss I still didn’t know how to name.

††

Bonus one