ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 224: Little sister
Chapter 224
KATYA POV
The drive had been quiet, the city streets giving way to winding roads lined with dense trees. Shadows stretched across the windshield, twisting and darkening as the sun dipped below the horizon.
I glanced out at the woods on either side, feeling the chill of the evening settle into my chest.
If I ever tried to run, I thought grimly, I wouldn’t make it to civilization without something already finding me.
The isolation was suffocating, but safe. At least, safe for now. After almost an hour, the car slowed, rolling toward iron gates that rose for us to enter.
The sleek car came to a stop and I helped Nonna down first, "Careful, Nonna," I said, stepping forward to steady her wheelchair.
She gave me a faint smile, her eyes reflecting both fatigue and gratitude. "Thank you, Katya. Always so helpful."
The mansion loomed ahead, dark against the deepening sky, its windows glinting with the last traces of sunlight.
I felt a strange mix of awe and unease. The place was beautiful, but remote. And it housed the most wicked person ever.
I guided Nonna along the gravel path, my steps cautious, my eyes scanning the surrounding woods out of habit more than concern.
The mansion doors opened before us, and a wave of warmth and faint, familiar scents greeted us.
And so did Romeo.
I froze.
There he was. Romeo. Sitting in a chair at the very entrance, the kind of chair that hadn’t been there before—clearly dragged just for him.
His posture was calm, unnervingly relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, a book or maybe a file resting casually in his hands.
His eyes lifted slowly, and a smile that was all sharp angles and cold calculation spread across his face. "Welcome back," he said, his voice smooth, almost amused.
The words hit me like ice water. My fingers tightened around the arm of Nonna’s wheelchair, my pulse spiking.
My chest felt tight, my stomach knotting into a ball of dread. Nonna didn’t flinch, but I could feel her tension radiating, subtle but unmistakable.
She followed my gaze, eyes narrowing slightly.
I wanted to move, to speak, to make some kind of sound that would break the frozen paralysis, but I couldn’t.
Every instinct screamed at me to run, to vanish into the safety of the shadows outside. But there was nowhere to run. I had chosen to not go when he gave me that check.
Romeo shifted slightly in his seat, tilting the book—or file—so that I could see a corner of its contents.
Not that I needed to; the intent behind the gesture was clear enough. "You both must be tired, right Nonna? He said, casually flipping a page as if we weren’t the only two people in the room.
He looked straight at me. "Isn’t it little sister r should I say baby sister?" I froze completely, my legs refusing to move, my chest tightening with each slow breath.
Nonna suddenly stiffened, her hand gripping the armrest of her wheelchair a little too tightly. Her eyes narrowed, voice sharp as a whip. "What did you just say?"
Romeo’s smile widened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What, Nonna? I’m just asking my sweet little sister how her day went," he said, flipping a page of the file as if nothing he’d just said was out of place.
I flinched instinctively, stepping slightly behind Nonna, though my fear made it impossible to hide completely.
Romeo rose slowly from the chair, the sound of his shoes scraping against the marble floor echoing ominously.
My heart leapt into my throat, and I caught my breath in a small, shaky gasp. He stepped closer. "I mean... don’t you want to adopt her anyway, more than you already have?"
His voice was soft, almost playful, but the underlying threat made it impossible to mistake.
Nonna’s eyes narrowed even further, her calm composure cracking just enough to let her authority shine through.
"Who told you that?" she demanded but Romeo only shrugged lazily, one hand casually flipping a page of his file.
"Who, me? I have my ways." Nonna’s patience thinned, her tone sharp and unyielding. "I’m asking—where did you get that information from, Romeo?"
He leaned back slightly, his smile widening, a dangerous charm in every line of his face. "Oh, Nonna... it’s my house. Did you really think the walls here don’t have ears too?"
His voice was casual, almost teasing, but the implication was lethal. I felt my chest tighten further, my mind spinning.
I hasn’t even agreed to that adoption yet... and he’s already maneuvering to make my life a living hell, my thoughts raced, panic clawing at my chest.
My hands shook, my breath came faster, and my vision tunneled.
Romeo noticed and for the first time since I’d ever known him, his expression shifted—just slightly, but enough for me to catch it. Concern flickered across his otherwise unreadable face.
"Hey," he said softly, his tone changing, almost gentle. "Breathe in... and out."
I froze, staring at him, my throat tight, words lodged somewhere between fear and disbelief.
He stepped closer, not menacing this time, but close enough that his presence pressed against the chaos of my thoughts.
"Focus on your breath," he said again, more insistently, yet there was that same underlying control. "In... and out. You’ll be fine."
I wanted to push him away, to tell him to leave me alone, but the panic was building too fast, tangling with confusion. My mind whispered over and over.
I can’t, I can’t... Nonna’s voice broke through, calm but firm, anchoring me just enough. "Katya," she said softly, "look at me. Focus. You’re safe. He can’t..... nothing is going to happen to you.."
I let her words sink in, clinging to them like a lifeline. My breath shuddered as I tried to follow Romeo’s and nonna’s instructions, even though my heart screamed in protest.
Romeo’s eyes softened just a fraction more, his smile fading into something almost unreadable.
"Good," he murmured, stepping back, giving the tiniest bit of space, yet keeping the power of the room in his stance. "We’ll see how long that calm lasts, little sister."
I shivered, realizing even as he tried to soothe me, the threat never left. He was already in control here, and I had just stepped more inside his world.
††
Well well well lol
