ABSOLUTE INSANITY: A forbidden bond-Chapter 113: Predictable

Chapter 113: Predictable
Chapter 113
Romeo’s POV
The moment Katya walked out, the door clicking shut behind her, the room felt... different. Quieter, yes. But also strangely colder.
Ridiculous. Why would it matter whether that tiny menace was standing in front of me or not?
I leaned back in my chair, adjusting my leg the slightest bit to ease the persistent burn near my thigh.
The doctor said the nerves would take time. Said I needed rest. Said I should avoid stress.
Which was hilarious. There has been nothing restful since this week, especially not with her around.
Katya was— Ugh.
I rubbed my forehead with two fingers.
The girl was infuriating and impossible.
I caught myself analyzing her. Noticing the little things, the way she tilted her head when she walked, the subtle flinch whenever I scowled despite her false display in trying to act tough.
The way her hands always trembled slightly when she handed me medicine or a glass of water.
But despite all that, she still walked into a room like she owned it, even if she was carrying something as simple as coffee.
Even when she was nervous, she held herself like a soldier prepared to go to war.
Against me, apparently.
I hated it. I hated that she could be here, in my space, under my roof, and not be considered a threat.
That she could walk around like she belonged. That my Nonna... actually seemed to like her.
And I was still weak. Still confined to a wheelchair. Still forced to watch and wait while she moved with confidence around me, serving me, anticipating my needs.
It made my blood boil.
The office felt emptier without her muttering under her breath, tapping her foot impatiently, or staring at me like I was the biggest inconvenience to ever exist.
A tiny part of me missed it. I groaned out loud. "Pathetic," I muttered to myself.
This was exactly why I hated being stuck in this damn chair. Too much sitting meant too much thinking.
And too much thinking meant I had to acknowledge the fact that my own irritation had become... Predictable.
Predictable with the fact that I can’t do anything but be petty and act like an entitled brat. My gun was just resting. Doing absolutely nothing when I knew, I could have shot something.
My fingers curled around the armrests, irritated at everything—at the weakness in my legs, at the pain in my ribs, at the fact that she had to be the one picking up that mess.
I told myself this was a test. A reminder of who she was, where she stood, what her bloodline had done.
But the truth—the ugly truth I refused to admit—was that every time I wanted to hurt her, physically hurt her, something inside me jammed.
Froze.
Refused. Like today and yesterday and the day before that. I don’t know what the heck is wrong with me or if it was what had happened a few days where she’d bent down to pick up a paper she wasn’t supposed to see.
Something private. Something about Boris and Ivan. I’d grabbed her wrist—harder than I meant to and a bruise formed.
My old hag saw it and she came matching, as matching she could do with a wheelchair. That can’t be why I still can’t physically hurt her but I take it as that.
I drummed my fingers on the desk instead, trying to distract my foolish self from thinking.
That girl better not take too long. I didn’t actually need the coffee — but she didn’t need to know that.
Her rushing around gave me something to focus on that wasn’t my leg or the awful memories that came with quiet moments.
I glanced at the door again. What was taking her so long, anyway?
Knowing her, she was definitely complaining somewhere. Or bothering Stella. Or my nonna Or doing all three at once.
I exhaled slowly as sharp knock snapped me out of my thoughts. My spine straightened instinctively — even though I already knew it wasn’t her.
Katya never knocked properly. She did this weird, soft tap-tap-tap like she was asking permission to breathe.
This knock was firm. Controlled.
Male.
"Enter," I called out, tone slipping effortlessly back into steel. The door opened slightly and Antonio poked his head in before he fully stepped into my home office.
It’s been long I saw Antonio and we barely saw him and I could bet it has to do with my nonna forbidden him from seeing me.
That snake of a old woman.
Antonio cleared his throat as he stepped in with a stiff posture. "Romeo," he greeted.
I narrowed my eyes. "You’re finally allowed in here again? Nonna lift the ban?"
He didn’t react, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "...Temporarily."
Of course she did. That old woman thinks she can control everything, including who I see. im even surprised that Antonio is letting her control him but we’ll the old man always seems to have the upmost respect for my nonna.
"What do you want?" I asked, rolling my chair slightly forward so the desk didn’t feel like it was swallowing me.
Antonio straightened. "Mr. Valerio has arrived." I blinked once. "Valerio?" That old fossil? " Wasn’t he scheduled until tomorrow?." I asked, looking over at the scheduled calendar I told Katya to do.
It was a simple task but it had took her a full day to do and I’m suspecting it that girl every went to school.
If she did, I can proudly say, she wasn’t the brightest.
"He arrived early," Antonio said. Then his expression shifted "And he... brought his daughter."
I stared at him. "...His daughter?"
"Yes."
I leaned back slowly. My fingers tapped the armrest once. "Why the hell would he bring his daughter to a business meeting?"
"You know she’s his only child," Antonio replied calmly. "His heir. He may want... to introduce her."
Introduce. My jaw tightened.
Old men always think they’re subtle. As if I don’t recognize the look of someone trying to shove a woman into my line of sight like she’s a gift basket.
I scoffed. "Introduce her to what, exactly? My medical bills?" Antonio didn’t smile, but I saw the flicker in his eyes — amusement he didn’t want to show. "Her presence might have... intention behind it," he said carefully. "A personal one."
I stared hard at him. "Are you suggesting that old man is trying to match me with his daughter?"
He didn’t answer directly. Which meant yes.
I shook my head with a laugh that had no humor in it. "Fantastic." Why would Valerio drag his daughter here?
My mind went back to when my old hag had brought up the marriage talk.
Was this her doing?