Chapter 89: His grandmother
Chapter 89
KATYA POV
The silence in the elevator pressed heavier than any scream.
Mr. Antonio stood stiff, jaw locked, refusing to meet Nonna’s gaze. Miss Stella’s arm stayed firm around my shoulders, guiding me gently like a child.
And me? I could still taste blood and fear coating my tongue. When the doors slid open, the air shifted—warmer, quieter.
The scent of roses and old books replaced the sharp, sterile tang of disinfectant. We stepped into a part of the house I’d never seen—marble floors softened by thick rugs, portraits of kings and saints staring down from the walls.
It didn’t feel like a house at all.
It felt like a throne room—grand, heavy, untouchable.
Mr. Antonio hovered near the doorway, his shoulders rigid and tense. Nonna’s sharp eyes snapped toward him. "You. Out."
"Signora—"
"Did I stutter?"
His throat bobbed. "No, Nonna." Then, quieter, he said. "I’ll be outside."
"Tell someone to bring me brunch while you’re at it," Nonna added as he left. The door clicked shut behind him, and Miss Stella gently guided me to a couch. We both sat down.
Nonna turned her full attention to me. "Now, cara mia... tell me everything. What happened, and why Antonio dragged you through this house like a criminal?" Her voice was soft — dangerously so — but it left no room to hide.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Tell her everything? What was there even to say?
I had no idea who she was, but from the way Antonio jumped at her word, she clearly held power here.
"I—I wasn’t doing anything wrong," I whispered, my fingers knotting in the hem of my stolen scrubs. "I just... got lost."
"Lost?" Miss Stella’s brows pinched together, and I nodded quickly.
"I was just trying to find the restroom after waking up, but then those people dragged me into the room. I swear, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble."
Nonna studied me for a long, unbearable moment — like she was reading every flicker of fear hiding behind my eyes.
Before she could speak, the door opened and a maid slipped in, balancing a silver tray of steaming tea and biscuits.
"Thank you," Miss Stella murmured, taking a cup and passing another toward me. "Drink. You’re shaking."
My hand trembled as I reached for it — and that’s when her eyes narrowed. "Katya... why are you wearing those blue scrubs?"
Panic surged through me, drying out my throat. "I—It’s just... they were lying around and—"
"Those belong to the medical team—" Her expression shifted, suspicion blooming fast and sharp.
My body moved faster than my mind. Before she could finish, the teacup slipped from my trembling hands and spilled hot across my chest and lap.
"Ah—!" I hissed as the scalding liquid bit into my skin.
Nonna gasped, wheeling herself closer. Miss Stella was already on her feet, snatching a cloth from the tray and blotting the soaked fabric. "Why didn’t you say you were this nervous? We should get you changed, instead of this interrogations."
"It’s fine—" I started, frowning like it wasn’t intentional to avoid more questions and my voice sounded so thin and broken.
My skin still burned beneath the soaked fabric, but it was better than being interrogated.
Better than them asking more questions.
"Fine?" Miss Stella frowned deeply. " Child, you’re trembling." She brushed a damp strand of hair from my face, concern etched into every line of her expression.
"Poor thing... you must be terrified." Nonna’s expression softened, the steel from before melting into something warmer.
"Cara mia, you’ve had quite the day. Enough questions for now. Stella, does she have a room?"
"Yes, Nonna. She stays on the top floor," Miss Stella said, and I caught the faint frown tugging at Nonna’s face before she spoke again.
"The first floor? But those rooms are reserved only for the head and his don..." She stopped, a careful smile curling her lips as if she’d bitten back another thought. "Please, take her to her room, Stella, dear." She shook her head, smiling like she had something more to say — but didn’t.
I looked up at Miss Stella as she helped me to my feet, Nonna rolling her wheelchair alongside us until we reached the door.
"Please, get some good rest. I’d love to see you tomorrow — well rested." Miss Stella opened the door, and after a quick round of goodbyes, I stepped out with her.
We found Mr. Antonio waiting in the hall, his scowl cutting straight through me.
But Miss Stella’s glare was sharper, and with a huff, he turned on his heel and disappeared into Nonna’s room — now echoing with the sound of her furious scolding.
Miss Stella and I walked in silence down the long hallway toward the elevator, the echo of Nonna’s scolding fading into the distance.
My legs felt heavy with exhaustion, but my mind refused to stop spinning — chasing questions that had no answers.
"Miss Stella..." My voice came out smaller than I meant it to. "Who... who is she? The woman in the wheelchair."
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "That, dear, is Nonna — Romeo’s grandmother."
I blinked, stunned. "His grandmother?"
"Yes," she said softly, her tone carrying a kind of reverence I’d never heard before. "She’s the matriarch of this family — the real heart of the Salvatores. She doesn’t visit often... but when she does, everyone listens."
My steps faltered.
Romeo’s grandmother.
Her eyes seemed to see straight through people. No wonder Mr. Antonio obeyed without question — she was his blood.
My tormentor.
And she’d told me I was safe... but could she really be trusted
Miss Stella gave my arm a gentle squeeze as the elevator dinged at the top floor. "Rest now, Katya. Tomorrow... things may look different."
Different. The word lingered, curling around the corners of my thoughts as she turned to leave.
But as I stepped into the hallway toward my room, one truth sank like lead in my stomach — if she was his blood, she might just be like him too.
***
Hi, I don’t even know if this Chapter is good enough. I had test but I wanted to update so I just wrote this ಥ‿ಥ
Thanks for the support guys.♥