CHAPTER 184
KATYA POV
The morning light attacked me as I opened my eyes.I didn't wake up screaming this time. The exhaustion had been so deep, so absolute, that it had acted like a sedative, pinning me to the mattress until my mind slowly drifted back to the surface.
I stayed still for a long time, my head feeling heavy, and my back was a landscape of stiff, pulling pain.
But for the first time in weeks, the crushing weight on my chest—the feeling of being hunted—had settled into a cautious, numbing silence.
I was still in his bed. I looked down at the dark silk of the shirt. It was wrinkled now, smelling faintly of me and the lavender soap Nonna had used.
It felt strange to be surrounded by so much luxury while feeling so fundamentally broken. The insecurities began to seep in, cold and persistent.
Why am I still here?
Did he let me stay out of pity, or is this just a different kind of cage?
