CHAPTER 188
KATYA POV
Five days.
That was how long it had been since I'd last seen Romeo Salvatore—or at least, since I'd last been sure he was real.
Miss Stella clicked her tongue for what had to be the tenth time that morning. "Katya," she said patiently, "you are not supposed to be standing for this long."
"I'm fine," I replied, even as I leaned my hip against the counter for balance. "I promise."
She didn't look convinced. She never did. The kitchen smelled warm and alive—fresh bread, herbs, something simmering gently on the stove.
Sunlight poured in through the tall windows, turning the marble counters gold. It felt like a place meant for living, not hiding.
And that was exactly why I was here.I needed something to do.
Five days of resting. Five days of careful steps, measured breaths, bandages checked and rechecked. Five days of being watched like I might shatter if someone blinked too hard.
Two days ago, they'd moved me out of Romeo's room. Back into my old one.
