CHAPTER 272
KATYA POV
We stepped inside.
And froze.
Nonna sat waiting in the entry hall, her wheelchair positioned perfectly beneath the old chandelier, like she'd planned the entire scene down to the lighting.
A single light from the bulb glowed, casting long shadows across the marble floor. Her hands rested calmly in her lap, fingers folded, posture straight despite the blanket covering her legs.
She wasn't angry. That terrified me more than if she were. My feet refused to move. My lungs forgot how to work.
Beside me, Michael stopped short, Chiara still asleep in his arms. His body went still in the same instant mine did, every muscle locking into place like he'd just walked into a line of fire.
"Whooooo—" Chiara stirred suddenly, her head lolling back, eyes cracking open just enough to squint at the ceiling. "Why is the floor… so shiny…"
She focused on Nonna. Her eyes widened. "Oh shit—" And then she passed out again. Completely. Gone. Dead to the world.
