The cold, gray walls of the prison loomed around Cassia Hawthorne, a constant reminder of the life she had built and subsequently destroyed. Time moved slowly in the silence of her cell, and in that silence, Cassia found herself confronting something she had spent her entire life avoiding: the truth about herself.
It had been months since the trial, months since the fall of the carefully constructed facade she had worn for so long. Gone was the confident, manipulative woman who had once controlled everything and everyone around her. In her place was someone far more vulnerable, someone who had finally begun to grasp the consequences of her actions.
But understanding her guilt was only the first step. Redemption—if it was even possible—would be a much longer journey. And it was a journey Cassia wasn’t sure she deserved to take.
Cassia’s days in prison were monotonous, filled with routine and isolation. Each morning, she woke to the sound of the metal doors clanging open, signaling the
