Chapter 18

Mallory

The cell felt even colder and lonelier as days had gone by, and I found myself curled up on the stoned bed, feeling sorry for myself. I often found myself staring at the blank space, wondering if I'd ever see the outside world again. Am I going to get out of this cell and clean my name?

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. My heart raced inside my chest, and I hurriedly wiped away the tears from my eyes to prevent it from falling.

The next thing I knew, Clark was standing there at the cell door. He was carrying a tray of food and some blankets.

"Hi, Mallory," he greeted gently, a warm smile on his face as he opened the door of my cell.

I managed to muster a weak grin in return. "Hi, Clark. What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to hide the surprise and gratitude in my voice.

"I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some food," he said, placing the tray in front of me. "And these blankets should help keep you warm."

"Thank you,"