I watched my parents leave the visitation room.
Their backs looked older than when they had arrived.
The pain they carried was something no apology could ever erase.
As they disappeared behind the guard, the phone in my hand pulled me back to reality.
The cold walls of the prison surrounded me again.
"Adriana!"
Bianca's voice came through the receiver, filled with anger and worry.
"I already heard about what that bastard Salvatore did. Are you alright?"
I lowered my eyes.
"Don't waste your energy worrying about me. You need to focus on recovering."
Her breathing became heavier.
"I told you not to go out that day."
"And now look at you. You're stuck in prison, while I'm lying here in a hospital bed doing nothing but staring at the ceiling."
I remembered what had happened before all of this.
When Salvatore had been away handling business for the family, Bianca had offered to come keep me company.
But something happened on her way there.
Her car hit a man.
The injuries were not serious, but the man stayed in the family's private clinic for several days.
Bianca stayed by his bedside until he was discharged.
She never knew his identity.
She only remembered one detail.
A dark birthmark on his lower leg.
At the time, everyone thought the matter had been handled quietly.
But shortly afterward, someone targeted Bianca.
While she was recovering at home, a car suddenly crashed into her.
It was disguised as an accident.
There were no cameras on that road.
No witnesses.
No evidence.
The person responsible was never found.
Bianca could only swallow the injustice.
Later, she discovered the truth.
The man she had hit belonged to the Falcone family.
After learning that, everything became clear.
The Falcones were known for being cold and calculating.
They valued balance above everything else.
Every debt had to be repaid.
Every mistake had a price.
Bianca's father had worked with them before, so she understood their rules better than most.
The Falcones never let a debt remain unsettled.
"Wait."
Her voice suddenly changed.
"What did you say?"
"That man was a Falcone?"
I heard movement on the other end of the line.
Bianca had probably pushed herself upright despite her injuries.
The pieces were finally connecting in her mind.
She had never understood why I had chosen to sacrifice myself for Salvatore.
But now she was beginning to see the truth.
Her fingers moved unconsciously toward the scar on her arm.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she quietly nodded.
"Adriana..."
Her voice softened.
"Take care of yourself."
"When I recover, I'll come see you."
After the call ended, my mother's words returned to my mind.
"The victim is awake now..."
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
Finally.
It was time to move my own pieces.
I still had five minutes before the guards came to take me back.
I reached for the small piece of paper hidden in my palm.
The number written on it was the next step of my plan.
I was about to dial.
Then the phone rang again.
"Bianca?"
I answered immediately.
"What happened?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll find a way out."
I was about to hang up.
Then a low voice came through the receiver.
"Adriana."
"It's me."
My entire body froze.
The phone nearly slipped from my hand.
"You're..."
My voice trembled.
"You're really awake."
I wanted to say more.
I had a thousand questions.
But before he could answer, the visitation time ended.
The call was cut off.
The guard took the phone away from me.
I returned to my cell holding the paper tightly.
The number I never dialed remained in my hand.
My mind was already working.
The next move had to be perfect.
No mistakes.
No hesitation.
If I wanted another chance to contact the outside world, I needed to cooperate.
So for the next few days, I decided to become the most obedient prisoner.
Quiet.
Patient.
Invisible.
That night, I went to sleep early.
But the moment I closed my eyes, memories rushed back.
Memories of Salvatore.
We met when we were young.
I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.
For months, I chased after him.
Slowly, we moved closer.
It felt like fate had placed us on the same road.
On a warm summer night, he suddenly held a party.
In front of everyone we knew, he knelt before me with flowers and a ring.
He promised me his entire future.
We married on my twentieth birthday.
"Adriana, you will always be the only woman I love."
"I can't live without you."
"Adriana, hold on. I'm almost at the clinic. You and the baby have to be safe."
"Matteo is crying again. Can you take care of him? I have something to handle."
"Take the child away. Don't embarrass me in front of my friends."
His words echoed in my mind.
Promises.
Excuses.
Cruelty.
Each memory tightened around my heart like a chain.
Cold sweat covered my forehead.
"Rizzo!"
The guard's voice exploded through the speaker.
"Wake up!"
I opened my eyes suddenly.
I wiped away the sweat on my face and began another day inside the prison.
I had not been here long.
But some of the older inmates had already decided they disliked me.
Because I worked without complaining, they looked for ways to make my life harder.
During meals, they threw their leftovers into my bowl.
Before lights-out, they poured dirty water onto my mattress.
Then one night, they went too far.
I couldn't endure it anymore.
I walked across the cell.
My anger finally broke through.
"What exactly do you want?"
I threw their cruelty back at them.
But instead of backing down, they became even more excited.
One of them stepped forward.
Before I could react, her hand struck my face.
The force sent me crashing onto the floor.
