I had never known time to move as slowly as it did in that cold, lifeless holding cell. Every tick of the clock sounded like a death knell, each minute stretching into an eternity. I kept replaying the events of the last few days in my mind, trying to piece together how I’d ended up here—alone. Dante had left me. The fact was as clear as the sterile walls that surrounded me, the hard bench beneath me, and the scratchy blanket they had thrown at me after hours of waiting.
The police station had its own atmosphere, one that suffocated the soul. The dim fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a sickly yellow tint on everything they touched. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee, sweat, and the sharp tang of disinfectant. I shivered involuntarily, my skin prickling under the th
