I quickly closed the door and got back in. My heart was still pounding from what I had just seen.
As I leaned my back against the wall, my hands trembling, I realized something had changed. The light from the small window above the cell had faded completely.
It was dark.
I blinked into the dimness, straining my eyes to see. The corners of the cell were now swallowed in shadows. My breath caught.
It was evening already.
How had time passed so quickly? I hadn’t even noticed. I had been standing in the same place for hours, lost in my thoughts, my memories, and the crushing truth about my father. My legs were sore. My back ached. My entire body was screaming for rest, but rest wasn’t an option here.
I stood there — silent, exhausted, waiting.
Waiting for Valentina.
She had always ret
