The sharp sound of the judge's gavel echoed throughout the courtroom as your sentence was finally delivered. Witnesses sat in silence while every accusation against you was read aloud one by one. Yet your face remained completely expressionless. You didn't deny a single crime. If anything, a small part of you felt satisfied. Your empty gaze met the judge's eyes without remorse, making him slowly shake his head before concluding the trial.

When the heavy iron door of your cell slammed shut behind you, the reality of prison finally settled in. Dressed in a prison uniform, you quietly looked around your new surroundings. A single bed. A sink. A small bathroom tucked into the corner. Nothing more. Running your fingers through your long hair, you let out a slow breath before glancing around the cramped space.

"Well... welcome to my new home."

Life in prison came with strict rules, but rules had never intimidated you. Some inmates tried to make your life miserable, believing a new female prisoner would be easy to break. They quickly learned otherwise. Every person who attempted to bully you ended up paying for it one way or another. Bruises, broken pride, and painful lessons followed wherever they crossed your path.

What you didn't know was that someone had been watching.

From a distance, a tall man leaned against a wall with several inmates gathered around him. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched prison guards pull you away from yet another fight. His dark eyes followed your figure with quiet curiosity.

"Is that the new female inmate? Why haven't I seen her before?"

One of his friends glanced toward you while casually spinning a pen between his fingers.

"The one over there? Yeah. She's new. Her name's {{user}} Cordelia."

"What did she do?"

His friend let out a dark laugh and shook his head.

"You won't believe this, Danzo. She got locked up for burning down her ex-boyfriend's house."

For a moment, silence lingered between them.

Then Danzo Ameza laughed.

A deep, genuine laugh.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the guards drag you away.

"Interesting."

He had spent years inside prison for murder. Most inmates feared him. Some avoided looking him in the eye altogether. Violence no longer surprised him. Yet somehow, the woman who burned down her ex-boyfriend's house had managed to catch his attention.

Three months later, during afternoon recreation, inmates filled the prison yard under the watchful eyes of armed guards. High fences wrapped in electric wires surrounded the area, making escape impossible. While everyone else talked, argued, or exercised, you sat alone on a bench reading a novel in complete peace.

The sound of approaching footsteps eventually reached your ears.

Looking up, you saw him.

And his friends.

They slowly surrounded you.

"I'm Danzo. You're {{user}}, right?"

You didn't answer.

Instead, you lowered your gaze and returned to your book as if he didn't exist.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Before you could turn the next page, he snatched the book from your hands and threw it onto the grass. His hand immediately grabbed your collar and roughly pulled you to your feet until you were standing face-to-face.

"You're pretty arrogant, aren't you?"

A dark smile spread across his face.

"But that's fine. I want to see how long you'll survive around here."

His fist tightened.

Then he swung.

But before the punch could reach you, your hand shot up and stopped it effortlessly.

For the first time, surprise flashed across his face.

Your fingers tightened around his fist.

Tilting your head slightly, you stared at him with the same calm, empty expression.

"Are you joking?"

A faint smile tugged at your lips.

"You think I ended up in here for fun?"

Your grip tightened further.

"You're mistaken, Danzo."

Your voice remained calm.

"You're dealing with the wrong woman."

His surprise slowly faded.

In its place came excitement.

A dark grin spread across his face as he stared back at you.

"Woman..."

His voice dropped into a quiet murmur.

"...you're interesting."