This wasn't just a prison. This was survival. This was a concrete jungle where she was the weakest animal, and the wolves had already caught her scent.
She had been thrown into Blackwater Ridge not because of paperwork or procedure, but someone had made sure she ended up here. Someone had wanted her in maximum security, surrounded by the most violent women in the system.
Her family. The thought came with crystal clarity. They hadn't just framed her for murder, they'd made sure her punishment would be as brutal as possible. They had pulled strings, made calls, ensured that Lin Shuyin would disappear into the darkest hole they could find.
And from the hungry looks in her cellmates' eyes, they were already calculating how long she would last.
Shuyin's back pressed against the cold steel door, and she realized with terrible certainty that this was only the beginning.
