Chapter 18 - The Yard
The concrete walls of the federal correctional facility rose high against a gray, unyielding sky. Derek walked slowly across the recreational yard, his orange jumpsuit feeling heavier with every step. The crisp morning air tasted of industrial smoke and dust. He kept his head down, avoiding the eyes of the other inmates. There were no corner offices here, no high-stakes meetings, and no expensive dinners to hide behind. Stripped of his titles, his tailoring, and his deceptions, he was entirely invisible—a hollowed-out shell passing time in a world where his cleverness meant nothing at all.
