Chapter 3: I Can Fix It

Words : 1867 Updated : Nov 13th, 2025

"Stefan, solitary confinement didn't feel so good, did it? Consider this a slap on the wrist. If you stir up trouble again, it won't be just three days." The threat in Anya's voice was unmistakable. Solitary confinement was the harshest punishment in prison. A college kid who hadn't even graduated yet should have been a wreck from it. Anya felt no sympathy. In her mind, he was a monster who had raped and murdered more than thirty people. At her words, Stefan didn't react. He just watched Anya, or rather, the birthmark blooming across her cheek. "Huh?" Confusion flickered in Anya's dark eyes. Why wasn't he reacting at all? He looked alert, clear-eyed, even energized, nothing like the other inmates who usually limped out of solitary like they'd been bitten by a snake. "Stefan, what's your deal? Why do you keep staring at me? You want me to gouge your eyes out?" She crooked two fingers like claws and raised her voice to scare him. Stefan suddenly grinned. "You're sick. I can fix that." In an instant, anger flashed across Anya's face. "Look who's sick; must run in the family. If you keep this up, enjoy another three days in solitary." She raised a boot to kick him back inside. Stefan sidestepped and yanked her leg. Off balance, Anya pitched forward and dropped into a full split. "Nice moves." He said it admiringly, then reached toward the ugly birthmark on her face. "I can get rid of that birthmark. For good." Stefan could sense the stagnant, unhealthy energy coiled inside her body. If he drew it out, the birthmark would fade without taking a single pill. Anya, who'd been ready to pounce, suddenly went still. Her voice trembled with hope. "What did you say? You can really get rid of it?" Ever since she was a kid, that mark made people point and whisper. It had hollowed her out, left her brittle, oversensitive, insecure, suspicious. Nobody knew how badly she wanted it gone. She'd hunted down top specialists, swallowed handfuls of medicine, and tried every treatment out there. Nothing had worked. Not even a little. She was twenty-five, and the birthmark had kept her from even daring to date. She pretended not to care, that she'd made peace with it, but what woman didn't want to be beautiful? Hearing Stefan say he could remove it completely was like seeing a sliver of dawn after years in the dark. Stefan nodded, calm and steady. "That's right. I can remove it completely, with zero side effects. But..." "But what? Spit it out." "Why should I help you?" His gaze, flat a moment ago, turned cold. Anya reined herself in at once. Her voice went icy. "Name your price. If you want me to help you break out, forget it. That's never happening." "Help me escape? You're a low-ranking guard; you couldn't pull that off anyway. I do want out, but not by running. I want my name cleared. I'm going to walk out the front gate." His words were hard as steel. With that new legacy of knowledge in his head, he believed he'd soon dig up the truth and prove his innocence. Anya hadn't expected that. She looked at him with new respect, her tone softening. "Then what do you want? If it's in my power, I'll do it. Anything." Stefan met her gaze. "Take me to the warden." To clear his name, he needed the freedom to come and go from the prison. To get that, he had to win over the warden. "Fine. If you can fix my face, I'll take you to the warden right away." She'd expected him to ask for something outrageous. Escorting an inmate to the warden was child's play for her. "Good. I can start now. But maybe get up first. Great figure, sure, but sitting like that isn't a great look." He flicked a glance at her long, strong legs, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Only then did Anya realize she was still on the floor in a full split. Color flooded her cheeks. She pushed herself up in a flash. "Let's go. We need somewhere quiet." "Follow me." She gave Stefan a long, searching look, then took him to her office. Two other correctional officers were inside. When they saw Anya bring in an inmate, their faces froze in surprise. Before they could say a word, Anya cut them off. "Out." The sharpness in her voice left no room for argument. They bristled but swallowed it. She was related to the deputy warden; there was no point in picking a fight. Still, suspicion simmered. Why bring an inmate into the office? The kid was six feet tall, built like an athlete, and annoyingly good-looking. Had the tigress taken a liking to him and planned to be intimate with him in the office? They felt jealousy creep in. The men shot Stefan jealous looks, then filed out, grumbling. Anya locked the door, turned, and asked, "How do you want to do this? Do I need to do anything?" Stefan didn't answer right away. He smiled. "Why lock the door? People might think we're in here fooling around." Heat crept up Anya's face, flipping to anger in a heartbeat. She glared and snapped, "Cut the crap. Can you treat it or not?" Stefan dropped into a chair and kicked his legs up on the desk. "Of course I can. But I'm starving. Can't work on an empty stomach." "You!" His swagger made her see red. He was an inmate, but he sat there like he owned the place. "Wait." She bit back her temper, opened the door, and stepped out. A minute later, she came back with a lunchbox and slammed it down in front of him. "Eat. If I find out you lied to me, you won't like what happens next." Stefan didn't stand on ceremony. He dug in. It was a guard's meal, consisting of meat, vegetables, and a bowl of soup. Not bad at all. Since the day of the incident, he hadn't eaten a decent meal. Finally, he could fill his belly. He polished it off in no time. "Got enough energy now?" Anya sprang to her feet, too impatient to sit still. "I do. I'm ready." Stefan crooked a finger. "Come here." Anya ignored his attitude and stepped closer, excitement bright in her eyes. "How are you going to do it? Do you need me to do anything?"

Chapter 3: I Can Fix It

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