All Chapters of The Hidden Game: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Caleb and Hector had known each other for many years. Even if they didn't know every single detail about each other's lives, they were certainly very familiar with one another. The reason they were able to part ways amicably and remain friends afterward was because they both knew they weren't suited to be each other's romantic partners.Hector was two years older than Caleb, and in their relationship, he had always played the role of the older brother, wanting Caleb to depend on him. He would remind Caleb to drink water in the morning and to take breaks when he had been staring at screens for too long.Caleb had realized early on that Hector liked to treat his partner like a younger sibling. So, when he first transferred to Southern Prison, he immediately noticed how Hector treated one of the younger inmates differently.On the flip side, Hector also understood that Caleb didn't like being taken care of. Caleb didn't want to change his lifestyle or depend on anyone else. His ideal r

The afternoon felt like it was dragging on unbearably like never before.Caleb found himself unable to focus on anything; he didn't even feel like watching the recreational room's surveillance footage. Every few minutes, he couldn't help but glance over at Marcus, who was leisurely engrossed in a comic book.The reason for Caleb's frustration was simple—this was the second time he had failed to make headway, just like last time when Marcus had teased him with his eyelashes.Marcus could immediately spot the flaws in Caleb's words, whereas Caleb took until dinnertime to realize there was an issue with Marcus' comments. It was a bitter pill to swallow, even worse than losing an argument.As the hour hand inched toward two o'clock, the inmates in the library gradually began to leave. But Marcus, absorbed in his comic book, remained seated in his usual spot by the window, unmoving even when the library was empty."Inmate 1017," Caleb finally broke the silence, unable to hold out any l

As it turned out, Caleb's instincts were spot on.He had suspected that Eric might provoke Marcus, so he had kindly warned the latter to be cautious. However, he never imagined such a severe incident would occur just two days after Marcus was transferred to Block 2.As a heart-wrenching scream erupted from a corner on the first floor, every correctional officer in the building rushed toward the commotion.Caleb had just crossed the corridor connecting the two blocks and arrived at Block 2, holding some undelivered letters. As an administrative officer, it wasn't appropriate for him to rush to the front line. So, he leaned against the second-floor railing and watched the situation unfold below.Eric was the first to be dragged out of the cell, his face twisted in agony, drenched in sweat.Correctional officers surrounded him, shielding him from view. It wasn't until they led Eric up to the second floor, passing by Caleb, that he noticed a sharpened toothbrush embedded in Eric's lef

In regular cells, inmates only wore handcuffs under special circumstances. However, for the inmates in Block 1, handcuffs were placed on them as soon as they left their cells and were only removed during yard time or work periods.Opening the door to the small conference room, Caleb walked in."Go ahead and take off his handcuffs," he told the other correctional officer.The man hesitated. "Is that really a good idea?""It's fine. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong," Caleb replied.After his handcuffs were removed, Marcus rubbed his wrists as he followed Caleb into the conference room. This time, he didn't sit at the back but took a seat in the front row."Thank you, Officer Johnson," he said, turning to Caleb.Instead of responding, Caleb opened the Inmate Regulations booklet and began reading.The purpose of this educational class was less about imparting knowledge and more about gauging Marcus' attitude. The goal wasn't to achieve a deep, moral, or spiritual tra

There was a large supermarket near Caleb's neighborhood where agricultural products from Southern Prison were sold.Caleb had long known that the strawberry jam he ate was produced by the inmates. However, the glass jar he held in his hands now was different from the ones sold at the supermarket. It was unlabeled, and the fruit chunks were coarser than the store-bought version. It was clear that this wasn't a factory-produced item.According to Bob, this strawberry jam was handmade by Marcus.Placing the jar on the passenger seat, Caleb started his car and drove out of the prison parking lot. Recently, he had been grappling with a vague notion that Marcus might know he was his neighbor. Whether it was the smell of his cologne or the proximity of their residences, Marcus' probing had been too precise, as if he had a clear purpose from the start.Also, Caleb's responses hadn't exactly been satisfactory.When Marcus asked why his bedroom smelled of Caleb's cologne, he had avoided ans