Nicole’s head jerked up as the words fell into his ears. Confusion flashed in his eyes.
His brows pulled together tighter than before, his mouth parting like he was about to argue, but no sound came out.
"What?" The word scraped out of his throat, raw, almost disbelieving.
I met his gaze, my own voice trembling but steady enough to cut through the silence. "She’s being blackmailed too, Nicole."The words hung heavy in the air, and I saw his eyes snap to mine.
"In the exact way you were." I forced the words out slowly, carefully.
"The same photos. The same tactics." My voice wavered, but I didn’t let myself stop.
I drew in a shaky breath before delivering the final blow. "The only difference is... in those photos, your face was hidden. Hidden on purpose."
His face shifted, the anger still there but cracking around the edges as if he wasn’t sure whether to explode or listen.
His knuckles flexed, hands trembling as though the weight of what I had just said was pressing down on him.
I sucked in a shaky breath. "The night you went to the club... she was there too. She came with her colleagues."
I paused, searching for the right words, my heart pounding. "I don’t know why she chose to run instead of confronting you," I admitted, my voice low.
"But I’m sure she had a strong reason for it. One you may not understand yet." I met his eyes firmly. "And that much, Nicole, I can assure you of."
Nicole’s lips parted again, but this time, nothing came. His eyes searched mine, wild at first, then softening, like the fire inside him was fighting to hold its ground, but water was already dousing the flames.
"You’re lying," he whispered, though his voice lacked conviction. "You’re just trying to protect her. Protect yourself."
I leaned forward, my voice rising despite the tremor running through me. "Why would I lie, Nicole?
You think I have to sit here and make this up when I can’t even breathe under the weight of it? Caroline is my friend...my family. Do you think I had thrown her name in just to cover myself?"
For the first time, his anger didn’t feel sharp...it felt hollow. Like he wanted to hold on to it, but it was slipping through his fingers.
Dave finally moved beside me. His silence had been heavier than words, but now he shifted, his elbows still braced on his knees, his voice slicing through the air with quiet precision.
"She’s telling the truth."
Nicole’s gaze snapped to him. His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering back. "And how would you know? You are with her."
Dave did not flinch a bit; instead, his jaw tightened, and his tone level was deliberate.
"Because I have already looked into it. I also dug up some information on it. They’ve got their claws in her, too."
Nicole froze, his expression unreadable for a beat. Then, slowly, the disbelief in his eyes cracked, giving way to something else...fear.
I caught it. That tiny flicker that told me he was finally starting to believe. My chest loosened, but only barely.
"You... you have seen proof?" he asked, his voice breaking.
Dave nodded once, his face still unreadable, but his words cutting straight. "Yes. Enough to know this wasn’t her doing. She wasn’t your enemy, Nicole. She was another pawn in this game."
Nicole’s hand shot up, dragging down his face as if trying to physically wipe away the storm raging inside him. He leaned back, his shoulders sagging, the fight in him finally bleeding out into silence.
I swallowed, leaning closer, my own words softer now. "She tried to fight it. But you have no idea how hard they pushed her, how scared she was. When she told me, I couldn’t even recognize her voice. She sounded... broken."
Nicole’s jaw clenched, but his eyes glistened as though he hated himself for even letting a tear threaten. He looked down at his hands, silent, trapped between guilt and rage.
For a long moment, the room was still. My heart pounded, waiting, watching.
Finally, Nicole let out a breath he had been holding far too long. His voice was rough, almost strangled. "I thought that she..." He cut himself off, shaking his head hard.
"And all this time, when I thought I was being trapped by her? She was trapped, too, in this." The pain in his voice struck deeper than any accusation he had thrown before.
I nodded, my throat tight. "Yes."
Nicole sat back, his hands covering his face. His body shook once, not from weakness but from the unbearable weight of realization.
Dave leaned back, too, though his posture did not relax. He was still watching, still calculating, still a storm waiting to break.
But his voice carried finality when he spoke. "Now you understand. Someone out there is playing us all like pieces on a board. And the sooner we stop pointing guns at each other, the sooner we can find the real enemy."
Nicole dropped his hands, his eyes bloodshot but clearer than before. He stared at me for a long moment, then at Dave, and finally back at me. His voice was hoarse.
"If what you’re saying is true..." He paused, his throat working, before he finished with a whisper that carried more fear than anger. "Then who the hell is behind this?"
The question hung heavy in the air.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because deep down, I wasn’t sure either. I wanted to know the truth, not just to clear my own name, but for Caroline’s sake.
She had not deserved to be pulled into this mess, yet here she was, caught in it all the same. And now, it felt like it was my responsibility to get her out.
But Dave... Dave’s silence was different. His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, I realized he was not just listening. He already had suspicions.
And when his gaze flickered toward me, sharp and deliberate, my stomach turned cold.
Because I wasn’t sure if he was protecting me... or preparing me for the truth that might burn us all.