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.
