Chapter 53: Ticking time bomb

Zoey shook her head as she struggled to speak, her lips trembling like a leaf. "It...it wasn't me," she stammered, her voice barely audible. "It was you...someone is blackmailing me because of what you did eight years ago." Her eyes locked onto Harry's, filled with a mix of fear, sadness, and pain. "They know…"

Harry's eyes widened in shock, his pupils dilating as if punched in the gut. He took a staggering step back, his body recoiling as if from a physical blow. "What are you talking about?" he repeated, his voice laced with a mix of denial, fear, and confusion.

Zoey's breath caught in her throat as she trembled, her sniffles breaking the silence. With shaking hands, she retrieved her phone from the seat beside her. Her fingers quivered as she unlocked the screen and opened her email, the device wavering in her grasp. Then, with a hesitant stretch, she handed the phone to Harry, her eyes streaming tears.