Chapter 40 The Damn Reason

Chapter 40 The Damn Reason
Detective Harris's POV

I remembered Zoey replying with something like, “I didn’t stay. I didn’t argue. I just left.” She said without blinking, she didn't even stutter for once.

“You’re sure?” I had asked. Zoey nodded once. “Yes. I’m sure.”

Her confidence!

Zoey admitted that she could have been in a sexual relationship with Charlie, but she explained that it was a huge mistake—one she never planned or intended to happen.

She claimed that nothing close to sex ever occurred between her and Charlie, insisting that everything ended at harmless flirtation.

“Yes, we were involved,” she had said quietly.

“But I never meant to disrespect Shenell.”
The way Zoey spoke made it seem as though she had nothing to hide…
or perhaps it was the opposite—maybe she had everything to hide.

I remembered the tension in the room that day as I kept throwing questions at her.

“You slept with a married man,” I’d said flatly.
Zoey swallowed hard. “No, I didn’t. It wasn’t like that,” she responded sharply.

“He kept coming to me,” Zoey said, her voice cracking just a little. “I tried to push him away. I really did.”

I remembered watching her closely—to see how far she was willing to keep denying the fact that she either way once had Charlie's dick inside of her.

“But he knew what he was doing,” she continued. “He knew how to talk. How to wait. How to make you want it—even when you despise it.”

I noticed how her jaw tightened at that point.
“I was weak. I admit that. But I didn’t start it.” She shook her head.

Zoey claimed she had only gone to drop off the office account book. She explained that Charlie was supposed to pick it up before leaving for work, but when he didn’t, she was forced to stop by his house to deliver it.

She began to shrug as she continued her narration. I remembered that it was at that moment I started to suspect every single word she said.

“And that’s all?” I had asked, raising a brow at how simple the story sounded.
It sounded too simple—and I knew she was definitely hiding something.

This wasn’t my first time dealing with people like Zoey. To get the truth out of them, you don’t confront the lie directly—you introduce a bigger problem, one more threatening than keeping the truth buried.

That way, they’re forced to reveal whatever secret they’re hiding, because suddenly there’s something heavier resting on their neck.

“We didn’t do anything,” I vividly recalled how quickly she added that part.

She was scared I’d reach a conclusion she hadn’t planned for.

“We didn’t sleep together that day,” Zoey had said firmly. “That’s not true.”

I remembered the sharp edge in her tone as she kept emphasizing that nothing truly intimate had happened between her and Charlie.

“Shenell must have lied. Or misunderstood,” she finally said—and the moment the words left her mouth, it was clear she regretted them.

I stared at her for a long moment. “You’re saying she imagined it?” I asked.

Zoey hesitated for a second. “I’m saying… it didn’t happen.”

Her voice dropped then. “We kissed once,” she admitted. “By mistake.”

I remembered how the room seemed to grow quieter at that point.

“Just one kiss?” I’d asked.

Zoey nodded. “I regretted it immediately.” Her eyes dropped to the table. “It was stupid. Weak. And I never crossed that line again.”

I leaned back in my chair. “If you knew he wanted more… why didn’t you quit?” I asked calmly. “You knew Charlie was sexually interested in you. You saw the signs. So why didn’t you leave? Why did you stay?”

That was when Zoey went silent.

Really silent—the kind of silence that makes even me feel uncomfortable.

“You could’ve walked away,” I said again. “Why didn’t you?”

Slowly, Zoey lifted her head. “Because he knew,” she said quietly.

I remembered how cold her eyes looked then.

“He knew I couldn’t quit.”

I frowned. “Why?”

Zoey swallowed hard. “That’s why he kept pushing,” she continued. “That’s why he kept manipulating everything. Because he knew I couldn't leave.”

I suddenly hissed and snapped back to reality.

I turned away from the window and walked back to my seat, my hands buried in my side pockets.

My heart was beating faster now.

I remembered the way her voice had dropped so low when she revealed the reason she couldn’t stop working for Charlie, even after noticing all his improper advances.

Indeed, that reason was enough to make anyone stay—no matter how ugly the hell they were going through.

“That reason…” I whispered as I began to walk around my table.

I stopped suddenly and looked around my quiet office. It felt as though it were breathing on its own.

“That damn reason…” My hands slowly curled into fists.