Page 166 of I See You

A small smirk tugged at his lips. “That’s my business,” he said, voice low and smooth.

She laughed, shaking her head. “You really outdid yourself with this apology. I might have to ignore you more often.”

Hassan turned his head toward her slow, his expression unreadable. That look? It said:Try me again.

Her laugh doubled. “I’m kidding! Damn.”

The ice melted off him just enough to make her grin wider.

“Do you use Rich often?” she asked, letting her curiosity keep the conversation warm.

“Nah. I cook for myself. It’s just me, ain’t no point making big ass meals.”

She nodded, picking up her wine glass. “I think I might need to get a chef. Does Rich take other clients, or you stingy with him like you stingy with me?”

That made his eyes lift to hers, cool and calm. “Nah, I’ll slide you his number... but he better just be cookin’.”

Sheraisedherbrow.“Heis.Butifhewasn’t…whatyougon’do? You not my man.”

Hassan’s face didn’t flinch. “I’ll kill that nigga, Sevyn. Serve you his head on a silver platter and recite some poetic bullshit like he did—only difference is, I’ll mean every word.”

Sevyn blinked. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t smirk. Just went right back to eating his cornbread like he didn’t just say the wildest shit she’d ever heard.

“You’re joking… right?” she asked, her voice hesitant. He didn’t answer.

Sevyn stared at him, trying to decide if she should be disturbed or flattered—or both. She reached for her wine, needing something to wash down the tension.

“Anyway,” she started, shifting the mood, “I didn’t get the chance to ask you earlier… after that session with Harper and Madea—how do you feel?”

Hassan leaned back slightly, resting his arm on the chair beside him, his voice lower now. “Lighter,” he said, and she could tell it was the truth. “I got clarity on a lot of shit. I really thought my grandmother didn’t love me. I thought she took me in ‘cause she saw I had money… not because she gave a fuck.”

Sevyn nodded, giving him space to release it.

“AndHarperthinkingIhatedherasakid?Thatshitpissedme off.I didn’t know she felt like that. Made me want to… I don’t know, express myself more. To the people that actually matter.”

That made Sevyn smile. A real one. She sipped her wine and watched him through the curve of her glass.

They didn’t say much after that. Didn’t have to. They just kept eating, letting the silence settle comfortably between them. A silence that spoke of progress. Of healing. Of something quietly growing— real, slow, and undeniable.

"So when you gon’ move on starting that clinic?" Hassan asked, breaking the silence.

The question caught Sevyn off guard, but her lips curved into a slow, surprised smile. “You remember me telling you that?”

She hadn’t even realized how much that meant to her—him remembering something she only mentioned once in passing. Braxton used to brush off her dreams like they were distractions from his spotlight, only caring about how well she fit beside him, how perfectly polished they looked together. But Hassan… he was different. She never had to repeat herself with him. Even when she thought he wasn’t listening, he was.

"I remember everything you tell me, Sevyn,” Hassan said, voice calm and steady. “I might not always respond with words... but I hear you.”

Her chest fluttered at his honesty. “Well, hopefully soon. I finally have the money to start building,” she explained. “I just… I want it to be right. I’ve been waiting for the perfect location, the perfect time, the perfect design. The way you pay me for these little ‘sessions’ of yours, it might happen sooner than later.” She teased, letting out a soft chuckle.

Hassan raised a brow. “Ain’t your people wealthy? Why was money even a issue?”

She looked at him with a soft smile, already knowing where that question came from. "Yeah, they are. But everything I have, I worked for. My family’s money ain’t mine. I never wanted handouts from my father. I appreciate what I build with my own hands.”

He nodded slowly, respect deepening in his gaze. Most women he dealt with either lived off their daddy’s money or were busy hunting for the next rich man to leech off. But Sevyn… she was building her empire brick by brick. No shortcuts. No safety nets. Just grit.

His phone buzzed, breaking the moment. He glanced down, jaw ticking when he saw Nova calling—again.

“Need to get that?” Sevyn asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she caught a glimpse of Nova’s name flashing across his screen.

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