Page 180 of I See You

Chapter 22

Hassan paced his living room like a caged animal, every breath heavy with guilt and rage. It had been an hour since Sevyn left—her tears still etched into his memory, the red marks of his fingers still burning on her throat, and that look… That look in her eyes when she realized he wasn’t there with her anymore. That he couldn’t recognize the woman he loved when his demons took over.

Now, he was unraveling.

He’d never feared anything in his life. Not death. Not blood. Not theliveshe’dtakenwithoutblinking.Butthis?Thisfear—thefear of losing Sevyn—had him in a chokehold. He had destroyed damn near everything in the room trying to release it. Furniture overturned, glass shattered across the floor, and rage pulsing through every vein in his body. “FUCK!” he roared, slapping a lamp off the stand, the crash echoing like gunfire in his ears.

The shattered pieces on the floor mocked him. A reflection ofher. Of what he did. His hands—meant to protect—had turned into weapons. And if it weren’t for his mother’s spirit stepping in, he would’ve taken the one woman who truly saw him—loved him—out of this world.

The weight of it dropped him to his knees. He had no control. No peace. Just the constant replay of her face, the sound of her voice, the soft kiss she left on his cheek before walking out like it might be the last time.

The doorbell rang. A sharp knock followed.

Hassan froze, breath caught in his throat. His security hadn’t called. Only Roman and Harper had access without alert. A small sliver of hope flickered in his chest—maybe it was her. Maybe she came back. Maybe she was ready to talk.

He swung the door open fast—too fast. And just like that, the flicker died.

Harper stood there, and the scowl returned to his face like a reflex.

Not because he didn’t love her—but because she wasn’t Sevyn.

Andrightnow,allhewantedinthisfuckedup,brokenworld… was Sevyn.

Harper stepped into the house, eyes glued to her phone as her fingers moved rapidly, shooting off yet another text. She didn’t spare Hassan a glance as she passed him, irritation and concern practically radiating off her.

“Harper, what the fuck are you doing here?” Hassan asked, his voice low and sharp, his eyes already weighed down with emotion.

Still focused on her phone, Harper replied flatly, “Looking for Sevyn. She’s not answering my calls, and it’s our movie night. We never miss that shit.” She tapped the screen again, her thumbs flying as she tried Sevyn for the tenth time. “I figured she might be here— locked in your room or some shit.”

The mention of Sevyn’s name sent a sharp pang through Hassan’s chest, making it damn near impossible to breathe. Just an hour ago, he had his hands around her throat. Just an hour ago, he lost her.

“And don’t think I don’t know y’all fucking,” Harper added with a dry laugh, still texting. “Dorian slipped up. I put two and two together at the hospice. It’s whatever—just tell her to come out, it’s my turn with my best friend tonight.”

When she finally looked up, her smile died instantly. Hassan wasn’t standing in front of her like himself. He wasn’t composed. He wasn’t cold. He looked… broken. His shoulders sagged with shame. His face was tight with pain. And for the first time in her life, Harper saw tears swelling in his eyes.

“Hassan?” Her tone shifted, panic creeping in. “What the hell happened?”

She took a step closer, only now noticing the wreckage—broken furniture, shattered glass, chaos in every corner of the room. And Hassan hadn’t said a word.

Before he could even open his mouth, the front door slammed open.

Dorianstormedin,Romanrightbehindher.Dorianlooked murderous. Roman looked confused, but ready for whatever.

“What the fuck did you do to my cousin?!” Dorian screamed, rushing past Harper and straight at Hassan. Her tears matched the fury on her face.

Harper stood there, stunned. “Wait—what? What’s going on?!” Dorian didn’t wait for answers. She threw a punch, hard and fast.

Her fist cracked across Hassan’s jaw, but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t raise a hand to stop her. He just took it.

Romanmovedtograbher,butHassanheldupahand—calm, quiet, surrendering. Let her hit him. Let her scream. Let her get it out.

Because he deserved it.

Doriankeptswinging,herfistspoundingagainsthischestand arms,sobs breaking through her rage. “You hurt her!” she cried. “You fucking hurt her!”

Hassanstoodtall,silent,guiltetchedintoeveryinchofhisface.

He didn’t fight back.

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