Page 193 of I See You

Dorian nodded, even though no one could see her. “Copy.”

“Aye, be careful,” Roman added, his voice suddenly quieter, weighted with something deeper. “I love you.”

Dorian froze for a beat, her heart lurching. It was the first time he’d ever said it. The first time either of them had. And just like that, her heart fluttered. “We will. I love you too.” She couldn’t stop the smile that crept across her face.

“Wait… can Hassan hear me?” she asked, suddenly remembering he was sitting next to him.

Roman hesitated. “Now he can.”

Dorian took a breath. “Hassan… this ain’t your fault. I was wrong for blaming you. We’re getting her back. I swear it.”

There was no response. Just silence. But she knew he was listening. She didn’t need words. She could feel his rage, his guilt, his pain— simmering on the other end of that call like a storm about to break.

“Aight, baby. We’ll see you at the location,” Roman said, and the call ended.

Dorian came back into the room with a sly grin on her face, and bothHarperandCelineperkedup—eachfordifferentreasons.“I’ve got aplan,” she said smoothly, “but we have to walk out with them and act like everything’s normal.”

“Anything to get rid of those clowns, I’m down,” Celine replied with an eager nod as Harper nodded too. Dorian threw Harper a subtle, knowing look—it was time.

Celine pulled the pins from her hair, letting her curls tumble freely over her shoulders, then quickly finished her makeup with the ease of someone who'd done it a thousand times before. The three of them left the dorm room like any other group of college girls heading out for the night—laughing, chatting, light on their feet—but of course, the two guards trailed closely behind.

The courtyard was crowded, packed with students soaking inthe homecoming buzz. Music bumped from every corner, laughter echoed, and the air was thick with freedom and excitement. Dorian and Harper blended in effortlessly, talking with Celine like they were old friends. Ten minutes in, just as Von said it would, the entire campus went dark.

Lights out. Alarms blaring. Screams.

Panic erupted like a match to gasoline. Students scattered in every direction, and security turned their heads in confusion, just long enough for Dorian and Harper to move.

“Come on, Cee,” Harper whispered urgently, grabbing her arm. They weaved through the chaos like smoke through cracks, fast and undetected. Celine was confused, her instincts telling her something wasn’t right, but the adrenaline—and tequila—kept her moving.

They spotted the black Escalade at the edge of the courtyard, headlights dim, engine running. The doors swung open and they dove inside, slamming them shut behind them as Roman hit the gas and peeled off.

“Who are they?” Celine asked, her voice suddenly wary. Her eyes locked with the two men in the front—one with a playful grin, the other stone-faced and unreadable. Hassan’s piercing blue eyes met hers through the rearview mirror, and something about the coldness in them made her sit a little straighter.

“That’s my boyfriend, and his best friend,” Dorian answered casually, like none of this was abnormal.

Roman threw a smirk over his shoulder. “Wassup. Heard you tryna pop out tonight and get lit?” he said with a chuckle, cutting the tension.

Celine blinked, then smiled—still drunk, still reeling, but feeling like she’d just escaped something suffocating. “Hell yeah. Just happy to be away from those two fools,” she said, referring to her guards with a wave of her hand.

Theyallknewtheclockwasticking.Celine’ssecurityhadlikely already called it in—reported her missing. But by the time anyone figured out what happened, they’d be long gone.

Roman drove them far out of the city, beyond reach and far off the radar, to one of Hassan’s hidden vacation homes. The ride was quiet aside from the occasional chuckle or hum of the engine. Celine, too drunk to care or question anything else, eventually slumped back in her seat and passed out cold.

And just like that, the first piece of the plan was in place.

They carried Celine’s limp, drunken body into the basement of the vacation house and laid her on the bed in the large room Hassan had prepared. Despite his cold reputation, he wasn’t heartless—especially not toward innocent women. The room had a plush queen-size bed,a fully stocked mini fridge, and a snack bar with all the comfort food a college girl could want. No TV. No electronics. No traceable tech.

Dorian and Harper had already tossed her phone out the window while she was passed out, making sure she couldn’t be pinged or tracked. This house was far from the city, deeper than any GPS signal could reach. Carlos wouldn’t find her here—not through cameras, satellites, or his many eyes in Memphis.

Hassan hadn’t wanted to play this card. He never involved women or kids in business, never crossed that line. But Carlos DeVille had. He made it personal when he took Sevyn. And if that’s how he wanted to play, Hassan was going to make sure he understood what that felt like—cutting deep, straight through the heart.

Back in the living room, Hassan’s expression hadn’t shifted since they left the basement. Cold. Stone-like. Void.

“You’re not gonna hurt her, right?” Harper asked quietly, her voice unsure despite knowing him. Celine was young, innocent, and sweet. Whatever her family was involved in, she wasn’t part of it. She didn’t deserve pain. Didn’t deserve to die behind a war that had nothing to do with her.

“No,” Hassan answered flatly, his voice like ice. “I don’t hurt kids. This is to send a message. That’s all.”

Harper nodded, but her stomach still twisted. Hassan’s softness— the light Sevyn brought out of him—was gone. And in its place was the man the streets feared. The man who’d burn Memphis to the ground without blinking.

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