Page 28 of I See You

But Helen’s tears?

They made his heart clench. Made something inside him shift. He hated it. He hated feeling anything at all.

"I can't watch you dying inside while I’m dying physically too."

The tears streamed down her face now, and Hassan clenched his fists under the table.

"Just think about it. Please."

Silence suffocated the room. Hassan cursed himself for the way his chest tightened. For the way that one word—"please"—made him feel weak. His response was low, forced, nearly a whisper.

"I’ll think about it."

Then he stood, grabbing his keys. Before he walked out, his eyes flickeredtoHarper,seeingtheguiltpaintedacrossherface.She had gone behind his back. Talked about him—his demons—to their grandmother.

And that? That shit cut deeper than he wanted to admit.

His body tensed, but instead of saying something he’d regret, he turned away, gathering his plate and taking it to the sink. When he returned, he paused beside Helen, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Then, a nod to Roman.

Finally, his gaze landed back on Harper. She didn’t move as he stepped closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead too. Even with the tension thick between them, he still loved her.

But love didn’t erase betrayal. He didn’t say another word.

Didn’tlookback.Didn’tletthemseethewayhishandsshookslightly as he got into his car. And as he gripped the wheel, exhaling a long, unsteady breath, one truth settled in his chest like a dagger.

No matter what he did—

No matter how much money he made, no matter how much power he held—

His people still looked at him like he was broken.

And as he drove through the dark streets of Memphis, he hated that for the first time in his life—

He was starting to believe them.

Chapter 4

Sevyn lay in bed, her face buried in the pillows, surrounded by crumpled, snot-filled tissues. The morning sun spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of her luxury penthouse, but she barely acknowledged it.

She had barely acknowledged anything for the past month.

After catching Braxton cheating—with her best friend, in their bed, in their home—she hadn’t been able to stomach staying there. The betrayal ran too deep, the walls felt tainted, and the air was suffocating with memories that now felt like lies.

So she left. Packed her shit, moved into a penthouse just outside the city.

But even with the fresh start, she was still here—curled up, brokenhearted, drowning in emotions she couldn’t outrun.

She had loved Braxton. Believed in him. Saw a future with him. And Ariel? She had trusted her with everything.

The pain doubled because the betrayal had come from both sides.

Harper and Dorian had been doing their best to drag her out of this funk, but Sevyn couldn’t shake the weight pressing down on her chest. Shewastheonepeoplecametoforhealing.Now,shewastheoneneedingtobehealed.Braxtonhadbeencallingnon-stop,leaving voicemails, sending texts, begging to talk.

She ignored every single one. There was nothing left to say.

She sighed, turning over, attempting to shut out the sun and drift back into the empty solace of sleep—

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