Page 78 of I See You

Braxton hesitated, glaring at him like he wanted to say more, like he wanted to threaten him with something real. But there was nothing to say. He gave one last hard look before following orders, exiting the office without another word.

The second the door shut, Hassan sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. He didn’t need this shit right now. The law already circling his business was one thing, but now Braxton had made it clear—he saw Sevyn as leverage. A weak spot.

Hassan didn’t like that. Didn’t like the way her name sat in Braxton’s mouth. Didn’t like that Braxton thought he had a claim on her. Didn’t like that he even gave a fuck. Shaking off the frustration, he reached for his phone, scrolling to a familiar number.

Nova. The one woman who never came with complications. No emotions. No attachment. Just a quick escape. She answered on the second ring, her voice smooth, seductive. “Hey, baby. Was wondering when you were gonna call.”

"Come to my casino." Hassan's voice was clipped as the call connected, his tone leaving no room for questions. Before Nova could respond, he hung up.

Usually, he didn’t fuck in his office—too much business, too many distractions. But tonight, he had too much work to do to leave. And even after shutting Braxton down, his mind was still restless.

An hour later, Nova strolled in wearing her work uniform, her eyes already filled with anticipation. Hassan wasted no time, stripping her out of her clothes and bending her over his desk. The tension in his body melted away with every thrust, each sharp movement erasing the frustration Braxton had left behind. They went at it—hard, raw, ruthless—round after round.

Nova moaned his name like a prayer, her lips wrapped around him, her hands gripping his thighs as she worked her tongue in slow, practiced strokes. But just as Hassan tipped his head back, letting the sensation consume him, the door creaked open.

His head snapped up, and the second he saw her, his entire body tensed.

Sevyn stood there, her face unreadable, her posture stiff. Her eyes flickered over the scene in front of her—Nova between his legs, her lips glistening, Hassan's grip tangled in her hair. But it wasn’t jealousy that flashed in her gaze. It wasn’t disgust.

It was something else entirely. The energy in the room shifted. Hassandidn’tmove.Didn’tspeak.JustlockedeyeswithSevyn, his breath steady, waiting—wondering—if she would turn and walk away.

She didn’t.

Instead, she stepped forward, closing the door behind her.

???

Sevyn sat in her office, trying to focus on her session with Xavier, but her patience was already stretched thin—and it was all because of him.

Hassan.

She couldn't stop thinking about the night she snapped at him for no reason, the way she let her own emotions overshadow the progress he was finally willing to make. He had started to open up, trusted her even if it was just a little, and she ruined it. A whole week had passed, but the regret still gnawed at her. She wanted to see him, to apologize, to fix it somehow, but she knew Hassan wasn’t the forgiving type.

And as if her mind wasn’t already cluttered enough, her parents had been blowing up her phone, their calls and texts piling up. She knew exactly why—they wanted updates on her clinic, casual small talk that would inevitably lead to Braxton.

She wasn’t ready to talk about her ex, wasn’t ready to relive the betrayal or explain why the man they once praised was now dead to her. And Braxton wasn’t making it any easier. The calls, the texts, the desperate attempts to reach her hadn't stopped. But this morning? This morning was different.

A delivery of flowers arrived at her apartment—expensive ones, carefully arranged, the kind Braxton knew she liked. At first, she was startled, wondering how he even knew where she lived, but then she remembered. The tracker on her car.

She wasted no time removing it before heading to work.

Sevyn was exhausted—physically, emotionally, mentally. She needed a break from everything.

Except for Hassan.

She didn’t understand it, but he was the only thing she didn’t want space from.

Now, sitting in her final session of the day, she struggled to stay engaged. Xavier was still holding a grudge from last session when Hassan interrupted their session, and he wasn’t hiding it. He resisted every attempt to open up, his attitude making the already long day feel even longer.

Sevyn was over it. All she wanted was to go home, unwind, and quiet the thoughts swirling in her mind. But she already knew—the second she closed her eyes, Hassan would be the only thing she’d see.

Xavier sat across from her, his arms crossed, a permanent scowl on his face. "I don’t even know why I’m still coming here," he muttered, tapping his fingers against the armrest impatiently. "Ain't like this shit helping."

Sevyn let out a slow breath through her nose, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Today wasn’t the day. She had too much weighingon her mind—Hassan, her parents, Braxton’s audacity—and Xavier’s defiance was making her patience run even thinner.

She adjusted in her chair, keeping her posture poised even though exhaustion dragged at her body. "You’re still here because you want to play next season," she said evenly, locking eyes with him. "And because if you don’t finish these sessions, that contract they just signed you to? Gone."

Xavier clenched his jaw, shaking his head before dragging a hand over his face. "Man, whatever."

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