Page 106 of I See You

Ariel.

Dorian’s entire posture changed the moment she laid eyes on her. Dressed in her business casual best, walking like she wasn’t the reasonSevynhadcriedherselftosleepfordamnnearaweek.Her bloodboiled. The ache Sevyn carried, the betrayal that haunted her cousin’s eyes—it all came rushing back.

“Hold up,Roman. I’ll call you back,” Dorian said quickly, not bothering to end the call as she stood. She didn’t even wait to see if Roman had responded.

Her heels clicked against the marble floors with a purpose, and Ariel, oblivious, was already heading out the glass doors for her lunch break.

But Dorian?

Dorian was right on her ass.

“Aye,bitch!”Dorian’svoiceslicedthroughtheparkinglotlike a blade. Ariel froze mid-step, her stomach twisting before she even turned around. But when her eyes landed on Dorian storming toward her, all the color drained from her face.

She turned to make a run for it—but Dorian was faster.

“You wasn’t runnin’ when you was fuckin’ my cousin’s nigga, so don’t run now!” Dorian barked, cutting her off before she could even reach her car.

“Dorian, who the fuck is that?!” Roman’s voice shouted through the phone still clutched in her hand, but Dorian wasn’t listening. Her eyes were locked on Ariel, nothing else mattered.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for it to go down like that,” Ariel stammered, trying to explain, but Dorian wasn’t here for apologies.

POP!

The punch cracked across Ariel’s mouth, sending her stumbling back with a scream. Dorian’s purse, phone, and keys hit the pavement as she launched into a full-blown attack. All she saw was Sevyn’s swollen, tear-streaked face… the heartbreak… the betrayal.

“You messy-ass, homewreckin’ bitch!” Dorian shouted, grabbing Ariel by the collar and shoving her against the car. “You got my cousin cryin’ over that raggedy-ass nigga, and you thought I was just gon’ let that shit slide?!”

Ariel tried to shield herself, hands flailing, but Dorian was on a mission. She climbed on top of her, straddling her in the middle of the pavement, her fists flying like they had a personal vendetta.

Slap. Punch. Slap.

“I told Sevyn I’d handle you! She might have let that shit go, butI don’t!”

“Stop! I’m preg—” Ariel tried to scream, but Dorian’s fist landed again before the word could even register.

Suddenly,strongarmsyankedDorianoffwithforce.Herbody twisted mid-air before she hit someone’s chest. It was Roman.

“Yo! Come on, Dorian—before yo ass end up in jail!” he growled, holding her tight as he carried her to his car.

Ariel lay on the ground, bloody and half-conscious, nose pouring, lips split, her cries muffled behind the ringing in her ears. A small crowd had gathered, phones out, some gasping, some egging it on.

“That’s what the fuck she gets! Being a fuckin’ hoe!” Dorian screamed, still trying to break loose from Roman’s arms. “This ain’t over, bitch! You hear me?! It’s up behind Sevyn forever!”

Roman dragged her toward the car as sirens wailed louder. Dorian didn’t stop shouting. Her chest heaved with every breath, her fists still clenched, her eyes wild. She didn’t give a fuck about the cops, the crowd, or the cameras.

All she knew was Ariel bled, and it still wasn’t enough.

Roman dropped Dorian into the passenger seat of his Lamborghini like she weighed nothing, tossing her bag and keys in after her. She was still fuming, yelling out the window, but he ignored her for now. He shut the door gently—too gently for what was boiling inside him— before turning and walking back toward the bloodied mess crumpled against the side of a car.

Ariel.

The wail of police sirens grew louder in the distance, but Roman didn’t flinch. The law didn’t shake him. Never had.

"You better not say shit to them cops," he said, voice low, calm, and deadly enough to make her breath hitch.

Ariel looked up at him, blood dripping from her busted nose,her eyes wild with fear. "Do you see my face?!" she shrieked. "I'm pregnant, too!"

Roman’s expression didn’t change. Not an ounce of sympathy. "Ay!Y’allgetthefuckonsomewherewithallthatrecording shit!" he barked, his voice cutting through the air like a gunshot. A small crowd of bystanders, phones out and frozen in place, suddenly scattered like roaches. They knew better. Roman’s name alone carried enough weight to send entire blocks into silence.

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