Page 36 of I See You

Like always, she straightened her shoulders, adjusted her expression, and slipped effortlessly into her poised, professional therapist mode.

Hassan Gaines had no place in her thoughts. And she was going to keep it that way.

Chapter 5

Hassan gripped the steering wheel so tight the leather creaked under his fingers. His foot slammed against the gas, the city lights blurring past him, but none of it registered. It wasn’t business on his mind. It wasn’t the bodies he had dropped. It wasn’t even the ruthless lifestyle that usually consumed him.

It was her.

Sevyn.

When Harper asked—no,begged—him to deliver a package to her office, he had hesitated. Not because he was busy. He would drop anything for his cousin. But because he knew exactly who he was going to see—the woman who hadcaptivatedhim at the club that night. Even days later, after damn near killing a man in front of her, she was still stuck in his mind. And he didn’t know why.

Women were never distractions. They were nothing more than a temporary release—used, then forgotten. Yet she lingered. Her face. Her voice. The way she looked at him, like she didn’t see the feared, ruthless, cold-blooded man the rest of the world did. Like she sawpastit.

And then those words—"You’re not broken."

She had said it with conviction, like she knew. Like she could see something in him that even he couldn’t recognize. The people closest to him—Harper, Madea, even himself—saw him as damaged, beyond saving. But this woman, who didn’t know a damn thing about him, didn’t. And that fact alone made something shift inside of him— something he didn’t like.

For a split second, he almost turned the car around, almost went back to her office, just to demand what the fuck she meant. But his pride wouldn’t let him. No woman—no one—had ever gotten past his walls. Not in the slightest. But Sevyn had. And that made him want to stay away, but also stay close. A dangerous contradiction.

His gut told him something was off. Harper randomly asking him to deliver a package to this woman, then Sevyn trying toreadhim like she understood something about him that he didn’t? The longer hethoughtaboutit,themorehisjawtightened,angersimmering beneath the surface. Was this shit a setup?

He shook off the thought asMoneybagg Yoblared through his speakers, the bass rattling through his chest. But even as the music filled the car, drowning out his thoughts—shewas still there. Lurking. Stuck in his mind like a song he couldn’t turn off.

He pulled out his phone, calling Harper, but the line rang out with no answer. Letting out a low groan, he tossed the phone intothe cupholder and rubbed a hand through his beard, frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior. He needed something to take his mind off Sevyn and the way their encounter had left him unsettled, so he drove toward Roman’s dealership.

Pulling into the lot, he parked and walked inside, instantly greeted with nods of respect from security and employees. He acknowledged them with a tilt of his chin but kept moving. Before he could reach Roman’s office, he heard heels clicking against the showroom floor, followed by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Ice."

Nova.

She approached with a seductive smirk, her eyes gleaming with the same hunger they always held when she looked at him. Hassan gave her a curt nod, his expression unreadable, as always.

Hassan and Nova had a connection—well, kind of.

She was one of the women he called when he needed an escape. They had been fucking around since Roman hired her, but it was never anything beyond that. Nova knew the deal—no feelings, no attachment. Just pleasure. And she was fine with that. She was his go-to because she didn’t expect anything, and she was perfect in bed.

"Roman here?" Hassan asked, his voice flat.

Nova’s smirk didn’t waver as she nodded, motioning behind her. "Yeah, he’s in his office." But she didn’t move. Her gaze stayed locked on him, the same playful, seductive energy rolling off her like always.

Hassan was used to it—the way women looked at him, the waythey threw themselves at him. None of it fazed him.

"Youlookstressed,baby,"Novapurred,steppingcloser,her fingers trailing over his chest. "You need a relief?"

Hassan grabbed her hand, removing it from him with ease. But he didn’t deny what she was offering.

"Whattime’syourlunch?"heasked,alreadyknowingRoman didn’t allow his employees to slip off for pleasure during work hours.

"Umm… one," she answered, glancing down at her watch. "I’ll see you at one, then. You know where to go."

He walked off without waiting for a response, already knowing he’d have her waiting when the time came. He didn’t miss the way her smile widened or how her eyes followed his every move as he left.

She was right about one thing, though. He was stressed. But it wasn’t business.

It was Sevyn.

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