Chapter 17
S evyn drove behind Dorian, following her through traffic as they headed to an upscale restaurant for family brunch.
It wasn’t just the two of them—the whole family would be there.
Sevyn, her parents, Dorian, and hers. It had been a minute since they’d all sat down together, and Sevyn was genuinely looking forward to it.
She needed the distraction. Needed something to pull her thoughts away from Hassan.
Because for the past three days, he’d been all she could think about.
That night kept replaying in her head—the way he looked when he came to the club, raw and vulnerable, like the world was caving in around him. The quiet weight in his eyes as he fought demons only he could see. And the way her body fit against his when they slept… like it belonged there.
She had learned something new about him that night.
That beneath all that cold, hard, terrifying exterior, there was softness. Vulnerability. Emotion. He wasn’t numb like the world believed. He felt everything. Deeply.
Learning he was bipolar or that he hallucinated younger versions of himself didn’t scare her—it made her understand him more.
Made her want to help him carry it. Made her want to show him how to face it without falling apart.
But what she wasn’t ready to admit, not even to herself, was how he made her feel.
How his presence warmed something inside her.
How her body reacted just by being near him.
How her heart seemed to slow down whenever he was close, like it finally had permission to rest.
Hassan was just her client. That was the boundary.
But falling asleep beside him… waking up on top of him… feeling his arms wrap around her like she belonged there?
That was a line she should’ve never crossed.
And deep down, she knew it wasn’t the last time she’d find herself toeing it.
Sevyn trailed behind Dorian’s brand-new maroon Corvette, already making a mental note to ask about it the second they parked.
Minutes later, they pulled into Valarie’s—a rooftop restaurant known for its upscale brunch, lunch, and dinner options.
It was as elegant on the outside as it was on the inside, with modern architecture, glass walls, and an interior that screamed money and refinement.
Sevyn eased her Maserati into valet right behind Dorian’s ride. Both women stepped out, designer shoes hitting against the pavement as they made their way to the entrance, moving quickly since they were already running late.
“I see you got a new ride,” Sevyn said with a curious smirk, eyeing the Corvette.
Dorian rolled her eyes, shaking her head like she’d been waiting for the question. “Girl, Roman got me that.”
Sevyn’s brows shot up. She knew they were messing around, but this?
“He out here buying you cars now?” Sevyn teased as they walked through the glass doors.
“That nigga doing everything he can to make himself my man,” Dorian replied, completely unbothered. “It’s gonna take more than a fancy-ass car—and demon dick… but I’m not about to block my blessings either.”
Sevyn laughed, shaking her head. Dorian stayed with her foot on these men’s necks. They lined up for her, ready to hand her the world, and she still barely gave them the time of day. But Sevyn knew better—knew Dorian was feeling Roman, even if she wasn’t saying it out loud.
“Hello, the Love princesses,” the host greeted with a warm smile, making both women chuckle.
They were regulars here. Their family always booked dinners and events at Valarie’s, so the staff knew them well.
“Hey, Paul,” Sevyn greeted.
“Your family’s waiting on the roof. Follow me.”
They followed him through the restaurant to the private rooftop terrace, where the chatter of their family echoed in the distance.
The space was quieter than usual—intimate, surrounded by greenery and soft jazz—but the energy of love and laughter still lingered in the air.
“They finally arrived,” Paul joked as Sevyn and Dorian came into view.
“Can always count on these two to be fashionably late—but somehow still show up at the same time.”
“Hey, Auntie,” Sevyn said as Diana—Dorian’s mom and Trina’s twin sister—gave her a knowing look before pulling her in for a hug.
Sevyn moved down the table, greeting her Uncle Sean and then huggi ng her parents, while Dorian did the same.
Once pleasantries were done, the girls finally slid into their seats.
Sevyn took her time skimming the menu, using it to distract herself from how she felt—mentally, emotionally.
“Time to drink!” Dorian announced, hyped, making the parents around the table shake their heads in unison.
Sevyn laughed, already nodding in agreement, but before either of them could call for the server, Steven cut in. “Wait. Before we order anything, we’re waiting on another family.”
Both Sevyn and Dorian blinked, confused.
“Oh, but we were late,” Sevyn mumbled under her breath, half joking.
“They’ve already been here,” Trina replied, overhearing her daughter’s comment. “We were just waiting on you two to finally show up.”
Minutes later, the restaurant doors opened again, and out walked Steven and Sean’s business partner, Henry Caldwell, with his wife Reign right beside him.
But what made Sevyn and Dorian go cold was the person trailing behind them.
Ariel.
Still sporting a faint cut on her lip and a dark ring around her eye from the last time she saw Dorian.
Sevyn felt her body tense instantly. Her hands balled in her lap. She had sworn to herself—and to Dorian—that she would never speak to, look at, or breathe the same air as Ariel again. But here she was. And Sevyn’s instinct was to leap across the table and finish what her cousin started.
Instead, she stayed rooted in her chair, jaw tight.
“Came for round two?” Dorian said, voice low and deadly, a devilish smirk curling her lips as her eyes followed Ariel to the far end of the long table.
“Dorian!” Diana snapped in warning, giving her daughter a look.
Ariel didn’t respond. She didn’t even make eye contact. Just slid into a seat like a mouse avoiding a trap.
“Why are they here?” Sevyn asked, eyes locked on Ariel like she was daring her to breathe wrong. Her voice was calm, but the fire underneath it was unmistakable.
“We heard what happened at the bank,” Sean said, speaking carefully. “Henry and I thought it was best to sit down with you three and get to the bottom of it.”
“There’s nothing to get to the bottom of,” Dorian said, eyes never leaving Ariel.
“Ariel betrayed Sevyn. I beat her ass for it. Case closed.” Sevyn stayed quiet, but her blood was boiling—at her parents, at the au dacity of this meeting, and at the fact that Ariel was sitting ten feet away like she belonged here.
Sevyn saw the waitress approaching, and before her mother could open her mouth, she cut in. “Give me your strongest drink on the menu.”
“Sevyn,” Trina warned, but Sevyn didn’t flinch as she turned to look at her. You have me sitting across from the girl who was supposed to be my best friend and fucked my boyfriend… and I’m not supposed to drink?” Her voice dripped with disbelief as she stared her mother down.
“Watch your mouth, Sevyn,” Steven added, tone firm.
Sevyn turned back to the waitress like he hadn’t spoken. “The strongest drink you got—make it stronger.”
“Two,” Dorian chimed in, unapologetic.
Their parents shook their heads, disappointed, but neither Sevyn nor Dorian cared. The waitress nodded, clearly picking up on the tension choking the entire rooftop as she took the rest of the table’s drink orders.
Once she walked away, the air thickened with silence—until Henry spoke.
“I just want to apologize to you, Sevyn,” he began, his voice soft, diplomatic. “What Ariel did was disloyal, disgraceful. You didn’t deserve it. You’ve always been good to her, from the moment y’all met. I hate that it had to end like this.”
Sevyn scoffed under her breath, rolling her eyes. She didn’t want apologies. Not from him. Not from anybody. She wanted to erase the memory of even knowing Ariel.
“We apologize too, Ariel,” Sean added.
Sevyn and Dorian’s heads snapped toward him at the same time, their eyes wide with disbelief.
“We don’t apologize for shit, Pops,” Dorian fired back as the waitress returned and placed two strong cocktails in front of them. Sevyn didn’t waste a second—she grabbed hers and downed it in one go, already knowing she’d need three more just to survive this table.
“Dorian! Look at what you did to her face,” Diana scolded, motioning toward Ariel, who sat silently at the far end of the table, a walking reminder of betrayal with a cut lip and the shadow of a bruise under one eye.
“She deserved that shit,” Dorian and Sevyn said in unison, not missing a beat.
Heads around the table shook, but neither of them cared. They were locked in.
“I really didn’t do enough,” Dorian muttered, sipping her drink, her e yes never leaving Ariel.
“Ariel told me you had a man threaten her,” Henry said, his voice sharp, anger bleeding through every word.
All eyes shifted to Dorian.
Sevyn shifted in her seat, heart thumping—she already knew they were talking about Roman. But Dorian? Unbothered. Cool as ever.
“I didn’t have a man do shit,” she replied flatly, not giving Roman up for anything.
“It’s on camera, Dorian,” Diana cut in, her voice tight.
Steven looked between his daughter and his niece, suspicion narrowing his eyes. “Is that one of the same dangerous niggas Braxton was talkin’ about?”
“No, Daddy,” Sevyn said quickly, her voice firm but a little too fast. She was defending her cousin—and Roman—but lying through her damn teeth.
Dorian scoffed. “He was just making sure I was good. He wasn’t gonna kill the bitch.”
“You would’ve done the same for Ma or Auntie,” Dorian added, her voice calm but dead serious.