C5 Shawn Donnelly

After checking with him, his secretary led me to his office and soon, I was inside. This should be the hardest thing I've ever had to do. To maintain composure after seeing Shawn’s face for the first time in six years.

I knew if I had a gun at the moment, I wouldn't have hesitated to use it.

“Good day, Mr. Donnelly.” I reprimanded myself and forced a professional smile on my face as our gazes interlocked.

Shawn’s face was bland. His expression was numb as though he had just seen a ghost. I noticed how mature his face was now. His facial features were sharper. His jawline was more defined and his cheekbones were more central. I could remember his eyes were once bright blue but now, they were close to steely grey. His blonde hair remained the same though.

Even if I hated to admit it, Shawn was more handsome now.

“C — Calista?” He stuttered and my legs wobbled in response.

I had to maintain my stamina and composure. I knew there was a chance he’d recognize me but since that unfortunate night we shared was the closest he’d been to me, I thought he might have forgotten what I looked like.

Not to mention the surgery I've got done for my face and the new hairstyle and color.

Pretentiously, I strained my neck to the back. “We are both the only ones here, Mr. Donnelly.” I pointed out as though I was trying to find the Calista he just mentioned.

Shawn was obviously too stunned to be rational. “I mean — I — erhm… you look so much like someone I used to know.” He managed to say.

“Oh, I get that a lot.” I shrugged, suppressing the urge to break his head with the flower vase sitting on his office shelf.

Shawn began to nod. The fact that he still remembered Calista even when I was looking way different and better now spoke volumes.

“Oh, I see. I guess I have to apologize then. Please, do have your seat.” He cheesily chuckled and gestured for me to sit.

I did but my heart was racing fast. I would have to tolerate him for months and this was just the first meeting. My irritation for him grew when he smiled at me.

“I’m guessing you are —” He trailed off, trying to find my name in one of the documents in front of him but only ended up throwing the whole thing on the floor.

I stood immediately to help him pick them up as he relentlessly muttered, “I’m so sorry. I promise I'm not always this clumsy. Your face just happens to remind me of an awful phase of my past.”

Accidentally, he had also bent to pick up the files, and our hands brushed against each other. I felt my heart jump in my mouth. How that slight contact could cause me to freeze was proof that I was not close to getting over the past.

Maybe when I have my revenge, I will finally be free from it.

I sharply stood up to break the short trance we both just had. “Here you go, sir.” I chuckled and politely kept the files on his table.

Clearing his throat, “I’m sorry once again. Trust me when I say I'm not always this clumsy.”

“Oh, it's fine, sir.” I shrugged it off. I had to regard him with respect since he was the CEO after all. “Mr. Smith wanted me to give this to you. It contains the highlights of the proposal we've previously submitted.” I got down to business.

My heart was thumping too hard, leaving me to want to escape this as fast as I could.

Shawn picked it up. “Oh, thank you, Mrs…?”

“No, sir, it's just Miss. I am Serenity Fairchild.” I corrected.

There was a pause. I could tell he was trying to chastise himself to see me as Serenity Fairchild and not Calista Whitaker.

He nodded. “Alright, Ms. Fairchild. Also, it's just Shawn, not Sir.”

What the?!

This was just his first meeting with Serenity and he already wanted me to call him by his first name. Was he still this much of a flirt?

This would make my revenge easier. To know that he was still an asshole was a fuel.

“Oh, please, Mr. Donnelly. You are a client. My boss wouldn't appreciate it when he heard I was being unpolite enough to call the client by his first name.”

“Then, it’ll be our little secret.”

I thought during my research, it was said that the CEO doesn't accommodate women well. Why was Shawn acting the opposite? Was the news a lie?

As if he could read my mind, “I don't think much of women, you need to know. However, you look so much like an old friend of mine. She just earns you a place in my heart.” He beamed.

“Is it the Calista you just mentioned?” I tilted my head and asked.

He nodded. “Yes. It's her. I’d rather not speak about her right now, so let's just get down to business.”

“Right. The file I submitted to you just now contains the final draft of our proposal. The moment you are done scrutinizing it and are cool with it, we can commence with the construction immediately.” I explained.

To my utmost surprise, “Oh, you are the architect Mr. Smith spoke to me about. The one who will be in charge of the project?” He asked with a bright face.

“Yes, sir — sorry, Mr. Donnelly, I am.”

“Then, I'm cool with rundown. Everything.” He declared without even taking a look at the file.

Even after six years, Shawn was still a Cassanova. It would only make penetrating him easier. Oh, I have plans for him. Plans that would ruin him beyond repair.