Old Money || Shawmila [Completed]

3. Hurt and pleasure

Major warning: this chapter contains very explicit language. I promise it's a one-time thing, and there won't be another scene like the one you're about to read. You're probably going to hate a character... but please don't hate me.

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Camila liked to think of herself as a fearless woman who wasn't scared by powerful man nor by social constructs. She knew she was good in everything she did, so she rarely doubted her skills. But when Shawn walked through the door and glanced at her with disdain, she felt her legs turning into jelly. She had no idea how she was supposed to talk to him, what she should have said or how she could ignore his disgusted frown. Shawn really had the power to void her confidence and made her feel like she was a piece of garbage.

His mere presence was enough to make her lose control, and - as if her mouth had a mind of its own – his name slipped out of her lips in an astonished whisper. "Shawn" was the only word that she was able to pronounce during those first moments full of tension. His deathly stare made her skin crawl while at the same time shame worked its way from the depths of her stomach to the surface of her face. She couldn't forget how two years earlier she had fooled him, she couldn't erase from her memory the look of incredulous betrayal displayed on his face.

Gathering up the remains of her composure, she cleared her throat and she pointed to one of the padded chairs in front of her desk. «Please, take a sit». Shawn, with nonchalance, seated in front of his former girlfriend, placed his briefcase at his feet, and took out a folder. Camila watched him as his long fingers reached for the pen inside the vest pocket of his suit, noticing that he had no longer been biting his nails. He was probably way less stressed nowadays she thought, pleased.

«Miss Cabello, shall we start?». Camila was briefly taken aback from hearing such formality from his part, but she quickly understood that this was the easiest way to face the situation. They had numerous weeks to spend together ahead of them, and despite their history, they needed to be on their best behavior.

With her head held high, Camila grabbed the folder under her nose and nodded. «I'm all set, Mr. Mendes. So, I assume that you're here to discuss the partitions following the demerger of Caplan & Gold in representation of Mr. Caplan, if I'm not mistaken».

«Precisely. I'm sure this is just the beginning of a long parley, so I'm sure today we're just going to discuss the initial terms. Mr. Caplan's requests are very easy: he requires half of the worth of the company, plus the exclusive rights on the license of the product that started the company. My client claims to be the one who invented it».

This was a request that Camila had anticipated beforehand. «Hopefully, you don't expect me to agree to such a demanding request based on a claim, Mr. Mendes. Unfortunately, until your client can provide proofs that certify he's the inventor, we can't move forward to an agreement».

Shawn's jaw tightened and he slightly gritted his teeth. If the man in front of her wasn't the one whose heart she broke, she would be much more pleased and satisfied for his annoyance. Shawn slowly put his folder in his briefcase and his pen inside his jacket. «If that's the case, Miss. Cabello, I believe we're finished here». He stood up and smoothened his shirt.

Camila's heart missed a beat. For two long years she had repeated herself that Shawn was part of her past, that she would have never seen him again. She had suffocated the faint hope that made her believe she would have had a chance to make up for her actions. And now that her disbelief was proved wrong, she didn't want to say goodbye to him all over again. In no time she stood up, the chair scratching on the ground with a loud noise, and stopped her past lover from leaving the room. «Shawn, wait». Formality was obviously forgotten. «Can we talk?».