2

Wynn hated how much attention she paid to his features. His jawline that could cut through wood, his straight nose, and the Cupid bow on his perfect lips.

It was unfair how such a horrible person grew ten times more gorgeous than he was ten years ago.

Ethan Croft was now Ethan Sterling.

Before she knew it, the introductory meeting was over.

She quickly grabbed her files from the table, shoving it into her bag and shot up on her feet.

"Miss Mayfield." Ethan called just as she attempted rushing through the door. "Please stay behind."

[This cannot be happening]

The rest of the Directors exited the room, and Mr. Grant scoffed, shaking his head with a displeased look.

Wynn turned to Ethan, ignoring the way he observed her, a softness in his gaze.

"Wynn Mayfield, right?" He questioned.

Wynn's mind flipped through a mental list of what to do, and she settled on the safest option: pretend she doesn't recognise him.

She forced a curt smile. "Yes, Mr. Sterling."

Ethan slightly cocked his head. "Do you recognise me?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, sir."

"From highschool?"

She pretended to think. "No idea, sir."

Ethan fought back a grin, then cleared his throat. "Well, ten years *is* a long time."

[Not long enough, you jerk.]

"It is." Wynn feigned a chuckle.

Ethan got to his feet, then adjusted the buttons on his suit. "I'll see you around, Miss Mayfield."

She shot him one last smile as he walked out of the door, then let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Ethan Croft...is my boss?" She whispered, a laugh escaping her lips.

The situation was ridiculous. It easily beat a surprise test on a Monday morning as the number one most ridiculous things on her list.

"My first love and bully is now my boss." She continued to laugh, running her hand over her head and biting down on her lip.

"Should I just resign?"

•••

Ingrid; the only person Wynn could tolerate at work placed a file on Wynn's table.

"These are the final designs for the Colham city Airport. We worked on your corrections and further improved them."

"Good job." Wynn said.

Ingrid peeped the stress ball that Wynn violently squeezed under the table.

"Oh oh. What's the problem this time?"

"What?" Wynn furrowed her brows.

"You grab your stress ball whenever you're deeply annoyed or stressed."

"Oh, that." Wynn sighed. "It's nothing."

Ingrid narrowed her eyes. She didn't buy it. Wynn's body had a way of doing its own thing. When she gets stressed or incredibly annoyed, she squeezes on her stress ball. So far, she'd managed to pop a total of fifty stress balls within six months.

However, with Wynn, they learned the hard way not to challenge her denials.

"Okay." Ingrid replied, then left.

Wynn stared at the file before her, dreading the thought of seeing Ethan so soon just so he could review the design plans.

"The nightmare's already begun." She groaned.

•••

Wynn knocked on the CEO's door, then entered.

She shuddered at the sight of Ethan behind his desk, leaning back on his Swivel Chair and reading a paper.

She walked up to his desk.

"These are the final designs for the Colham city Airport, Mr. Sterling."

Ethan took the file from her, then began leafing through the pages.

"These are good." He said. "I'll properly go through them later."

Wynn nodded, then turned to leave.

"Are you going to keep pretending that you don't know me?"

She froze still, then looked at him. "What?"

He got up from his chair and approached her- holding back a smirk when she glared at him and stepped back.

She would be a great liar if her expressions didn't betray her. She was basically an open book.

"I want to apologise, but I can't do that if you keep avoiding me."

It took everything in Wynn not to scoff at his words.

[Apologise??]

"I don't understand, Mr. Sterling."

Ethan nodded, then thinned his lips. "So you choose to keep playing dumb?"

[The *audacity* of this man. He might actually be insane.]

Wynn mustered the best smile she could. "I don't understand, Mr. Sterling."

"You've said that twice already. Try something new."

Wynn's eye twitched.

[He's definitely crazy. Let's just escape this before we say something we regret, Wynn.]

"If there's nothing else sir, I'll be on my way."

"I'm sorry."

His words shot through her like a bullet, and the expression on his face felt like salt on that wound.

He looked sad, and she hated it.

How dare he look sad? How dare he apologise so easily when she carried everything he did to her like a scar?

The pain he inflicted was a thorn she wore on her sleeves, unforgettable.

She held back a glare, then walked away.

•••

"HE SAID WHAT?!" Caelyn screamed.

Wynn had her face in her hands, her leg shaking, and her stress ball beside her; popped. She didn't have an extra one to keep her hands busy.

Or at least, to help her imagine Ethan's neck between her fingers as she squeezed the life out of it.

Caelyn closed her dropped jaw, then massaged her temple.

"This feels too much like a scene out of a romance film or book."

"Except this is horror." Wynn said. "Nothing about this should strike a resemblance to romance, Caelyn. This is officially my worst nightmare! I mean, the audacity of that jerk!!"

"Okay, calm down." Caelyn started, "the fact that he apologised is a good thing. It means he's a better person now, maybe he meant it."

"Do I need to bring out 'The List' to prove why your statement is absolute nonsense? The man left a hole the size of a football in my heart. That's bigger than the size of my heart! He wounded me, and he tried to erase it with two words!"

Caelyn let out a sigh. "Okay, so what are you going to do now?"

Wynn reached into her bag and took out a white envelope.

"I'm resigning."

"You're what?! Wynn, that's ridiculous! Where are you going to find a company that pays as good as Shelterline?"

"I'm willing to settle." Wynn replied.

"You?" Caelyn rose her brows. "The queen of 'I refuse to settle'?"

"Either that or I settle in prison." Wynn said, her eyes wide- a deranged look in them. "'Cause I *will* kill Ethan Sterling if I don't leave this company."

Caelyn didn't say another word. She knew better than to challenge Wynn when she had a deranged look in her eyes.

•••

The walk to Ethan's office felt like hiking up a Mountain. She wanted to get it over with quickly, but the thought of seeing his face drained every energy she had.

She reached Tanner's desk; Ethan's secretary, but it was empty. So she went ahead.

She rose her hand to knock when suddenly, a loud smack echoed through the door.

[Did someone just get slapped??!]

"You brat!" An older woman's voice shot through. "You're a thief and a cancer- you and your wh*re of a mother!"