The CEO’s Revenge

Chapter Two.

Richard.

The CEO of Vistard, Richard Evans, prided himself on the fact that nothing rattled him easily as a seasoned businessman. But as he stared at the woman on the hospital bed, he could not deny the emotions threatening to erupt in his chest. He took a calming breath in.

Cassandra Thomas—the only woman he let get close enough to smash his heart into a million pieces. He remembered vividly like it was yesterday, though it was over a decade ago.

“I only agreed to date you as a bet with my friends,” she‘d said. His whole world collapsed immediately. He wanted to speak but his brain was disconnected from his mouth.

“But you are a nice guy, so let’s break things off cleanly.” She said ‘nice’ with a faint hint of distaste. Her cool, detached tone was in stark contrast with the waves of emotions he was feeling. And so he did something he never thought he would do—something he had not done since then. He dropped to his knees.

“Please don’t—Cassie, I love you!”

“Don’t act so pathetic, it makes it hard to feel sorry for you.”

He would never forget the look in her eyes—filled with pity and loathing—when she told him to stop embarrassing himself. He watched her walk away from him and his whole world. He loved her deeply for years before mustering the courage to ask her out. He saw her for the first time when he accidentally bumped into her outside the library. Anxious and clumsy, he became a bumbling mess as he apologized profusely. But she laughed and waved him off. Her laugh sounded like tinkle-bells and sunshine. He would never forget the sound. Richard had been pretty stunned when she walked up to him the next day at the library and they became inseparable since then. He was flattered by her attention and drawn to her kind nature. But it was all a lie. He should have known when eventually he asked her out on a date and she agreed on the spot. That should have been a warning sign for him. She was the campus belle and he was just a nerdy loner. No one gave two f***s about him.

But not anymore. Fifteen years later, he was now the CEO and startup founder of one of the biggest software companies in Silicon Valley, rivaling Microsoft. And he would make her pay for playing him back then.

At that moment, Cassandra shifted on the hospital bed and slowly opened her eyes. He watched as she blinked a couple of times, her eyes unadjusted to the brightness of the room. Eventually, her gaze landed on him. He noticed her pupil widening in surprise.

“Great, you’re awake.” He commented dryly.

“What—who are you?” She asked, eyeing him warily. He was aware that his presence set her on edge. He glanced at his watch before tucking his hand into the pocket of his tailored pants.

“Not the best choice of words to say to the man who just saved your life.” He drawled.

“You saved my life?” Cassie inquired. She sat up as something registered in her head. “Where’s my brother? What did you do to Terry?”

Richard’s chuckle was tinged with a hint of bitterness. “Terence is the least of your worries right now, Cassandra. Rest well and we’ll talk about your future.”

Flustered, Cassie asked, “Wh—what do you want from us?” Her voice wobbled at the end. She was scared. Richard took three steps closer to her, leaning in.

“Your brother, Terrence, owes me a whole lot of money,” he began. “More than he can ever repay. I made him sign a contract. And I intend to get back every last cent, by any means necessary,” Richard declared.

Richard noticed how Cassie stilled for a split second. But he was more impressed with how fast she recovered. She steeled her spine, asking,

“What does that have to do with me?” He softened his tone. “Oh, darling, but it has everything to do with you.”

He saw her shudder. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips. He knew he was getting to her. He expected her to shy away but she surprised him again.

She lifted her chin in defiance, meeting his gaze. His iciness clashed with her fiery gaze. She was done being pushed around.

In the vague corners of Richard’s mind, interest sparked. He took in her soft feminine features that had blossomed with age. Her black hair was secured in a loose knot at the top of her head. Richard wondered if it was as silky as he could remember.

He noted the moment she took in his face as well. He could imagine what she saw—his buzz cut, angular features, chiseled jawline, and straight nose. Cassie eventually folded under the weight of his gaze.

A second later and I would’ve folded, Richard thought wryly to himself. He glanced at his watch. It was time to leave. She always had a way of making him lose track of time. But not anymore. He turned away from Cassandra and her soul-sucking eyes. When he reached the door, he threw a reminder over his shoulder.

“You will be discharged tomorrow. If you want to see your brother again, stay put till I come for you.”

He made sure she caught the warning in his tone. He was almost out the door when Cassandra blurted out,

“Who are you?”

He turned halfway toward her, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes gracing his lips. Heat rose to Cassandra’s cheeks and she squirmed under his gaze.

“I’m disappointed that you do not remember me, Cass, considering that we dated in school for the better part of a year.”

Her jaw dropped to the floor. “Richard?”

He savored the surprise in her tone, noting how her cheeks reddened even more. “The one and only.”

As he stepped out of the ward, he let out a breath he was not aware he was holding. He was pretty surprised himself. He only told her they dated and she immediately remembered who she was.

As the most beautiful girl on campus, she dated so many guys back then. She even had a suitor who was a startup founder in Silicon Valley. Plus, Richard himself no longer looked the same way he used to. That nerdy loner in glasses was dead.

He would have thought that Cassie would need more time to remember who he was. Again, she surprised him. What he was not prepared for was how beautiful she had grown to be. In school, she had been a budding beauty. But the Cassandra he just saw was a full-grown woman—and she had all the curves to prove it. He could tell even under that stupid hospital gown.

A wicked smile graced Richard’s face. He quickened his steps as he made his way out of the hospital. Beneath the anticipation of sweet revenge, something else bubbled. Something he did not want to examine too closely.

Once outside, he dialed a number. It connected on the first ring. He spat out a single sentence without any preamble.

“Secure the perimeters and keep a close watch on her.”

“Yes, boss.”

Richard hung up immediately. Satisfied that his plan was in motion, he got into his car. From his rear view mirror, he saw the nondescript van where his men currently are stationed. Two men, dressed in black stepped out of the van. He nodded at them, firing up the engine. It purred to life. I will have fun breaking you, Cass, just like you broke me.

When he drove off, his mood matched the brightness of the afternoon sun.