The taxi comes to a stop at the Inferno company building and Shawn gets down and pays the taxi driver before turning around and looking at the gigantic company building.

There’s a chill that runs down his spine as he looks at the building once again. Maybe it’s because Cainan threw him out of this place three months ago and his plead and cry for mercy fell on the deaf ears of the man, who now wants him back. He also doesn’t forget the fact that Cainan had kissed his girlfriend before giving him this job and even though he had punched him in the face for that, he doesn’t think that is enough for what he did or the things he said.

Shawn's not thrilled, no. He has a bad feeling about it and he knows it’s not going away soon. Although hoping for the best, he reminds himself who he’s working for and that’s Inferno.

At exactly eight o’clock, he steps into the fourth floor of the building and he remembers most of the faces that turned toward him. Some stared at him with a face filled with confusion, others stared with surprise and yet others with scepticism. An icy chill runs down his spine, but he puts himself under control and makes his way towards Jacob, the attendant's desk.

“Good morning,” Shawn says, hoping to start a smooth conversion with him.

He glances up from his desk, his brown eyes dull and lazy for the early morning. “Yes? Can I help you?”

Okay..., that was not the response he expected, at least not from him, “It’s me, Jacob.” They had been friends in the years that they had worked together. Jacob was one colleague he hoped would visit him after he got fired three months ago, but sadly enough, he never did and neither did he call.

“Again I ask, can I help you?”

Something nasty must have happened to Jacob in the last three months because he wasn’t this cranky before, or maybe he was, and he just didn’t notice.

“Um... Is Cainan already in? He called me back.” Shawn blurts out, unbelief still relevant in his tone.

Jacob glances up at Shawn and quietly stares at him for a while, “And what is he going to take, your soul? Or has he already taken it?”

Shawn’s confusion increases as a little fury sets in. “Is Cainan in?” He asks again, this time keeping the question as formal as possible.

“Yes. He is,” Jacob responds and Shawn walks away from him only to hear him mutter “wimp” under his breath.

He knocks on the door and when he hears a come in; he pushes the door and enters Cainan’s office.

Cainan is on the phone with someone who is pleasing enough to make him smile and as he sees Shawn, he beckons that he comes closer and he nods, stepping closer to the desk. Cainan's desk has many files of work on it and some look untouched, which is so unlike him, but Shawn keeps his mouth shut and says nothing while Cainan’s busy.

“Alright, talk later, mom,” he said before hanging up the phone. “That’s my mom, she wants me to get married ASAP.”

“Oh?” Shawn utters as he finds nothing more to say about the awkward situation.

He has worked here for years, but Cainan barely spoke to him about his mother. He only discussed work-related issues with him and brought assignments and works over to his table. The best he’s done had been informing him about a dinner party and asking him to tag along, nothing more, so this felt weird.

“Yeah, she thinks I’m old, god, I’m just past thirty.” He drops the phone on his desk and looks up. “Do you think I look old?”

Shawn’s brows furrow. “Why are you asking me that?” He asks instead.

“Because you’re the one here,” is his straightforward answer.

Shawn scratches his head with his eyes, looking anywhere but at Cainan. “Hey, can you at least do me the favour of looking at me? I’m right in front of you.” The tone of his voice changes rapidly as he says this and there is a grimace and snare at the end of his words.

Shawn looks at him, taking a proper look at him before shrugging. “It depends.”

It’s Cainan’s turn to frown. “It depends on what?”

“You don’t look old and you sure don’t feel old, but she birthed and raised you and watched you from age one to thirty, so yeah, you’re getting old from her view.” He responds, leaving no details out.

Cainan makes an agreeing gesture and wags his head from side to side. “Well, I’ll marry when I find the right girl,” he mutters before flipping open a file to glance through it.

It feels odd to Shawn for him to say find the right girl when he’s got a girlfriend, but then again, this is Cainan Inferno. He’s the playboy turn crazy lover, turn heart-breaker and with him, anything can happen. Relationships will not keep him grounded, he was in one all the while he was having an affair with Clara and five days ago he kissed his girlfriend.

“Right girl? Not to prude, but did you break up with Samantha?” Shawn asks out of curiosity.

“I haven’t, but I don’t think she’s the right one for me and I’m sure the feeling is mutual.” He casually says like it doesn’t matter. “We are together because we appreciate and enjoy each other’s company.”

Cainan goes silent as he reads through the documents while Shawn stands and thinks about everything that just happened in the last five minutes he’s been here.

“What would you be wanting in return for rehiring me?”

“Pardon?” Cainan says, looking up at him and dropping his pen.

He doesn’t repeat the question, instead; he put out the word plainly so he’ll understand. “You didn’t hire me from the goodness of your heart, Mr Inferno, I don’t have to be told to know that.”

“Someone here told you something, right?” He asks although certainty is obvious in his voice.

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Shawn shakes his head, but he knows Cainan knows he’s lying. “That’s not what I’m getting at.”

“It was Jacob, wasn’t it? I knew I should have fired that dumb ass a long time ago.” He mumbles to himself, though there is a great deal of anger in his voice and his hand balls into a fist.

“You’re not answering my question.” Shawn snaps.

Cainan slams his hands on his desk, his eyes blazing with fury. “Because your question is stupid and annoying just as you are being now.” He draws a sharp breath, and briefly rubs his forehead in constraint, “If I didn’t want you around I wouldn’t have rehired you and if I want something from you we both know that I don’t have to rehire you to get it.”

“I’m sorry then, I’ll be in my office if you need me.” He says before walking out of his office.

.

“How is your day going?” Neriah asks as Shawn returns to his seat after sorting some drafted work into his shelf at the corner of the room.

“It going weird.” He says, following a deep sigh. He goes to the other files on his table and he places the phone between his ear and shoulder for support. And picks one up and glances through it.

“How do you mean?“

He shrugs mildly but realises she’s on the phone and really can’t see him. “Everyone giving me weird looks and staring at me strangely. And it’s the same look they gave Amy three years ago.“

“What look? And who’s Amy?” There’s a curiosity in her voice and Shawn knows too well not to fall for it.

His cheeks heat with embarrassment. “The ‘are you sleeping with the boss?’ look. Everyone gave it to her because she got promoted without doing a thing to merit it. Long story short, we later found out she was sleeping with Cainan. And now it feels weird cause that’s not what I’m doing.”

Neriah laughs aloud, “Really?! Poor you.”

“Haha real funny, Ria. They have ever rehired no one before, so I get why it is causing a lot of stirs, but we will not need the attention.” He says with a full voice.

“Well, your priority is your job and boss, not your colleagues. We both know you’re not sleeping with him, that should keep you on track.”

He nods in agreement and he knew he just wanted someone who’d say those words to him and he’s happy he’s got Neriah in his corner, “Thanks for saying that, I miss you so much already.”

He feels a smile on Neriah’s face as she responds, “I miss you too, big guy.”

“How did it go?” He quickly asks before he would forget and hang up.

“It went great. I’ll be making the payment tomorrow and if all goes well, I’ll be moving in as well.”

He smiles widely, “That’s my girl, I’m so proud of you—” he hasn’t finished his word when Cainan walked to his desk.

“I’ve got an assignment for you.”

“I got to go, kisses.” He tells Neriah before hanging up. “What do you want?”

“This sorted through, and returned to me before the end of the day.” he drops the file in his hand down on his desk before walking away.

....

Neriah drops the phone and moves to her sewing machine and sits down, bringing her already cut-out clothing materials and putting them on the table. She picks the white pieces and fold them and straightens them on the machine.

She bows her head to put in the thread when she felt something drop from her nose. She looks down and there’s a drop of blood on the white pieces on the sewing machine. Her hand races to touch her nose and finds it bleeding; she wipes it off and cleans up the material.

The doctor gave her a year’s worth of time and she has lived through the sixth month, but now her body is giving up faster than she thought she would.

She can’t stop worrying about her family, and how they are going to accept the news of her illness. The migraine gets worse with every day and the dizziness, and how she’s held it all together around Shawn is still a wonder.

She thinks about her mom and the hope she had on her face when she last talked to them on Skype about coming to visit. Her greatest fear is Shawn. He does not know what’s happening and has been through so much with his mom and her health issues and battles, and the last thing she wants is to add more to his plate. She is the only thing giving him joy, and she doesn’t hope to rip it away from him.

She wipes the tears that roll down her cheeks away, sniffs and continues with her sewing.