Chapter 1 Chris Donovan vs. Shane Lewis: There''s no love like the first...The meeting!


    ***


    ‘Fucking pull yourself together.’ Shane Lewis screamed at himself silently. He couldn’t believe his


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    hands were actually shaking. As if that wasn’t enough, his palms felt sweaty, he had a queasy feeling in


    his stomach, and he’d started breathing hard. Was he having a panic attack or something, Shane


    wondered, getting really scared. He was Shane Lewis for fuck’s fake. The Shane Lewis! Just his name


    put the fear of God into others. He didn’t get scared…he just didn’t.


    Shane Lewis was the owner of one of the most powerful and sessful business empires in America -


    SL Group of Companies. And he was only thirty-two years of age. Shane, an engineer by profession,


    was always described in the media as the man with the Midas’ Touch. He was so smart and lucky that


    whatever business he ventured into became a sess. When he was just twenty–two years old,


    Shane had been able to convince a bank manager to grant him a loan. With that money, he had


    sessfully purchased, tore down, and rebuilt his first officeplex. Shane had never looked back


    since.


    He’d been a smart young man, who had been determined to make it. He’d probably wanted to make a


    point…even if not to anyone but himself, that he wasn’t worthless or a nobody. And as an African


    American, that hadn’t been a walk in the park. But with determination and hard work, Shane had


    achieved his goal and even more. It was therefore not surprising that his name made it to Forbes'' top


    fifty richest men under thirty-five.


    Shane was into a lot of businesses, ranging from real estate to oil. ording to Forbes, his worth


    was six billion dors. Shane’s all-time principle, which guided him at all times, however, was to ensure


    that whatever business he ventured into, was clean. Every business must be legal. That was


    something he would neverpromise on. Thanks to his mother, Shane never forgot the saying that ‘a


    good name is better than riches’. To him, a good reputation was worth more than all the money in the


    world.


    Shane Lewis was a strikingly handsome ck man. With a height of six’ one, a sexily muscr


    physique, a nice close-cropped haircut, and his smart and confident personality, Shane would have


    passed for a movie star any day. With that kind of body, it was not a surprise that Shane was very


    athletic. He yed football, ran track, and boxed. He’d been ate bloomer…was bullied a lot too, so


    when he started shooting up, he’d been so thrilled he’d thrown himself into athletics…as a hobby and


    also as a way to stay fit. Not only did Shane never miss a day at the gym, he actually had an


    ultramodern gym that had all the hi-tech equipment, in his beautiful mansion. It was therefore not


    surprising that his hot, yummy, ripped muscles remained as it was.


    Add that devilishly good looks to his humble and charming personality, and what came out was an


    exceptionally likable and easy to love young man. As if that wasn’t enough, his passion to achieve


    greatness in the business world…and sess thereof, actually made him the total package. Women,


    who didn’t even know just how wealthy he was, fell over themselves just to gain his attention. Shane


    Lewis was super-hot.


    Shane was somehow borderline shy about his aplishments, yet certain and fiercely focused on his


    goals. One distinctive thing about Shane that surprised the business world was that he never wanted to


    be seen. He always made it a point to stay out of the public eye. Very few people even knew what he


    looked like. When he made his very first business kill, Shane had changed his name from Nics


    Shane Lewis to just Shane Lewis. Since most people hadn’t known his middle name was Shane, he


    had seeded in hiding who he was not only from the public but also from those who knew him


    before. When his mother had asked him curiously why he’d done that, Shane had shrugged and


    responded in a hoarse voice,


    “Much as I want to make it in life Ma, the thought of him even knowing I exist, gives me the shivers.”


    “Oh, honey…” Sylvia Lewis had whispered with pain in her voice.


    “It’s been years but the very thought of ever seeing him…and sometimes just the mere thought of him


    makes me shake with dread. I be that kid again, Ma. I hate the feeling.” Shane had whispered,


    reaching out to wipe the tear that shuddered on his mother’s eysh. “It’s okay Ma. For as long as I


    remain…hidden, I’m fine.”


    “But that’s just it, baby. You don’t have to hide. You did nothing wrong. You were just a kid, honey.”


    Sylvia Lewis said with so much anguish in her voice.


    “I knew what I was doing, Ma.” Shane had whispered.


    Sylvia shook her head sadly, her heartbreaking for her son. “You need to see someone, hon.” She had


    said softly. “We couldn’t afford it before but you can now. You have to see someone.”


    “I’m okay, Ma.” Shane smiled at his mum. “Besides, no shrink can understand exactly how I feel. I’ll be


    fine.”


    “What do you mean, they can’t understand? It’s their job to understand exactly how their patients feel,


    Nick.” Sylvia Lewis had countered, sounding upset.


    “Calm down, Ma.” Shane had said, grabbing both of his mother’s fists in hisrge hands. He hated it


    when his mum got upset. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me okay? Seeing you happy is all that matters to


    me in this world. Don’t worry. Okay?”


    “Okay.” Sylvia had whispered and let it go.


    “Now give us a smile…” Shane chuckled. Though he hated it when his mother got worried, he


    somehow felt good inside that someone loved and cared about him that much. But hey…that was his


    mum and she did what mothers did best…worry about their kids.


    That conversation between him and his mum had taken ce ten years ago. Shane never thought the


    day woulde when he would see someone and just want to kneel over and die. He looked around


    the faces in the conference room and gave a sigh of relief when he noticed that no one seemed to be


    paying attention to him. He’d decided to personally attend the meeting because the business he was


    entering into with Damon Thomas-Reid was a very huge and important one. They’d both brought their


    meeting as his banker and advisor. When Shane saw just who it was, his heart had nearly jumped out


    of his fucking chest. Chris Donovan!


    When he’d woken up that morning, thest person Shane Lewis thought he woulde face to face


    with was Chris Donovan. He’d blinked and looked again…And there was no mistaking who it was. He


    would never forget that face. Shane’s initial instinct had been to leave…just turn around and hightail it


    out of there. But what would the people he was there to meet think of him, Shane wondered. Besides,


    why the fuck should he run because of Chris Donovan? He said a quick prayer to whoever was


    listening in the heavens, to give him the strength to finish the meeting without attracting unnecessary


    attention to himself. He made a conscious effort to concentrate on what was being said but try as he


    did, Shane couldn’t stop his mind from wandering down a painful memoryne…