Chapter 3: Kaiba v. Hart – Round 1
Brighty quickly walked through the entrance of Hart Incorporated. By the quickness of her step and the irritated look on her face it was easy to deduce that she was very displeased with this summons. The security guards snapped to attention at the doors and the receptionist hurriedly got to his feet with a distressed expression on his face. "Miss Hart…" he began.
Brighty cut him off with a sharp look as she continued on towards the elevators, "Arthur, call upstairs and let them know I'm here. Tell them they better have a good explanation ready." Brighty made her way to her private elevator, stepped inside, and pushed the button for the top floor.
Arthur swallowed nervously and nodded, "Yes, Miss Hart." He turned back to his desk and reached for the phone to call upstairs.
"Oh, and Arthur," Brighty flashed a smile as the doors started to close. "Good afternoon."
Arthur visibly relaxed and returned her a timid smile, "Good afternoon, Miss Hart." The elevator doors closed.
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Brighty watched the elevator light as it approached the top floor. She slowly loosened the tension of her neck and shoulders and took a deep breath to calm her temper. She let her breath out slowly just as the elevator bell chimed the floor. She put on her game face as the doors opened, and she stepped out into a sea of utter chaos.
"He came out of no where….."
"……walked in like he owned the place."
"Couldn't stop him…."
"Miss Hart…."
"Miss Hart…."
Brighty raised an eyebrow as many of her top executives babbled on like mindless idiots. Fully exasperated with their nonsense chatter she turned to the one calm person in the reception room.
Kendra, Brighty's personal secretary, slightly rolled her eyes at the spectacle. Brighty suppressed a laugh and finally raised her voice to be heard over them, "What!" Everyone went quiet and Brighty continued on in a more normal tone, "Is going on here?"
Kendra cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, "Miss Hart, Seto Kaiba is waiting to see you."
"Okay…." Brighty glanced around the reception room and then back at Kendra with an obvious question in her eyes.
Kendra grimaced slightly, "I'm sorry, Miss Hart, he just walked right into your office and ordered us to track you down."
Brighty gave Kendra an 'are you serious' look. "Who does this rich boy think he is?" she grumbled to herself. She then turned to her high paid and dumb struck executives, "Ladies and gentlemen, I will deal with the interloper and I'm sure you all have business to get back to. I bid you all a good-day." Brighty made her way to her office door, "Kendra, hold all my calls." Brighty halted and took a deep breath to try and calm her rising agitation. After a moment of centering herself, she marched into her office.
The first thing she saw was Kaiba relaxing in her chair, looking out her windows. Highly infuriated now, Brighty crossed her arms and asked in the sweetest of tones, "Enjoying the view?"
Kaiba swiveled around in the chair and gave an ironic smile, "Finally decided to grace me with your presence?"
"Left your manners at home, I see," Brighty replied drolly. "You caught me on my day off."
Kaiba leaned back in the chair and rested his elbows on the arms, "I just though it was time to see what kind of opponent your parents decided to send against me this time." Taking his time, he casually inspected Brighty, "Were they planning for you to seduce me? Because you don't look to have the brains to do much else to me."
The room temperature visibly dropped as Brighty stalked across the office to place her hands on the desk top. She leaned across it to stare Kaiba right in the eyes, "Lets get one thing straight, Kaiba. This is my office. My territory. My rules. So you have two choices. You can get out of my chair and find that gentleman I know must be buried under there somewhere, or I can call security and we can end this delightful conversation right now."
Kaiba just stared at her for a second and then smirked, "Finally, someone with wit and a backbone." He got up out of her chair and walked around to the front of the desk to face her, "Maybe you do have more to you than just beauty."
"Careful, such flattery my turn my head," Brighty smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes at him.
Kaiba gave a harsh sounding laugh and moved in closer to her, "Our rivalry should be fun. Maybe I've found that worthy opponent at last."
Brighty fixed an innocent and confused look on her face and replied, "Funny, I'm still looking for mine."
Again Kaiba smirked and then turned to walk towards the door. "I think we have each others measure now. I look forward to our next meeting, Hart." With that, he walked out of her office.
Brighty practically melted back onto the desk top in relief. That was just one of the last people in the world she ever wanted to be in the same room with again. She reached back and pushed a button on the intercom, "Kendra, call Parker and tell him to get the car ready. I'm going home."
Round 1: Stand Still.
