Melting

Chapter 12

By Castianna

Malik was lost in thought. He could tell that she liked him. He read it in that passionate kiss they had shared. But what he couldn't get his head around was why was she all of a sudden pulling back? This guy she mentioned, could he be a boyfriend and they were on the outs, or was it as she said, a confusing relationship that she needed an answer to first. Malik shook himself mentally and brought himself back to the present. He and Ashley had reached the main door.

"Well, goodnight Malik. I really enjoyed this. Thank you." Ashley said with a kind smile.

Malik blushed. "It was my pleasure." He hesitated a moment. "Can I ask you on a date?" He asked.

Ashley looked away. "I guess that could be alright. Text me later with the details and then we can see if it will work." She looked at him.

Malik smiled. "Ok, I will text you after dinner sometime."

With one last goodbye Ashley went out the door and down the steps to the sidewalk. Turning she headed for home. Oblivious to the fact that Seto could possibly be in danger. When she reached home she looked at the clock. Nearly 6, she had two hours before she had to meet Rae and Ryou for dinner. Not seeing anyone around in the main area of the apartment she wandered down to the bedroom expecting to find Seto. She peeked in the room and found the bed empty. Finding the bathroom equally empty she wandered back to the living room. She looked around for a note but was unable to find one. Finally deciding not to bother worrying she got up and started getting ready for her dinner with her friends.

The car pulled up in front of the Kaiba corp. building. The two hench men and Seto got out and entered through the main entrance. They walked directly to the elevator and went straight to the top floor. When they entered the office on the top floor Seto looked around for his brother.

"Good evening Seto." Mokuba said from the window.

"Mokuba…." Seto said… "You need to give me a chance to explain…to beg your forgiveness."

"Pitiful Seto, Is this what you have become…. Weak?" Mokuba sneered.

Seto's spine stiffened. "Mokuba, I am not weak, I am just man enough to admit that I did you a great wrong and I am sorry. I should have paid more attention; I shouldn't have thought everything was all right. I need you to know that I would do anything to take back those years and do them over. I would do anything to have you back in my life." Seto was near to tears.

"Nothing can change what happened Seto. But you should be happy, you raised me in your image, As Gazaboro did to you. Everything has come round in a full circle again. I have thrown you over just as you did our adoptive father."

Mokuba was still facing the window. He had grown taller in his absence; He now stood at near to the same height as Seto, the difference being a mere few inches. His hair was shoulder length and still the same jet black from his youth. His features were hard, no longer soft and childish. 'Is this how I appeared when I took over Kaiba corp. Ha, no wonder I was unliked.' Seto thought to himself.

"Mokuba you need to understand. All those hours I spent here in my office, I thought." He paused. "I thought that I was doing it all for you. That the harder I worked the better off you would be. I had convinced myself that you would never want for anything. I wanted you to have a good life." His voice cracked.

Mokuba's eyes misted over, It was hard to do this to his brother…. But he had to… to save Seto's life he had make this act convincing.

"Well it's too late to change the past." Mokuba said, trying to keep the waver out of his voice. "Now, let's move on with business. Shall we?"

"Answer one question for me first…." Seto said. "Where have you been all these years? Why couldn't I find you?"

"I was in America. And why you couldn't find me? I didn't want to be found Seto. And it turns out I'm very good at it. There were several times over the years that I was right here, in your own building and you didn't see me." Mokuba said. "Now, moving on. I have decided to pay you to stay away from me and my company. How does two million American dollars sound?"

"It sounds like I'm being ripped off." Seto said.

"Come now Seto, you get to keep your life; you get to go on living like a normal citizen with that cute girl you have been staying with."

"You leave her out of this. She's innocent." Seto spat.

"Hmmm hit a chord did I? Very well I will leave her out of this if you agree to the deal I'm setting before you." Mokuba said. He hated having to blackmail his brother with another life. But if Seto didn't take this deal than not only was his own life forfeit but Mokuba's as well.

"Fine." Seto said finally. "But keep your money. I intended you to have Kaiba corp. one day anyways."

'Seto, I'm so sorry…' "Very well." Mokuba said. "I have your word that you will leave me and mine alone, If I so much as catch you within two city blocks of this building I will have no choice but to terminate you."

Seto's eyes went wide. Had it really come to this? Was his own brother really threatening to kill him?

"You may leave now Seto, and don't forget the deal we made here today."

Seto turned and walked from the room. Leaving the building as fast as he could. Checking his watch as he exited onto the street he noticed that it was well past 9 o'clock. Swearing he walked faster towards Ashley's apartment. No doubt he had already missed the dinner that they were invited to. So he decided to walk as fast as he could to the apartment and once there try to make it up to her. Stopping at a flower shop he purchased a bouquet of pink and white carnations. Normally he would get roses, but sadly they were out of his price range. Then nearly running the rest of the way to Ashley's apartment he ran over different scenarios in his head on how he was going to handle the woman he stood up.

Ashley made it to the restaurant with time to spare. Grabbing a table by the window she waited for Ryou and Rachel. A few minutes later the happy couple strolled in. Ashley waved them over.

"Where is Kaiba?" Rae asked.

"Beats me…" Ashley said. Barely concealing the hurt in her voice.

"Should we go on without him?" Ryou asked.

"I doubt he is going to show. When I got home from work he wasn't at the apartment. Chances are he is out somewhere doing who knows what, with who knows who." Ashley sounded rather bitter.

Dinner went well. The happy couple were all smiles and cheerful and trying to bring Ashley out of her slight melancholy. The dessert had just been served when Ryou waved someone over to their table. Ashley wasn't really paying attention so when her name was called she was startled out of her thoughts and looking directly into violet eyes, the shade of which she had only just gazed into a few hours earlier.

"Ashley I would like you to meet my dear friend Malik Ishtar." Ryou said.

Ashley smiled. "We've met. And I do believe he is stalking me. I say, this is the fourth time just today that we have….bumped into each other."

Malik laughed and his eyes sparkled. He grabbed the chair beside Ashley and joined their group. Malik turned to Ashley for a moment.

"You looked rather depressed when I walked over. Are you alright?" He asked.

"No I'm fine." She said. And with that said they all fell into a light topic about jobs and other random things.

After they were done at the restaurant they went to a bar for drinks. After about two hours the happy couple made their excuses and left, saying they had papers to grade. After the couple disappeared Ashley turned to Malik. "Let's dance." She said and grabbed his hand leading him onto the packed dance floor.

Several hours of drinking and dancing later the bar had closed and Ashley was rather intoxicated. "I need to get home…." She slurred. Malik, who hadn't drank that much, grabbed her as she stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk.

"Let me walk you home." He said. Putting his arm around her waist to give her some support, they slowly made their way the five blocks to Ashley's apartment.

Back at Kaiba corp. Mokuba was standing at the window when a lone figure walked in. "Good work Mokuba. Thanks to you your brother lives. As you wanted it." The man said.

"Yes well…. What did you expect?…I love my brother." Mokuba said and turned to face the man who was destroying his and his brother's life. "Your plan seems to have worked. You kidnapped me, sending Seto into a frenzy searching for me and effectively distracting him from his company long enough to undermine it and buy up stocks. Then using his life as a way to gain control of my 50. If I hadn't been so naive I could have seen right through your plan Gazaboro, and stopped this whole thing from happening."

"Yes, well you didn't and it's too late. Kaiba corp. is mine again. You and your brother are getting your just desserts for your insolent betrayal." Gazaboro sneered.

"You have what you want. Let me go now." Mokuba pleaded.

"Oh not quite yet Mokuba. Your still useful to me. I don't think that brother of yours is done nosing around yet. I cant have my part revealed to him just yet.