Melting
Chapter 18
Seto stopped at the main entrance to Devlin Co. He mentally shook himself. 'You can do this.' He told himself. But the problem was, Seto wasnt sure he could.. He had never applied for a job before.
*earlier*
"I have never needed to apply for a job."
"No, I know, But you have had big important meetings where the future of your company was in the balance, havent you?" Ashley asked.
"Yes."
"Well then treat this the same."
"You want me to threaten and intimadate Devlin." Seto raised his eyebrow
"No, dont do that!"
"Well, you did say..." Seto smirked at her.
"No I mean go in there, impress him, win him over." Ashley smiled.
Seto had just been teasing her and he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips.
Ashley sighed. "Seto." She looked up at him. "I want you to know. I love you."
Seto opened his eyes and looked at her. He was tongue tied... and all he could say was... "I know.."
Ashley smiled so bright. She kissed him again and her heart swelled with love. In her heart she knew he loved her, And he would say the words when he was ready.
*end flashback*
Seto walks through reception. And the secretary hands him a visitor security badge. He heads up to the top floor and Duke Devlin met him at the elevator.
"Kaiba." Duke said and extended his hand to Seto.
"Devlin." Seto said and shook hands with Duke.
"Right this way Kaiba. My office is just down the hall." Seto followed Duke to his office.
Duke motioned to the chair in front of his desk and Seto took a seat, Duke then seated himself behind his desk.
"Im going to be blunt Kaiba, I dont want to give you a job."
Seto glared at him, Stood up and went towards the door. "This is a waste of time." Seto growled.
"Sit down Kaiba, Im not done talking." Duke pressed a button on his desk, Locking the door to the office and forceing Kaiba to turn around and look at him. "Sit down Kaiba." He motioned to the vacated chair. Kaiba sent Devlin his best ice glare that conveyed the messege 'go jump out your window'
"I said I dont want to give you a job Kaiba, But I did promise my friend Ashley that I would hear you out and give you a chance."
"I dont need a woman to fight my battles for me." Seto glared at Devlin.
"I didnt imply that you did. But Ashley has asked me to give you a chance and I will."
"As I said. I dont need a woman to find me a job, I am quite capable on my own." His glare intensified. "Now open this door, Im finished with this farce."
"Swallow your fucking pride Seto Kaiba..."
"You Bastard!"
"Enough, Swallow your pride, You are not a Hot Shot Top Dog any more, You are a mere mortal like the rest of us unfortunate souls. Learn some hummility. You have been brought down off your high horse and you dont know what to do with yourself. You need to move beyond your self loathing and open your eyes to the oppertunity life has thrown you. A chance to see a perspective you have never seen before. All I see before me is a pathetic shell of a man who was once great... I do not see what Ashley could possibly see in you. You are nothing but a sad little man who hates himself and the world. Get over yourself." Duke finished.
"Leave Ashley out of this. She is a good person and took me in after all i had done to her. She has a good heart. A good soul and I dont deserve her love."
Dukes eyes widened... "Huh?" 'Love?' Duke thought... "I can see you werent really paying attention... But I can see a silent plea for help when it is stareing me in my face. I will help you Kaiba. But under one condition. You show me that you have changed, Show me the mere mortal you have been these past weeks. Show me your humbled."
Seto sighs and looks at Devlin, the anger and hate had left his eyes and he was just a man now. "Ok, I accept your help." He rubs his palms on his pants. "Your right, Im haveing a hard time accepting all of this. But not for the reasons you think. I could have accepted the lossof my company and everything with it. But its who I lost it to." Seto looked up. "It was Mokuba. He's back. And he took my company out from under me. If he wanted it so bad I would have given it to him gladly. But he wanted to break me. He wanted to tear me down and destroy me." He looked away. "He hates me... I wronged him."
Duke watched the man before him... "But that doesnt make any sense. Mokuba idolized you. You were everything to that boy. And you risked your life countless times saveing that boy from kidnappers and villians useing him to get to you. You worked with Yugi and his friends just because Mokuba said you had to be nice... What could cause him to turn on you now, with as much hatred as you say. Its not makeing sense Kaiba. Think about it, Look into things." Duke said.
"I cant, He threatened Ashley if I came snooping around. I cant endanger her life like that. So I walked away, I signed it over and turned my back."
BOOM
The room shook. And car alarms went off in the street. A paniced employee banged on the door, Yelling for Duke to turn on the TV. Seto could see a plume of smoke and fire and debris in the distance... In the direction of Ashleys apartment. A million thoughts running through his head.
"Look at this Kaiba." Duke called his attention to the TV.
Seto looked at the screen, It was a picture of disaster and devistation, As seto watched one thing became perfectly clear... that was Ashleys building... their home...
"Reports are coming to us that Fire crews have the blaze under control... More to follow." A reporters voice said.
"Thats Ashleys apartment... I have to call someone... I have to find out if shes ok..." Duke was out of it and worried for his friend.
"She was at work..." Seto says from him dazes and continues to stare off into space. Duke begins paceing and finally walks over to the phone, picks it up and Dails. "Joey. I need answers... was she there..."
"I said she was at work... shes fine... She has to be fine..." Seto growled.
"I dont know Duke... we've located some bodies, they are going to start extraction soon, we have the blaze under control..." Joey answers quietly. "I will call you back when I know more Duke."
Duke hangs up the phone and sits, stareing at the tv.
Time was passing both to fast and to slow. Updates rattled off on the tv and they didnt know if it had been hours or just minutes since the blast.
"it has been confirmed that three bodies have been found in the debris..." The reporters voice said.
...
"Its now coming to us that one of the bodies has been positively identified as the ex CEO of Kaiba Corp Seto Kaiba. He's repotabely been liveing with a girlfriend on the third floor of this apartment complex. It is believed that the girlfriend is the unidentified female body pulled from the rubble just moments before Mr Kaiba's." The reporter said.
Both Seto and Duke looked up, their faces white. Duke grabbed his phone and dialed Joey again. "Is it true... Was Ashley in the building..." Dukes voice was shakeing...
Seto was lost in thought... Thinking of a plan... Who would want him dead...
Duke hung up the phone... "She not dead, She there with Joey, the reporters got it wrong... She was the one who ID'd you... Do you want to call her?" Duke azsked.
Seto looked up, releif showing on his face. "No, and I need your help. I need to stay dead... and shes safer if she believes it too."