SETH RIVERA AND THE ULTIMATE BLACK CARD

MIRACLES AGAINST ALL ODDS

Eyes fell on the scene that Seth had created in the hall, all were snickering about their boss’ husband and Marlin Murray, wondering if they would have to fight for her heart.

Marlin was at the edge of losing his mind. How dare someone like him throw away his thousand dollars worth of lilies? Thank goodness he hadn't taken out the perfumes and cosmetics that were inside the bag in his hand. If not, Seth might have broken them on the floor.

“I'm going to punish you for this! You had better start bringing up a reasonable explanation for your crazy behavior or else I'll send you to jail for damaging my property!” Marlin growled with widened eyes and his veins popping out of his neck.

Seth held back on throwing a hard blow to Marlin's face. Why was he the one that had to apologize when it was his wife Marlin was trying to seduce?

“Explanation? What other explanation do you need than the fact that Phoebe is my wife and you shouldn't be trying to ask her out?” Seth arched his brow.

Marlin let out a mocking laugh just then. “Ha! Do you really think of yourself as a husband? You? You don't even have anything worth showing off. Don't you know already that you're just a figurehead?”

“Figure head or not, Phoebe is my wife and I don't appreciate you doing the things you do.” He said strictly to Marlin.

“This is no explanation at all! You purposely damaged my flower gift and I'll make you pay for them! You have no right to think of yourself as a being worthy of holding Ms. Patterson's hand!” Marlin barked at him.

“So you actually think of yourself as the one worthy enough to hold her hand?” Seth's brow arched skyward as he asked.

“Well of course!” Marlin pronounced proudly. “I can afford everything and more that she needs while you live off of her.”

“Things like what? Flowers? Well why don't you leave that to me? I can buy my wife all the flowers in the world if she ever wants them!”

Marlin couldn't hold back a chortle. “I'm not talking about flowers from the gutter here, I'm talking about flowers like Peruvian roses. One flower costs nothing less than a thousand dollars so how would you ever afford one?”

“Peruvian roses? That isn't a problem. If she wants all the roses in Peru, I can buy it all for her. I've had enough of this, thank you but I can care for my own wife!” Seth stated firmly to Marlin, almost like an order.

His hold around Phoebe's wrist tightened as he began to lead her into the elevator.

It was only then that her senses returned fully to her. She had heard all of Seth's empty bragging and she felt infuriated.

Plus, all eyes were on her now, she couldn't let herself be a disgraceful CEO in the eyes of her employees.

“What do you think you are doing, Seth? Release me at once!” She ordered him.

The more she tried to wriggle out of his hold, the more she realized how firm his grip was on her wrist.

“Ms. Patterson, don't go with him! Come out of the elevator.” Marlin told Phoebe in a sweet and gentle voice.

The false serenity on his face was enough to make anyone believe that he truly loved and cared for her.

He led her into the elevator and pushed the button. “Phoebe, I can give you all you want and more, I just want you to trust me and forget this flirt. You know he isn't a good guy! I've seen him flirt around with other ladies.” Seth's tone was a little gentle as he spoke to his wife but strong enough to send the message he wanted to send.

“You don't understand, just release my hand!” She raised her voice at him.

As the doors were about to close, Marlin stepped in between the doors and stopped it from closing. “Ms. Patterson, hear me out, such a man doesn't deserve to hold your hand or even get to touch you!”

That part was hurting Marlin more than ever. He had to be cautious when trying to hold her hand and the woman hadn't even given him the chance to touch her.

Yet that good for nothing, figure head, live in son in law got to hold and touch her as he pleased in front of his eyes.

“Why won't you just lay off my wife?” Seth angrily questioned.

Marlin, though, ignored the words that rolled off of Seth's tongue. To him, he was no more than a barking dog on the sidewalk.

“Phoebe, I know your company is in need of ten million dollars,”

Phoebe's ears pricked as she heard the words that left Marlin's mouth.

“I can help you out with the money if you agree to come with me.” Marlin said. He was that desperate to have her to himself.

Phoebe's eyes widened. “What? Are you being serious Mr Murray?” She questioned with her brows arched in anticipation.

“Of course I am, I have money unlike some people,” Marlin spared Seth a glance. “I could make it as an investment in your company which I know will yield a lot of profit so if you're willing to let me help you, just come with me and we can go somewhere private to talk about it.”

Seth turned Phoebe's gaze to meet with his. His eyes glinted with so much affirmation as he spoke. “Phoebe, I just want you to trust me! Don't listen to him, he doesn't come with good intentions for you. I can give you the money you need, I promise!”

Phoebe managed to wriggle free from Seth's hold. “Stop making fake promises just to try to impress me, Seth. I know you and I know that you don't have anything.” She uttered with a stare as cold as her voice.

“But Phoebe,” his voice came out as gentle and pleading as his gaze, “unexpected things happen sometimes and I'm very sure that you know that, miracles against all odds happen, don't you think?”

She scoffed a slight laugh. “Really? Seth, you want me to lay the hopes of my company on a miracle? Do you really think I would be stupid enough to do that?” She questioned through a squinting gaze. “I mean who in their right sense of mind would ever choose to rely on a miracle over reality?”

“I know you're not dumb enough to do something like that. No that came out wrong, I mean you're not dumb at all!” Marlin butted in their conversation.

“Phoebe, things will work out for us, for you! All you have to do is just to trust me for once–”

“I can't trust you, Seth!” She growled suddenly at him. “Not even once.” She felt a slight sting in her chest as the words left her mouth.

It wasn't like she didn't wish to trust her husband but it wasn't her fault for choosing to do what would benefit her and her company.

She knew Seth indeed and he was a man with nothing. It wasn't her fault that he was poor in the first place. Maybe if he tried to make a man of himself then he would be a little more reliable for her.

She walked out of the elevator and a smile played on Marlin's face. A victorious one at that. He had managed to change her heart and make her choose him herself over her own husband.

Seth's heart broke as he watched his wife leave him beside himself in the empty elevator.

If only she knew his true worth, would she ever dare to treat him like that? Would she ever even think to choose another man over him?

She walked towards Marlin and stopped right next to the grinning man who's gaze alone mocked Seth's existence.

Getting the ten million in question was no feat at all for Seth but she didn't know that. She couldn't blindly hope for something that wasn't even there to begin with.

She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye as she said coldly to him. “You should just go home now and stop causing a scene at my company. You have done enough, you don't even deserve to be here in the first place…”