Chapter 60 - Confrontation

How does one go about forsaking one's own father? The very man that has raised you, gave you shelter, and warmth until fame struck country glory and created a rift.

Prisana knew the answer.

Though she knew the answer, when her eyes met brown eyes shaped and colored like hers, she couldn't help but feel all her resolve crumbling to little pieces.

Images of her younger self and her doting father would resurface to mind. Memories of younger and more vulnerable days that weren't filled with politics and greed truly depicted happier times. Times when he was her father.

Warmth pooled from her husband's fingertips. She looked at his sideways frame.

That's right. Prisana has come so far to leave the cage so losing resolve now would be a coward's choice. She resolved to let go of Dane's hand. This time, the mighty lynx inside wasn't going to back down. Before she could make her move, the media went in for the kill.

"...Senator! Is this true? Your daughter has fled her marriage and eloped with another—"

Some media person offering the microphone to the senator was whisked away by one of the men in black.

"Remain three feet away from the senator or I'll personally deal with you," came the response of one of the the men in black.

"Prisana," was his emotionless reply.

She never broke gaze the moment he entered the scene.

The senator and man known as her father emerged from within the circle of men in black. They protected him like flock of birds drawn to the most hard edged moth. Her father moved with poise and dignity in his posture. He left a trail of known importance and sought out after media in his wake.

"Senator," Prisana spoke in return, the word feeling foreign to her as this man before her remained indifferent.

"And..." he trailed off and found Dane with his arms wrapped over Prisana. "...Elias, was it? The one from the auction."

Dane nodded toward him as his arm grew more protective over Prisana.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance again, Senator."

"What brings the two of you here, and together? I believe my daughter belongs in the arms of another man. Namely, her 'husband'. Prisana dear, come over here. You're causing an unnecessary scene. We need to clarify things to the media."

Then he leaned in close to her ear to whisper, "We can discuss the details later. All will be forgiven if you remain obedient and listen to my orders."

"No," she breathed loudly, every fiber of her being rejecting the thought of returning to Giovanni and Erica's castle .

"No?" he had to repeat himself so everyone including Giovanni and Dane could hear his displeased voice boom through their ears. "No? It seems like you've been gone for too long, with silly disobedient notions inside that head of yours."

Giovanni spoke for Prisana and loud enough for the media to hear in which they were still within hearing distance, "They've eloped. I've been cheated on by Senator Visalyaputra's unfaithful, cold and heartless daughter!"

Giovanni turned his face away as if he were a pained lover and it made her feel sick. His act was well played. By now, the media was in sorrowful tears and siding with that deceiving man.

She could only stare at him in disgust because they both knew their relationship after his betrayal was all a lie. Giovanni made sure to look at her. That triumph look directed to her demonstrated that he was playing the victim in front of all eyes and ears. Prisana's father shook his head and simply laughed away his claims.

"It's all simply a misunderstanding," came his fast save for his status and reputation.

"No it's not a..."

Prisana's words were muffled by the sound of camera shutters flicking off by the media persons, to which the men in black all but finally silenced. Then, some announcer man spoke into the microphone. The announcer man stood far away to the dock with yachts and boats overlooking the vast ocean blue waters. A crowd steadily gathered to listen to him but all Prisana could hear was her heart pounding.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the boat race to begin. Place your bets. Choose your boats to board on and get ready for the ride of your lives!"

Whatever else that came out from the announcer's mouth was washed away by the vision of the men in black blocking off Prisana from Dane. She was so focused on the announcer that she didn't realize when her father separated her away from Dane.

"...Prisana!" called out her beastly husband who was enraged beyond doubt.

The men in black blocked off access between the two from reaching each other. She tried to run over toward him but one of the men grabbed her by the shoulders. Prisana flinched. Dane's face warped into menace as he shoved away one of the men onto the ground. And then, he fought and grappled with another man and tossed him to the side like a sack of potatoes.

Her beast was large and ferocious, too formidable for the normally built men before him. Yet, Cleo came in from thin air to help restrict him from causing a further scene even though now all eyes and ears were directed at the open display of rift.

She looked at him and desperately pleaded for him to remain calm.

"I'll be fine dearest!" she didn't know who she was reassuring but her insides were quaking in waves of emotions. "I'm the lynx. You're the beast. Surely, the lynx will find a way to fall back into the arms of her beast. That's how it should be."

"Damn it Prisana. Don't you dare try to shoulder everything by yourself!" he muttered, then turned to her father as he held up a piece of paper from his pockets.

"Senator. She is now my lawful wife. Must you deprive her own husband away from her?"

One of the men in black snatched the paper from Dane and gave it to her father. Her father blankly stared at the piece of paper that was proof of their marriage.

"So it's true," Giovanni said while observing the piece of paper next to her father, voice growing considerably broken.

"Even more reason to have a conversation with this disobedient daughter of mines so that she can divorce you immediately!"

As he shouted this, her father harshly threw the paper down onto he ground. He stepped on it.

"Please," her heart broke when she heard Dane beg in such a twisted voice. "I'll do anything. Let her return to my side."

"Kneel down and beg me before the whole country. Heh only then, I might consider it."

Prisana gasped and slowly shook her head at the scene unfolding before her very eyes.

In a heartbeat, Dane calmed his rage and sorrows.

He slowly bent down onto the ground.

Prisana's rage unleashed the moment her beast abandoned his pride all for a washed up daddy's girl who never found it in her will until now to fight against him. This was her fault. If she were more strong and fearless in the beginning like the main heroine in a novel, then her story wouldn't have been driven to hurt her beast.

Most of all, it hurt her.

Dane kept abandoning his pride until his knee clashed to the stone pavement.