Chapter 118 - Untrustworthy Friend

When the devil had left Jake and Dane to their own devices, only then did Dane ask the question on the tip of his tongue, 'Did you look for my father's acquaintances?'. Jake had finished the task. Now in Dane's hands consisted of a folder that contained the information he needed. He couldn't find clues in his father's notebook.

That frustrated him to no end. The torn pages could have been a mere coincidence but even then, every other page was perfectly intact. Dane couldn't help but conclude that whoever the hell this deer person was, knew exactly what it was doing.

But alas, this folder could aid in jogging Dane's young memories of that man with the Golden Deer tattoo. This person knew Dane's father and thus Dane himself. Nothing should be a mere coincidence and with these files, he could be one step closer. The contents implored him to open the folder but he had rushed from the office to his first day at the board of council members.

No one was yet present. So Dane gave into the temptation. He flipped open the thick folder. Immediately his eyes scanned over some middle aged man with roundish glasses. He flipped again. Some woman who resembled that nearby shopkeeper down the street at their old house. Dane kept flipping through the pages until he heard the sound of the door creaking open.

"...Well if it isn't Dane lennox."

Dane shut the folder and slyly slipped it into his suitcase. He knew that tone of voice as he had watched countless interviews of him on television.

He turned back to flash the man a polite smile, "Ah Mr. Blair. What a pleasure...You're here early."

"So are you."

Dane regarded him with unsure eyes, while Prisana's words flashed across his mind. Friend or foe? It was hard to tell. His blond hair and blue eyes resembled the very man who brought ruin to his dear wife and lynx. Giovanni Blair. Of course it was because they were father and son. And yet, Reed had been the one to help him in a desperate time of need.

"I'm a punctual man. And besdies, I thought I'd soak in my new environment of sleazy politician mind games..."

Dane never once bat an eyelash as he cut to the chase. "Reed Blair...That day on the yacht, why did you help me?"

It was like for the briefest of moments, the beast had been able to catch him guard. However Reed only politely smiled in return as he circled around to be seated at the center of the table. Dane wanted his true intentions. He had declared trust the moment help was offered because even though the words were unspoken, he owed this man for saving Prisana.

But the beast knew better than to give his trust easily. In other words just like his relationship with the devil, he trusted Reed yet would be prepared for the worst case possible scenario as true intentions of this friend or foe game were murky.

And then Reed finally spoke after contemplating his words, "Your father once helped prove my innocence during a financial fraud. Without his help, I would have surely been sent behind bars for a crime I did not commit...Truly, he was such a rightous man that did not deserve to be so suddenly taken away from this world."

"So are you telling me...That you would go out of your way to save the very daughter of the man that had forsaken your own son?"

Dane said it. He boldly challenged the newly elected senator Reed Blair to come out and face him with the truth already. Reed chuckled like a mad man. Almost deranged. He deliriously threw his head back and then came back to his usual reserved and relaxed persona.

He looked Dane dead in the eye to shed the truth, "Would you believe me if I said I care for your wife?"

Nature took it's course as the beastly husband took hold of him and stood from his seat. Dane tightly gripped the sides of the table to keep himself from lurching across the room.

His voice was gruff and low, almost forming into the most chilling whisper. "What the bloody hell are you getting at?"

"Exactly what I said. I deeply care for Prisana and my son who for the most part, has never seen eye to eye with me...Anyway, rest assured, I'm not planning anything in vengeance for my son."

Dane shook his head in confusion. Nothing was making sense anymore. His mind was all fuzzy as he tried to piece together what Reed said. Perhaps the man was only making a fool out of Dane. He was only saying those words to get to his head. That had to be the only possible explanation.

"I don't lie," Reed tried to confirm Dane's plaguing thoughts.

"What reason would you have to care for her?"

"What good would it do if I told you?"

That was hard to answer. Surely in Dane's mind, there was no good in the truth other than knowing the truth once and for all. A simple test to the man's character really brought everything into questionable existence. Suddenly he felt like maybe after all like Prisana's worries, there was indeed much more to this man.

Much more because a gut feeling was telling him so.

He stalked around the table and leaned in to Reed, "...Have I met you before?

"At the yacht."

"No...Before that," as Dane tried to explain, he glanced down at Reed's bare arms with no visible deer mark and shook his head.

Dane backed away but he wasn't completely done with Reed yet. "Forget it. You said you care for Prisana...Is the reason because of her mother?"

Of course he would try to dig up as much information as possible on his wife and those in her life. He loved her dearly and thus, made sure he knew the dangers that lurked around her. So when he was trying to woo Prisana into marriage, he already conducted his own homework on those around her including this Reed Blair man who he didn't think twice about remembering his face until the day of their meeting.

No longer was Reed smiling. His mouth went to a straight thin line. "W-What?"

"You knew her mother, Madeline, in university."

"...Hah, looks like you did your homework. I knew her...and I loved her. That's why I care for Prisana, because she reminds me of Madeline. Now, are you satisfied?"

Dane walked back to his seat and cheekily answered, "No. I'm far from satisfied. Mr. Blair, I want to thank you again for kindly extending out your hand out to save my wife but know this. I'll take down any who stands in my way from shedding the truths, every last one of them friend or foe...Even you, Reed Blair."