Chapter 95 - Conquer All

There were two big problems in Dane's hands. First. The public didn't exactly view him as the most favorable candidate to become part of the council. He had a somewhat plan to revise that but needed more time though ironic since elections were soon. Second. The devil was sitting inside his office yet again and this time, Dane couldn't really reject his presence.

Why?

They were once again working the same agenda, as the devil's secrets came about free this time around. What irked him beyond end was that the devil has stationed a  brand new desk and chair inside the corner of his office without his permission. Dane was really wondering who he had to fire. His entire female staff or Cleo for overlooking this huge inconvienient matter.

"...What is the meaning of this?" Dane demanded, with a long sigh as he walked past Leo and took a seat at his own desk.

He wasn't even surprised anymore with whatever the devil did. Only irked beyond limits.

"I figured we should be with each other all day long, even during work hours After all, I came knocking straight into your life as of right now since I was worried you were getting too happy all by yourself with that lovely wife of yours. Ah, Prisana is truly something hmm?"

"Refrain uttering her name from your sinful lips."

"Hah, I'm not even allowed to say your wife's name? You're a ridiculous beast! It's not as if I would whisk her away from your side by simply uttering her name alone."

If Dane could, he would have broke apart the pen in two at his fingertips by now.

"Are you here to work or to annoy me?"

"Both," the devil admitted this with a wide grin.

Dane tried flinging the pen at his hands straight toward that cocky face of his but the devil caught it with two fingers. He even whistled at his own feat.

"My bad, it slipped out of my hands. It might happen again," Dane stonily answered, wondering how he could sharpen his aim the next time around.

The devil smirked and began to mock him as he always somehow messed with Dane's inner thoughts, "Anger, jealousy, uncertainty, and devotion are spilling from your entire existence. What is it Dane? I thought you didn't love this woman."

But for once Dane had the upper hand as he uttered without hesitation, "I love her."

Truly, he loved Prisana so much it kept scaring him that his desires would warp and twist to make it unbearable for her to breathe.

This time, Leo was the one to slowly blink at him and do a double take, his features crossing disbelief. He slowly shook his head and laughed like the mad devil that he was.

"You...love her? I'll be damned! Tell me, does she know your filthy secrets to the very last bone? That you sold your soul to the devil. I always come to collect, no matter how much even I have come to enjoy wrecking havoc upon your peaceful life. Heh, how sad. What you're playing at is only temporary house and happiness."

Dane bitterly looked away, "Don't worry devil. When that time comes, I'll make sure that she'll be well off on her own. Even if it's temporary happiness, I'd gladly die and live again this fate just to render moments that carry my heart a lifetime...Why don't you stop concerning yourself with me and be concerned about your own life?"

"...Because we are alike. I'm only doing you a favor and dragging you back to hell where you belong."

"That might have been true at one moment in time..."

"Leonardo Duval," Dane spat his name like venom upon even speaking through his lips. "The devil without disguise. A man who owns no heart. Yet it beats and ticks a heartless bomb. A joker on the outside. On the inside, we may never truly know what lies within. More despicable villain character or a sad, pathetic, and lonely soul disrupting hell upon every man because he never had anything. Lost nothing, knew nothing, and therefore trying to conquer all in the most devilish ways possible. If you ask me, the life I led before, made me a man just like you in similar yet different circumstances but now I'm nothing like you. I won't hand over my fate so easily to my demons, you, or the universe. I'll bend that fate until the lynx and I truly conquer all."

Leo began clapping his hands yet his eyes were not smiling in the least. "Bravo Dane. Bravo...It seems like I lost you to the bright side. No matter, only time will tell which one of us is right."

Then Leo briskly walked over to Dane and tapped his hands along the desk. "Elections are next week. We need to have you do something big and outrageous to gain the public's favor, all in one extravagant kill at same place and time of the big day."

"Easy," Dane didn't even contemplate but a knowing smile crossed his lips as he already thought of the same thing way before Leo mentioned it but turned it into a full blown out devise.

"Easy? Surely you jest."

"Devil. Didn't you say that you liked surprises?"

"Beast. Didn't I say you know me too well for us to be considered as foes?"

Dane had to resist the urge to throw another pen at him but for the life of him, he couldn't spot one right off the bat. "Just sit back and enjoy the show as you always do. That's what you're good at. Watching and collecting the dues at the end of the day, hmm?"

The both of them discussed more on the Golden Deer and the members of the council for about a good few hours until the sound of rain interrupted Dane's thoughts.

He rose from his seat and looked out the window, down at the sight of New Jersey's bustling city streets. The clouds had begun forming and already, he thought about his lynx suffering from the pouring skies, not wishing for even the slightest of drop to stain her beautiful skin.

"It looks like it might pour soon," he turned on his heels and left Leo standing there confused. "You're in charge for the day."

The devil laughed wholeheartedly.

At that moment, Cleo chose to walk in and instead of glaring at him for allowing the devil to somehow migrate into his private office, Dane smiled at Cleo.

"Prepare the car. Leo will be the CEO in charge today."

"...Wha? You can't just abandon your duties and give it to some...untrusting stranger! No way, you're staying here to work until every paper and email gets answered or we'll be pulling all nighters."

"Would you Cleo, please care to tell me how some untrusting stranger managed to waltz their way into my office, then?"

The devil and Cleo exchanged glances and it left Dane wondering for a moment, if Cleo was also caught in the devil's clutches too.

"I'll prepare the car!"