Lead The Way (BL)

THIRTY EIGHT

(unedited)

Gene pressed the speaker button on his phone and allowed his friends voice to be transmitted into the open air.

Jade hadn't been home when gene returned from his trip, so he wasn't worried about anyone listening in on their conversation. 

"Old friend, technology these days still amaze me. However, even with all these shortcuts in communication, I still find face to face the best method of getting information you want."

Gene rolled his eyes. "Thats nice to hear, but surely the reason you had called me this early doesn't have to do with your preferred methods of gathering information."

Chuckling, Han said, "Of course not. I had called you regarding your recent concerns. My dearest friend, you will love me even more after I tell you what I had found."

"Oh, how is your wife doing?"

"...please leave her out of this." Muttered Han.

Smiling goodnaturedly, gene asked, "So, what have you found?"

Han recovered his previous demenour and spoke excitedly through the speaker phone, "Do you remember that dinner we had attended eight years ago in honor of late President Arnold?"

"How can I forget. You had arrived at the party in a drunken manner and demanded the servers bring you barbeque at a formal dinner. I'm surprised you even remember after being told to behave or leave, but what has this got to do with both incidence?"

Coughing away his embarrassment, Han proceeded to patiently explain.

"Ignoring my previous behaviour, there was a man called Richard Lane, founder of The Deed, who had sat at our table. Do you remember him? A tall, faired-headed guy who had the personality of an ice burg."

"Yes, I remember. The man you had mistaken for a woman and asked whether he was single after shamelessly asking him out three times in a row." Chuckled Gene as the memories slowly resurfaced, "I also remember you making a pass at the presidents daughter behind his back. Fortunately, the young lady had good humor and didn't mention it to others."

Han groaned into the speaker. "Please, lets not bring up my dark past for your own amusement. I am a happily married man now."

After placing his empty cup down, gene fiddled with the handle and wondered aloud.

"Right. What about Mr Lane? I don't see a connection."

"In this life, Richard only fathered two children. A boy who is his successor and a girl whom he had to his first wife before she had passed away. Such a pretty girl too."

Han sighed, "Such a lucky prick to birth to a boy who was responsible and a daughter who wasn't needy. In fact, both children were always ahead of their years and never asked for much. Praised as being smart and headstrong. Unfortunately, when the daughter had started high school her father had her engaged to a young lordling. Such a smart and talented young lady was her fathers pride and joy. He thought by marrying her to a family friends son, he'd be lessening his daughters burden of finding a lover in the future. The old fool."

Gene frowned. "Must you drag out the suspense? You know how non-existant my patience is."

"Ha ha, this is the gene I know. I was finding it annoying how calm and understanding you were acting," laughed Han, his voice sounding much lighter through the reciever.

Unfortunately, Gene wasn't in a joking mood anymore.

"Han."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, the daughter was engaged to a childhood friend who moved away in high school. Remembering the boy she used to know, however, she wasn't upset with her fathers decision. After all, she shared a similar mindset with the prick. When she graduated high school, her curiosity and eagerness propelled her into following in the footsteps of her fated one. But, her opinion on this engagement would soon change when she discovered how different her fiance grew to be from the past. As for that matter, I haven't found anyone who has exact details. However, old friend, this is where it gets interesting. Can you guess the name of her fiance?"

Dread filled gene as he already had a clear idea. Yet, he still asked. 

"Who?"

Han added in a low voice. "Cia Cartel."

"And the girls name?" Muttered gene.

"Anise Lane."

The hand which gene fiddled with the cup froze.

"Are you sure?"

Han laughed, clearly delighted by Genes emotionless response. "Old friend, my connections will not lie to me, at least not on these things. You see, I got this information from someone who is pretty close to the girl herself."

Gene sighed, "Its not that I doubt you, I just don't understand. Why does no one seem to know about this? The company, my band mates. And, are you saying she has some sort of personal vendetta against Cia because of how different he was from what she remembered? Seems a bit farfetched, like you just ripped it out of some failed romance novel."

Han chuckled, "I don't know why she keeps her background under the radar but I do think she is a pretty suspect. Did you know thaytAnise was never a disruptive child but when you did something bad to her, she was known to use a very heavy hand in retaliation. Just like her father, eh?"

Genes expression blanked. "Just what did Cia do?"

"Not entirely sure but from all the information I had gathered on Cia, it probably wasn't anything pretty. I'll send you my findings when I get to the office this afternoon. It will make more sense reading it on paper. The kid isn't so pretty himself, at least not beneath the surface."

An image of a young man giving up in life flashed through genes head.

"This engagement?"

"Still stands." Chuckled Han knowingly.

Silence ensued, followed by a deep sigh on genes end.

"Han, thank you. I'm glad I still have you in this life."

"Old friend, I will always be by your side. When my wife isn't hounding me."

Later that same day, Gene closed the lid of his laptop feeling mentally drained.

Anise Lane. Eldest daughter of the cosmetic Tycoon Richard Lane.

There was only one word used to describe such a character. Stubborn. Everything gene had read from the files emailed to him were exactly as Han had stated. Everyone knows Cia likes the spotlight, least of all his child hood friend. 

So, the best way to ruin him is by making a fool of him on live tv. Sounded easy to setup and going by Cia's personality it should have been successful.

Unfortunately, if it were Anise's doing, she had underestimated the current cia. 

Ah, but none of what Han had found truly proves it was Anise purposely making life hard for Cia. 

Fortunately, Gene had all the time in the world to find out and was happy to narrow down a suspect behind these nuisances.

A notification beeping dragged gene from his thoughts as he glanced at the tablet he left on the kitchen charger. With some time to spare, he stood and walked over to the tablet, uselessly fiddling around with unlocking it. When he reached his final attempt, he was about to place it down when someone from behind spoke up.

"Forgot your password again?"

Gene spun around, truly surprised to see Jade standing nearby. He didn't even hear the guy enter; just how to did he appear without making a sound. 

Gene was usually sensitive, even light footsteps could alert him. Yet, he didn't know how or when Jade had appeared.

Just how much did he hear?