Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 103: Knox’s resolve

Chapter 103: Knox’s resolve

Raindrops fell on Knox’s face as he lay on the muddy ground. The sky was gray and his sight was blurred by the water. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows in confusion.

Why was he lying on the ground under the rain?

His body felt so heavy. He couldn’t move, so he just turned his head to the side to look at his surroundings. But a yelp escaped his lips after a dead body turned on its side facing him appeared so suddenly.

The corpse’s face was bloody and unrecognizable, frightening Knox to the core.

A pair of farm boots appeared above the corpse’s head. Dirt got thrown next. He heard the sound of the ground being dug and a person’s heavy panting. Knox was beyond terrified. He quickly checked his situation and found out why he felt so heavy.

His body was buried already! Only his head was out. He tried to bring his body up but he couldn’t move at all.

The sound of footsteps entered his ear.

Knox looked up while biting his lips, tracing up the shadow’s legs until he finally reached its face. He failed to recognize it since the surroundings were too dark, however, lightning struck and brightened the place for a moment.

Knox’s eyes widened after sighting who the shadow was.

Azrael!

Knox blinked and gasped for air.

The damp feeling and the smell of soil and rain were gone. Knox glanced around and found out he was in a room, and the reason he felt something heavy above him was because of Knoa, sprawled on his chest while sleeping soundly.

He let out a long sigh after realizing it was all just a dream. Perhaps, the heavy movement of his chest from that sigh stirred Knoa, since he slowly lifted his small head, looking at up his father with drowsy eyes.

Knox flashed a sweet smile, hiding the anxiousness he felt from that nightmare behind his green orbs. "Did Papa wake you up?"

He brushed away the stray locks of curly hair from Knoa’s forehead and tucked them into his ear. Knoa’s sleepy face became wide awake. He stretched his short arms and touched Knox’s forehead, then he asked in a hopeful voice, "Papa, you’re not sick anymore?"

"Hmm, yeah. I feel better now, seeing my little baby drooling on me," Knox’s teased. Knoa’s eyes bulged and he quickly sat up above his father, checking his mouth.

But then, as he did so, his doe eyes darted on Knox’s pink shirt and stayed on the part where the shade became darker. He looked up at his father who was watching him, and gave him an apologetic face, then, he grabbed the hem of his own shirt, wiping the wet part on his father’s.

Mumbling, Knoa’s tiny voice came, "Sorry, Papa...I drooled..."

Knox chuckled. He ruffled his son’s hair and asked softly, "Did you dream of chocolate cake again?"

"I do!" Knoa replied animatedly. "I also dreamed of Uncle Choco!"

"Uncle Choco? Who’s that?" Knox carried his son by the waist so he could sit up properly. Once he was, he put Knoa back on his lap and wiped the traces of drool on his chin.

Knoa beamed. He grinned widely as if he remembered something funny. "It’s the uncle who fed me chocolate! He didn’t say his name so I call him Uncle Choco. Hehe."

"Oh, you met someone like that?" Knox pouted at the kid. "Knoa, what did Papa tell you about strangers?"

"No talk!" Knoa answered. He fiddled with his fingers and looked away from his father.

Knox, "And what did I tell you when a stranger offered you food?"

Knoa, "Don’t take it!"

"Then, why did you let him feed you?" Knox inquired, speaking softly but strictly. He wondered why Knoa disobeyed him when he clearly told him the possible consequences of a child accepting a stranger’s gift so easily.

The kid sensed his father’s dismay and lowered his head, he pouted and honestly replied, "But it was a chocolate cake..."

Knox, "..."

"Uncle Choco eats it too...so it’s not poison..." Knoa added, trying to explain his side to lighten the mood of his father.

Knox sighed. Did his teachings go down the drain over a chocolate cake?

"Sorry, Papa..." Knoa hugged his father and buried his face on his chest. When he felt his father rubbed his back, his crestfallen face brightened. He hastily lifted his head and planted a kiss on Knox’s cheeks, before smiling widely again.

"Oh, you..." Knox just shook his head at his son’s cheekiness. The kid knew too well how to take advantage of his weakness. He couldn’t bear to see Knoa sad, so every time the kid got scolded and got quiet with a downcast look, it’d only take a few minutes before Knox would reach out again and console his son.

"You’re awake already."

A deep voice came from the door. They didn’t even realize someone had been watching them. Knox averted his gaze from Athan. He still couldn’t face him after their last conversation.

"Uncle Athan! Morning~." Knoa greeted his uncle cheerfully.

Athan walked to the bed and stretched his arms to Knoa, who then stood from his father’s lap and let his uncle carry him.

Athan looked back at Knox, "Breakfast is served. Come downstairs soon."

With that, Athan left. Knox stood and walked to the bathroom. He washed his face and touched his forehead. It seemed that his fever had gone down already. As he wiped his wet face, he saw his reflection in the mirror, and unwelcomely, the memories of what happened two days ago resurfaced in his mind.

It felt like he was watching the scenes in the mirror before him, vivid and louder, and rather than the clean, and refreshed face, he saw a bruised and terrified one. His heart pounded louder he could hear it.

Knox closed his eyes and breathed in and out to erase the images in his head.

If he kept thinking about it, then it would also haunt him even into his sleep. Just like what happened before.

When he woke up after telling Athan to follow Azrael, he was already in the mansion, dressed and treated, lying on the bed with an IV fluid attached to him.

He remembered the first words he spoke as soon as he regained consciousness, ’Azrael...how is Azrael, A?’

He thought he was in the same hospital, but as his sight gradually adjusted and became more focused, he saw the family doctor and the chairman on his side, as well as the familiar interior of the mansion’s rooms.

’Athan...brother...where...what happened to Azrael? Is he okay? Did he wake up already?’ He asked Athan, even with a tired body, he tried to sit up, but his older brother just looked away and didn’t answer him.

From Athan’s reaction, Knox felt like his heart was dropped. Did something happen to him? Is his injury so severe Athan couldn’t answer him?! Those thoughts spiraled in his head. He was about to stand up and check on his own, even if he drove miles away in that condition.

However, a cold voice filled with subdued anger reached his ears.

’Stay on the bed, Knox Arden. You aren’t in the right state of mind if you’re concerned about the son of the person who ordered you to be kidnapped!’

Knox froze upon hearing that. ’What...?’

Athan cussed the air and walked away. He was mad, utterly mad, but he couldn’t break that information to his younger brother.

On the other hand, Knox was reminded of what Philip spoke at that time – ’I started to wonder how the boss’ son’s precious dessert would taste like.’

Knox started to tremble. He slumped back on the bed, rubbing his arms while expressing disbelief. Did the ’boss’ son’ was Azrael, and he was the ’precious dessert’? Then, why? Why would his father kidnap him? Is it because of the engagement? Did he find out that he was the reason, that he kept asking Azael to break it?

’Knox!’ Chairman Nathaniel’s angry voice pulled him from drowning in those negative thoughts again. Knox met his father’s eyes. He could tell he was really mad, but there was still a hint of worry in those aged eyes.

’Stay here in the meantime; you and your son. Don’t think of stepping out of the mansion until all these are over. I’m telling you right now, I won’t let that man escape the law.’ Nathaniel determinedly stated. He walked to the door, followed by the family’s doctor.

But he stopped in the middle and looked back at Knox again.

With a firm and commanding voice, the chairman ordered, ’I don’t want you meeting that wicked man’s son ever again, Knox. You’ve seen what his father is capable of, and an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Think about your child, son. Stay away from that man.’

After that, he begged Athan to tell him of Azrael’s condition was. Athan was reluctant to tell him at first. He didn’t even want to mention Azrael’s name around him. But he relentlessly begged him, until Athan couldn’t bear him anymore.

’He’s still unconscious. A minor skull fracture. He’ll wake up soon, Knox. Stop worrying about him and think about yourself instead!’

In those two days, he was monitored by the chairman’s guards. He wasn’t allowed to even speak with Azrael, and his cell phone was never returned to him. There was no way they didn’t retrieve it; they just didn’t want him contacting Azrael again.

He could understand where his father and Athan was coming from. But it wasn’t Azrael’s fault. And as his father said – ’Think about your child.’

Azrael roped him in with a contract. He showed him his intentions, and slowly, Knox was convinced and decided to believe him. All for the sake of his son – of ’their’ son.

Knox looked at his reflection in the mirror again. "It was for Knoa all along, father. So, how can I stay away?"