Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 114: Conversation gone awry [2]

Chapter 114: Conversation gone awry [2]

Azrael interjected Knox’s words again, "I’m sorry you have to experience that. I’m so sorry I was late. You must have been so terrified. I’m sorry that my father walked away free from this. I’ll do everything to drag him back to court. I’ll make sure he’ll pay what he did to you—

Knox could hear the fear in Azrael’s voice. Is he afraid that he will disappear on him again? Knox wondered. He needed to clear the misunderstanding.

So, he began explaining, abruptly cutting Azrael off, "My family already stopped trying. Your father threatened that he’d put Shawn in jail. Someone in your cousin’s company snitched on the hacking and gave your father a fabricated report of the activity history. But we can’t prove it’s fake because Shawn will still be charged with hacking if we show the real history."

Azrael swept his hair back angrily, "I’ll ask Luis to look into it. Maybe I can find—

Knox cut him off again, "My father already reached an agreement with your father, Azrael. I hope we could, too."

Azrael stiffened. He suddenly had a bad feeling. He sprung up, ready to bolt out the door if Knox said something absurd.

He asked Knox, his heart drumming like crazy, "...what do you mean?"

Azrael waited for Knox’s answer with bated breath. He ran his hand on his face and grabbed his hair as he paced back and forth inside the hospital room.

What he dreaded had come, Knox replied with a lowered voice, "Knoa...he can spend time with you. Let’s make a schedule—

Azrael no longer gave Knox a chance to speak again, and just firmly blurted out, "You’re going to live with me."

Knox, "Azrael—

Azrael, "Or else I will have no choice but to ask the court for the child’s custody—

Knox gasped. He yelled in fury, "You can’t do that!"

Azrael stoically replied, "Try me."

His voice was emotionless, and because Knox couldn’t see Azrael’s expression, he didn’t know what to do. What if he really tried? He anxiously pondered to himself.

He had no choice but to tell Azrael his piece of mind, unaware that it would soon stab the alpha deeper than he expected. "The court won’t rule in your favor! You know they can never. At most, they might even issue a restraining order on you if my father interfered."

Knox bit his lips, gazing at the screen which only displayed Azrael’s chest as if he didn’t want Knox to see his face. Knox added, "He and Athan will surely make it possible! Azrael...I know what your family does. Father briefed me on everything. How the Del Valle do their business and—

All of a sudden, a sarcastic laugh that sounded pained and conflicted echoed.

"Ah. Of course, compared to the graceful, ever so benevolent, and most principled, magnanimous, noble family of Horace that shines like a magnificent eagle, mine is like a venomous snake slithering in a dark swamp mingling with disgusting beings and devouring anything that gets on its way. I’m sorry that my dirty scales can’t compare to your majestic wings, Knox Arden."

Knox was left utterly speechless. When he heard Azrael puffed out a breath on the other line, he snapped from his daze and immediately refuted him.

"That’s not what I—

However, before he could finish his sentence, Azrael turned off the camera and soon the beeping tone of an ended call reverberated in his silent room.

Knox tried to reach him again, but Azrael turned off his phone. Slowly, the tight grip on the bed sheets loosened, and next to the hands dropped a few beads of liquid that stained the white sheets.

After Knox’s hands got tired of dialing the alpha’s number, he decided to wait for Azrael to call instead. He was sure that Azrael just didn’t want to speak with him when he was enraged, afraid that he’d end up saying something that would hurt them both.

So, Knox stopped reaching to him and let him off some steam. A few days passed and he still hasn’t heard from Azrael.

He began to worry, ’Is he still mad? I wanted to apologize, but how should I reach him? I wanted to explain everything. I worded it wrong. I should have told him to give me some time. Give me time to convince my family to trust us, to prove he’s not the same as his father...’

Knox couldn’t bear it anymore. He walked out of his room and found Knoa playing jigsaw puzzles with some of the maids in the living room.

He headed to the entrance after that but was blocked by a large figure abruptly. Knox lifted his head and saw Athan dropping a serious gaze at him.

A strict voice came from him, "Where do you think you’re going?"

Knox held his head higher and puffed out his chest. He won’t shrink this time. He only needed to see Azrael. He made Athan understand that.

However, his brother became cruel and wouldn’t budge even at his pitiful look. So, Knox resorted to begging, "Please, I just have something I wanted to tell him. Please, Athan. just this one. I wanted to apologize. I said something hurtful. Please, brother..."

Athan answered shook his head, "Go back inside, Knox."

Knox, "Please, A. Just this one time! You can come with me if you don’t trust me. Just let me see him!"

Athan snapped, "What are you going to apologize for, anyway? Did they apologize for what they did to you? Look at what they did to Shawn as well! What else do you want to do with that family?!"

Knox yelled back, "I said I won’t go back to him! I told him already! Why can’t you understand?! It’s not his fault! We’re both...suffering. So, can you at least let me see him just once?"

Athan gritted his teeth. He looked away, avoiding looking at his brother’s agonized face. His eyes then landed on the man standing by the foot of the stairs, looking at the two of them.

Chairman Nathaniel looked in the direction of Knoa who was now sobbing on the maid’s lap. He heard his father and his uncle fight and yelled each other, which he had never witnessed before, so he was shocked.

Instead of letting Knoa run to his father, the maid covered his ears instead and hugged him.

The chairman gave the maid a meaningful look, and the maid carried Knoa away. Knox was surprised after hearing his son’s sobs. He tried to follow but his father blocked his way.

Nathaniel said, "Just this time, Knox. I’ll let you meet that person."

He gave Athan a commanding look. Athan sighed and moved out of the way. He opened the door, and spoke, "I’ll escort you."

Knox followed his brother. They used the car on standby for picking up parcels and posts dropped at the gate, instead of Athan’s car. He didn’t dwell much on that and what only ran on his head was the urge to quickly meet Azrael.

But soon, he learned why Athan just used that vehicle.

A familiar car was parked outside the gates. A man was leaning on the door, his legs crossed and his arms folded on his abdomen. Some guards kept trying to send him away, but he stood his ground, his sharp and darkened eyes never leaving the gates.

Those grey orbs slightly sparkled after seeing Knox step out of the car. He stood straight and walked to him.

Knox hadn’t even stepped out fully of the estates’ premises when Azrael quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him into a tight embrace. Knox teared up. He hugged Azrael, and with a broken voice filled with so much pain, he whispered, "Let’s stop here, Azrael."

He wanted to explain his plans, but how could he when Athan’s watchful gaze never left him? He could only murmur to Azrael.

"Please, trust me."

But that phrase didn’t reach the alpha anymore, because his brain already stopped working at the mention of a break-up.