Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 132: Aresh’s intention [2]

Chapter 132: Aresh’s intention [2]

At the same time, Knox’s phone rang and all of their shoulders jumped in surprise. He nervously fished it out of his pockets and panic spread in his face after seeing his half-sister’s number on the screen.

He was frozen in his seat. Cold sweat formed on his forehead and trickled down his temple. He gulped and contemplated what to do.

Everyone gathered and peeked on the phone, and when they saw the name above the digits, they all fell into silence.

Ragel pressed his lips inwardly, feeling a bit sorry that he suddenly possessed the lips of a devil making his words come true.

Rian pitifully looked at the omega whose anxiety and fear were painted all over his face. He pointed at the phone and said, "Why don’t you answer? Hear what she’s about to say first, then if she already knows, convince her. If you need help, I can talk to her. I’m very persuasive. I’ll tell her we just pranked the director and he bit on it, and that we’re just testing how much of a blabbermouth he is."

"I’m sure his sister isn’t that too stupid to believe you," Azrael chipped in. He looked at Knox and suggested, "If she insists on taking you back, let’s elope."

Knox frowned. Where will all his effort go if they just resort to escaping again?

It was easier for Azrael to say those, but for him, who had been recently recognized by his family he wanted to have ever since, couldn’t even think about it. But if he said that out loud, Azrael would only be hurt.

He didn’t want to be torn and ended up choosing between them. He was greedy and selfish, yes, but if there’s something he still can do to keep both, then he won’t just give up. Knox sighed and stood, he excused himself and walked away, answering the phone reluctantly.

Knoa’s head rose from Azrael’s chest, his eyes searching where his omega father was as though he sensed his presence disappeared.

Seeing this, Azrael turned to where Knox was standing a few meters away from him. "Papa’s just talking with someone. He’ll be back, baby, don’t worry," Azrael said as he caressed the kid’s head.

Knox already wiped Knoa’s face, but as his sobs weren’t stopping, his face was covered in tears again. Azrael began worrying about the kid’s health after crying that long. He made sure his back won’t drenched in sweat and saw a towel stashed already.

Knoa rubbed his eyes and looked up, asking his alpha father, "Daddy...Loki...grampa will get mad?"

’Grampa? Ah...that toy must be a gift from Chairman Horace,’ Azrael pondered. His eyes darted on the torn stuffed toy next to Ragel. Azrael clenched his fist. He really wanted to make everyone who made his son cry, cry twice harder. ’Or maybe rip their favorite stuffed toys too. Tsk.’

With a voice as angelic as the hymn of the lyre and as gentle as a morning dew sliding on a verdant leaf, Azrael replied, "Of course not. I’m sure your Grampa won’t be mad, but he’ll be sad if he learns you cried."

’Will he though?’ He asked himself, hiding his doubt so as not to alarm the kid.

Knoa sniffled. He buried his head on his daddy’s chest again and stifled his cry.

Azrael was somehow stunned. He didn’t mean for the kid to hide his crying face! Now, looking at those small shoulders trembling as the sobs were muffled gnawed his conscience.

Azrael was in a dilemma. How did his father comfort him whenever he cried when he was a child? He pondered. Slowly, his face turned sour and soon distorted. Recalling the past made him remember his other parent, the one who gave birth to him.

Unfortunately, he could no longer remember how that person would pacify him whenever he cried. However, he remembered the last time he cried was when that person disappeared and never came back home again.

It was Rage who appeased him. ’Tears won’t magically save your precious things from being taken away. They won’t reappear and make everything alright again. Crying is useless. Stop it.’

Those were his father’s words, said to a seven-year-old kid. Azrael bitterly smiled. There was no way he’d raise Knoa the same way Rage did to him.

Besides, he could already imagine himself getting floored and buried on the spot six feet underground by Knox if he ever attempted to say the same.

All he could do was mentally note, ’I should look out for those kids. No way they’ll ever set foot within a ten-meter radius of my son again.’ The cogs in his head started to work to think of ways how to retaliate.

Watching at the sidelines, Rian amusedly covered half of his face to hide his goofy grin.

His childhood friend’s intentions were visibly plastered on his face causing Rian to reminisce the past a little. Among their group of friends, the rowdy and childish ones were Diva and Azrael, while Kayden and he were always the referees, the sensible and mature ones.

He could even remember Kayden’s relief when he began spending time with him and Azrael, as Kayden said that he’d soon passed out from spending time alone with his savage cousin.

Rian’s attention was caught by the guy who had been sitting next to Knox all along.

Looking at the man, he felt a strange familiarity. He flicked his hand in the air, the sound catching the younger guy’s attention from staring behind Azrael. Following his gaze, Rian’s eyebrows shot up when his vision entered Knox.

’Don’t tell me this kid...’ he quietly mumbled to himself, eyes widening in realization.

Rian glanced back to the guy, only to be greeted by the latter’s quizzical look. He let Azrael plan his childish revenge and asked the guy instead, "Your name is Ragel, right?"

"That’s right," Ragel answered, furrowing his brows, wondering why the SmilEarth’s owner suddenly questioned him.

Rian cocked his head, "You seem oddly familiar," he asked and narrowed his eyes at the man, "Have we met before?"

Azrael snarled without looking at them. He rocked Knoa in his arms as he mockingly said, "You’re seriously hitting on him? Where has your sophisticated taste gone? And do lower your voice, please. My son is about to fall asleep."

"What do you mean by that?" Ragel hissed in a sharp yet lowered voice.

Azrael turned away and ignored him. The younger alpha was irked. He rose from his seat and was about to walk away when Rian spoke again.

Rian, "I’m genuinely curious. I don’t mean anything. As I said, you looked familiar. But I can’t pinpoint where I’ve seen you." He pointed his index finger to his chin and looked up, then he shamelessly blurted out, "You aren’t one of those one-night stands I had, are you?"

Ragel hastily spun to him and spat, "No!"

"Oh, okay. That’s quite relieving," Rain chuckled, amused by the younger guy’s disgusted face.

Ragel’s distorted face, his eyebrows that almost met at the center, as well as his lips curling into a snarling frown and his cheeks pushing up making his lower lids squint, resembled a face he often looks at.

’It doesn’t make sense...’ Rian pondered.