Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 153: Arising regret and fading hope

Chapter 153: Arising regret and fading hope

Shawn was left to care for Knoa when his parents went out. He was nervous and in discomfort, not because the shock of what happened to Knoa under his care before was returning to him, but because of the man sitting beside him.

If he knew that the doctor would come, Shawn wouldn’t have offered to take care of the kid.

He wet his dry lips, due to the awkward silence between them, and cleared his throat to gain the doctor’s attention. "It’s fine if you leave now. I can take care of Knoa..."

Kayden briefly glanced at the dominant omega and went back to reading. He calmly replied, completely opposite of what Shawn was feeling right now. "I know. But I didn’t come here to help you with that, I came here to watch you."

"Watch me?" Shawn couldn’t help but blush. Thankfully, Kayden’s bluish eyes were focused on the book, so he failed to see the omega’s reaction.

The doctor adjusted himself to the seat and looked directly at Shawn, making the omega flinch. He noticed his discomfort, so he couldn’t help but frown and sighed, before looking away. He then answered, "Azi’s afraid that your fiancé will come and take Knoa if he isn’t here. So, he asked me to watch over you."

"Sir Athan wouldn’t do that," Shawn mumbled, feeling a bit awkward after hearing the word ’fiancé’ from the alpha’s lips. He averted his gaze and focused them on Knoa who was silently watching a children’s program on the television.

He was seated on the carpet and hugging his favorite toy, while the two adults were behind him, slouching on the couch.

Shawn heard a scoff, and when he turned to Kayden, the alpha turned away.

Kayden said, "I’m not sure about that. You saw how mad he was yesterday. I wouldn’t be surprised if he locked Knox up back to their mansion and deprived Knoa of his father—

"Sir Athan always wants the best for Knox. He was mad because he just couldn’t trust your cousin. Who would? When all he did was forget his father’s wrongdoings and act like nothing happened!" Shawn raised his voice a little, defending Athan.

"That’s a bit rich coming from you who even allowed Azi to spend time with Knox and Knoa on the beach. You could have told Athan back then if you didn’t trust him, but why didn’t you?" Kayden sarcastically replied.

Shawn was left speechless. It was rare for him to hear Kayden speak in that kind of tone. He was always gentle and forgiving, but it felt like his words were as sharp as blades.

Shawn pursed his lips, stopping them from curving downward. He recalled what transpired on that vacation.

He only came with the father and son on the first day when he should have spent that time watching them because guilt was eating him. He saw Azrael and yet he kept what he found from Athan, who allowed him to come as part of Knox’s surveillance.

It’s because he saw how happy Knox and Knoa were, that he couldn’t bear to snitch on them.

Shawn looked at Kayden regretfully.

Their conversation was turning into a fight when during that vacation, all they did was talk about even the smallest random things they found amusing. Instead of enjoying the scenery with his companions, he stayed at the resthouse and talked with Kayden whenever the latter had time.

Now, those times felt just like a passing dream, as though none of it was true. The distance between them seemed to grow wider even.

Shawn lowered his head, feeling blue. He just chewed that sadness and regret that left a bitter taste in his mouth, and swallowed it whole, leaving himself free from any stress. He focused on the kid and never glanced at the doctor again.

Kayden was watching Shawn from the corner of his eyes. He was reading the book, yes, but it was taking him half a quarter an hour to read a page. When the omega sat in silence and never paid him attention again.

He had the confidence to straighten his neck and stare at Shawn. The omega’s side profile is endearing in his eyes. His light-colored eyelashes were long and naturally curled up, one that even some women would pay to have.

Shawn’s unsmiling face gives off a haughty aura, like he’d slapped anyone who growled at him, or raised his beautifully lined eyebrows if he heard something questionable. His nose, small and straight, goes well with his small, rounded face.

His platinum blonde hair that already reached his shoulder was cut straight and even, and some strands were cascaded on his face, veiling the true beauty of a dominant omega he has.

Kayden was tempted to brush those strands away and tucked them in his ear. He wanted to gaze fully at Shawn’s beauty, burning his image in his mind because he knew after he went home, it would take another month to see him in person.

He realized just hearing his voice through the phone was no longer enough. If he wasn’t busy at that time, he would have driven five hours to spend that vacation with him secretly, just like how Azi and Knox did.

If the omega knew how elated he was when he answered his call, Shawn would have called him crazy and insane.

Kayden rejoiced when, after the blackmailing his Uncle Rage pulled and the failure of the Montgomery to properly execute confidentiality during the rescue operation putting Shawn’s freedom in a bind, the omega still answered his call and talked to him.

He became arrogant after once shared calls, and he began calling him more often. Twice on the next day; then it doubled on the following day, and so on. Whenever he would find time to call, Kayden would talk with Shawn.

And to him, it was a miracle that the omega still hadn’t flatly refused him. He knew his unofficial engagement with Athan Horace, yet he still hoped.

But lately, his hope was fading, because slowly, he could see the changes between Athan and Shawn’s relationship. Unlike before when the alpha looked uninterested, Athan was now acting differently toward Shawn.

And it was putting Kayden on edge. It didn’t help that the omega was always ready to defend Athan.

Kayden’s attention when Knoa yawned loudly. He turned to the kid who stood and walked to Shawn, asking for a carry.

Shawn bent down and put the kid on his lap, asking gently, "Are you sleepy? But you just woke up, Knoa. Are you bored? Do you want to play hide and seek instead?"

Knoa rubbed his eyes and slightly shook his head. He then asked innocently, "When will brother Aresh come home?"

Shawn halted, confused at the kid’s question. Still, he managed to answer, "Aresh...is going home? I didn’t know about that. Who told you that?"

Knoa looked up at Shawn, "Daddy told me. He said that once Papa and I and him became family, we could get brother Aresh from that place. I can’t wait. I miss brother."

"Oh...uhm, I...ah, maybe once your Daddy and Papa had a wedding?" Shawn answered uncertainly. He broke a sweat after thinking that he might have put an unwarranted idea in the kid’s head.

He anxiously looked at Kayden. But then the door opened, gaining all their attention. A few minutes later, a drenched Knox appeared, looking pale and sickly. His eyes were swollen and red, but even so, after Knoa shouted ’Papa’, his face infinitesimally brightened, and he faked a smile to welcome his excited child.

"Papa, why are you wet?" the kid exclaimed.

Knox answered, masking the weariness in his voice, "I played in the rain."

Knoa then began scolding his father like their roles were reversed.

Kayden walked away and came back with a towel. He and Shawn were both quiet the whole time because, unlike the innocent Knoa, they could tell what happened, and both of them felt pity for the poor omega.