Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 206: Ambushed

Chapter 206: Ambushed

A few hours after Azrael’s ledger retrieval commenced...

Rage Del Valle leaned back in his leather chair, the shadows from the room casting a menacing aura around his brooding figure. His eyes, cold and calculating, skimmed the report laid out before him. The man across from him was trembling, unsure how to proceed.

Rage was away for only a few days, handling a critical business transaction overseas, and yet, his world was unraveling the wrong way.

"The ledger is gone," the man stammered, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Rage’s jaw clenched. His fingers tapped methodically on the polished surface of his desk. "Gone?" he repeated, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

"Yes, sir. The information we received indicates that it was...your son. Azrael, who infiltrated the safehouse and took the ledger," the man added, wincing as if bracing for Rage’s reaction.

"How did he know about its existence? I’m sure I never told him, nor did I tell anyone to inform him," Rage glared at the man before him. His dominant pheromones suffocated the poor employee.

The man gasped. He answered with difficulty. "It...it was Lyssana, chairman. Sir Azrael had planted someone on her tail, and she did something that led the young master to find about the ledger."

"What did that foolish woman do?" Rage asked. The employee explained everything Lyssana did on her own. Rage then remembered the younger alpha who claimed himself as his son, but was believed to be the son of his former husband’s affair.

Rage remained silent for a moment, his gaze darkening with fury. His own son had dared to steal from him. That ledger was the key to his operations—containing every bribe, every dirty deal, every piece of leverage he had collected over the years. Its loss wasn’t just a threat to everything he built through blood and sweat; it was a personal betrayal.

And now, Lyssana foolishly acted on her own, earning the ire of Chairman Horace.

"And where is Lyssana now?" Rage asked, his voice now cold, devoid of any empathy.

"She’s missing, sir. She was last seen in the safe house, but we haven’t been able to track her location."

Rage slammed his fist on the table, the force reverberating throughout the room. The man jumped; fear clear in his eyes.

"Lyssana is irrelevant," Rage spat, standing abruptly. "All that matters now is my ledger. I want my men on Azrael immediately. Subdue him, incapacitate him if necessary, but bring me that ledger."

The man hesitated for a brief second, as if unsure whether to bring up Lyssana again. "And Lyssana, sir? Should we...?"

Rage waved a hand dismissively. "Let her rot. She’s of no use to me now." His eyes gleamed with a vicious determination. "Azrael has chosen his path, and he will face the consequences."

Turning his back on the trembling subordinate, Rage walked to the large window overlooking the city. The game had changed, and he wouldn’t stop until he had crushed his son underfoot. "Do whatever it takes," he ordered over his shoulder. "I want the ledger found."

His men scattered to carry out his orders, leaving Rage alone in his office, his mind fixated on retribution. He would get his ledger back—no matter the cost. And if it meant taking down his own flesh and blood, so be it.

However, a few hours later, the same man returned bearing the dreadful news to him. "Chairman, we found where the ledger is. Sir Azrael...as soon as he got his hands on it, he delivered it to Nathaniel Horace. We can’t find a way to infiltrate their estates, as the security tightened even more."

Rage’s anger blazed through the roof. He smashed his desk and swept everything on it, shouting his son’s name with so much hatred. Once he calmed, his plans changed. He ordered his men to bring Azrael to him, whether alive or dying.

*****

Back to the present, a day after the ledger was retrieved...

Kayden’s hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, as he drove Azrael toward the Horace mansion. The silence between them was suffocating, the tension was evident.

Azrael sat slumped in the passenger seat, eyes glazed over, lost in a world of his own. He hadn’t said a word since they left that grim scene behind. Kayden’s gut told him his cousin wasn’t okay—far from it. His mind was miles away, probably stuck in the past, drowning in memories and unresolved trauma.

Home. Azrael had said earlier, but to Kayden, there was only one person who could ground his cousin now—Knox. So, without asking, Kayden drove them straight to the Horace mansion. Azrael didn’t object, not even a glance, which only made Kayden more anxious.

He glanced at Azrael briefly before looking back at the road. "You alright?"

No response.

Kayden sighed, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror—a habit. That’s when he noticed something off. Two black SUVs were following them, keeping a steady distance but never deviating. His grip on the wheel tightened.

"Azrael..." he began, but his cousin remained lost in thought. "Dammit, Azi, focus!"

The SUVs behind them picked up speed, closing the gap.

Kayden’s heart rate spiked. "Azrael!" he repeated, more urgent now.

Finally, Azrael blinked, coming out of his daze. "What?"

"We’re being followed," Kayden muttered, his voice low. He pushed down on the gas pedal, trying to create some distance between them and the tailing cars. The black vehicles responded, speeding up as well.

Azrael’s eyes sharpened instantly, the haze of his thoughts dissipating. "They’re my father’s men," he said, his voice grim. He recognized the maneuver—Rage’s mercenaries, skilled and ruthless.

Kayden cursed under his breath. "Great."

The road ahead was clear, but they were on the outskirts, surrounded by thick woods with few intersections. There weren’t many options for escape. Kayden slammed the accelerator, pushing the car to its limits as the SUVs closed in, their engines roaring like predators on the hunt.

Gunshots echoed through the air. Azrael cursed. It was fortunate that he kept his gun with him all the time, despite the country’s ban on the use of guns in public places.

Kayden swerved, barely avoiding a hail of bullets that shattered their rear window. "Dammit!" he hissed, weaving the car left and right to avoid getting hit. The early years of his training for being one of the prospective heirs of the Montgomery Security Agency were now being put to use. Finally.

"We can’t outrun them," he said coldly, eyes narrowing. "We need to fight back."

Kayden was focused on the road ahead, but the sound of metal crashing and the increasing number of shots made it clear—they were outgunned. A loud bang rang out as one of the SUVs rammed into the back of their car, sending it skidding off the road.

"Hold on!" Kayden yelled as he struggled to regain control.

The car veered sharply, hitting a tree before flipping over. Glass shattered everywhere, the sound of crushing metal filling the air. The world turned upside down in an instant. Kayden felt his head slam against the steering wheel as everything went dark.

---

When Kayden came to, he was still strapped into the driver’s seat. Pain shot through his body, his head pounding from the impact. His vision was blurred, but he could make out figures approaching through the haze. Azrael’s door was open—empty.

"No..." Kayden groaned, trying to reach for the door handle, but his body wouldn’t respond. He was trapped, and Azrael was gone.

Outside the wreckage, Rage’s men had already secured Azrael. They dragged him roughly, throwing him into the back of one of the SUVs. Azrael couldn’t struggle as his body was weakened from the accident, his head slumped and he was losing consciousness.

Before everything went pitch black to Azrael though, his dulling vision saw another man approach Kayden, whose head was on the ground, slumped and looking at them. Horror filled Azrael’s eyes and his throat burned, forcing a shout, "N-No!"

However, it was too late. The man smashed the broken door on Kayden’s head.

Not even an hour passed by after that incident, at the Horace Mansion, Chairman Nathaniel Horace was sitting in his study when the door creaked open, and Steve stepped in, holding a phone with an anxious look.

"Chairman," the assistant said, voice tense, "it’s a call from Rage Del Valle."

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow but took the phone. "Del Valle," he greeted coldly.

Rage’s voice on the other end was smooth but laced with malice. "Chairman Horace, no longer addressing me as chairman, I see." Rage chuckled.

Nathaniel replied, "Why bother? You won’t be in that position for long anyway."

Rage clicked his tongue. "You think I don’t know what you’re planning. I’m always a step ahead of you, Horace. I failed this time because my son betrayed me. Therefore, from this day forward, I’m no longer that kid’s father. So, now, I believe we have some business to discuss."

Nathaniel’s grip tightened on the phone. "I doubt there’s anything you and I need to talk about."

"Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure," Rage purred. "You see, I’ve got something that belongs to you—or rather, someone. Your pretty son will be bawling his eyes out if you don’t listen to me, old man."

Nathaniel froze. His mind raced. "What are you talking about?"

"Your son-in-law, Knox’s husband, Azrael. I have him in my custody," Rage said, savoring every word. He even stopped claiming Azrael as his son already and spoke of his name as if he was a stranger.

Nathaniel’s breath caught in his throat. "You bastard—"

"I don’t care about your insults, old man," Rage interrupted, his voice cold. "I only care about my ledger. You have it. I want it. So, here’s the deal—bring me the ledger, and you’ll get your precious son-in-law back. If not...well, let’s just say things might not end well for him. Your son might be widowed at a very young age."

Nathaniel’s eyes darkened with rage, his hand shaking as he gripped the phone tighter. "If you harm him..." he was surprised to hear himself, acting like a concerned father to Azrael. He convinced himself that Rage wouldn’t actually harm his own flesh and blood.

But the door banged again and Athan rushed inside, reporting the state of Kayden Montgomery and the car’s wreckage. Nathaniel’s hope vanished. The man was worse than an animal. "He’s your own son...how could you?"

"I told you already, Horace. From the moment he betrayed me, I was no longer his father. If you don’t want your grandson to be orphaned, give the ledger back. I will send you the location." Rage replied smoothly before hanging up, leaving Nathaniel standing in his study, seething with fury and dread.