Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 207: Deleted and in a comatose

Chapter 207: Deleted and in a comatose

Knox stood frozen at the door to Nathaniel’s office, fists clenched at his sides, heart pounding in his chest. The news had struck him like a bullet to the gut. They were just sharing a heartfelt talk and planning their vacation this morning, so how did everything turn out to this?

"I’m going," Knox growled through gritted teeth, his voice barely restrained.

Nathaniel, seated behind his desk with a grim expression, didn’t flinch. "No, you will not."

"You can’t stop me, father!" Knox shot back, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "Azrael is out there with that monster. I’m not sitting around doing nothing while—"

"You’re not going, and that’s final!" Nathaniel’s voice boomed, cutting through the air like a sharp blade. He stood abruptly, towering over Knox. "Stop being stubborn, Knox. What else you can do? You’ll only be a hindrance to the others."

"But, father..." Knox’s heart ached. His father just slapped him for the truth. He didn’t know how to use a gun, and he wasn’t confident in his combat ability. On top of that, lately, his body seemed weakened, and he easily got tired even from just standing too long.

"Instead of coming with them, why don’t you just stay with your sons and console them? Earlier this day, I heard Knoa complaining and looking for his father," Nathaniel remarked. "You won’t be able to help the team with anything anyway."

Knox’s chest heaved as he struggled to calm himself. His father’s words sank in, but the desperation in his heart made it impossible to think clearly. Azrael was everything to him. The thought of Rage hurting him, or worse, sent Knox spiraling.

"Please," Knox’s voice cracked, his eyes burning. "He’s my husband. I have to be there."

Nathaniel’s eyes softened, but his resolve didn’t waver. "I know, son. But right now, you need to trust me. We’re going to get him back, but not this way."

Knox swallowed hard, turning his back to Nathaniel. He didn’t want his father to see the tears threatening to spill. Nathaniel knew him too well, though. He walked over, placing a firm hand on Knox’s shoulder.

"We’ll get him back," Nathaniel promised quietly. "I won’t let Rage win."

Knox didn’t respond, only nodding stiffly. But deep inside, he was already formulating a plan of his own. He couldn’t just sit here. He wouldn’t.

However, as Knox planned to do something selfish again, his father’s more selfish plans were already set in motion.

There was a knock on the door that caught their attention. It opened and Athan came in, carrying the crying Knoa with his right hand while his left hand held Aresh’s hand.

Knox furtively wiped his eyes and forced a smile. "Why? What happened to my baby?"

Aresh, with a saddened look, answered, "Knoa woke up crying, Papa. Then, he kept asking for d-daddy...I couldn’t make him stop, so I asked Uncle Athan...sorry..."

Knox ruffled Aresh’s hair softly. "Why are you sorry? It’s not your job to make your brother stop crying. Still, thank you for looking out for him. Give him to me, A."

Athan sighed. The three-year-old kid’s crying subsided a bit. He hugged his Papa’s neck and mumbled the word ’daddy’ repeatedly. He took Aresh’s hand from Athan and excused himself to the chairman.

Once the family of three left, Athan turned to his father. "Dad, we have a visitor. Someone that can help us with planning on how to get Azrael without compromising the ledger."

Nathaniel’s eyes piqued with interest. He allowed Athan to bring the visitors to his grand study. An older woman with striking features, dark hair, and grey eyes, came in, followed by a younger man, tall and slender, who held a briefcase.

Nathaniel could tell who the older woman was without asking. Her features shouted Del Valle, but he had no idea who the other guy was, although his face seemed familiar.

"Chairman Horace, I’m Raine Montgomery, Rage’s twin sister," Raine introduced herself, her voice serious.

The other guy extended his hand. "I’m Rian Lee, sir. Founder and CEO of SmilEarth."

Nathaniel accepted the handshake, his brows furrowing a little. "Why is the founder of a charity foundation visiting me at this time?"

Rian politely answered, "All of the Del Valle’s assets will be frozen once the investigation starts. And a high possibility of asset forfeiture. But the government can’t seize everything because not all of it is connected to criminal activity. I’d like to discuss this with the chairman and ask for assistance if you allow, please."

Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing in thought. The presence of Rage’s twin sister and the CEO of a prominent charity foundation raised many questions, but the implications of what Rian had just mentioned were too critical to ignore. He tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, signaling for them to continue.

Raine spoke first, her voice calm but resolute. "Once the investigation starts, all of the Del Valle assets will be scrutinized—every bank account, offshore holdings, property, businesses, everything. There’s a lot of dirty money flowing through Rage’s hands, and he’s built a very elaborate web to hide it. But it won’t hold up once the authorities start digging."

Nathaniel’s eyes stared suspiciously at Raine. "He’s your twin brother. How can I trust you?"

Raine’s expression hardened. "Because my son was involved and in a critical condition right now. I’ve watched my brother destroy lives for years, including our family’s name, but I never expected that he’d point his knife at my son and his own. He’s taken too much, and I’m not about to let him ruin what’s left of the Del Valle legacy."

Nathaniel crossed his arms, considering their words carefully. "The investigation can only start if I give the authorities the ledger. But Rage wanted it in exchange for Azrael’s safety. Do you think he can hurt him, Mrs. Montgomery?"

Raine did not hesitate to answer. "Yes."

Athan who had been listening quietly all this time, chimed in, giving Rian a meaningful look. "Dad, I think we can keep the ledger. Mr. Lee found something."

Rian opened the briefcase he carried and took out the black ledger he saw in the room where he found Knox and Ragel. He handed it to the chairman. "It’s a decoy," he said, cutting through the tension. "But Rage doesn’t know that."

Athan nodded, his mind already turning. "Which means we have leverage."

However, after inspecting the identical book to the ledger in his possession, Nathaniel was still skeptical. "Where did this come from? Who made this? The cover and the writing are similar as if it’s the original."

Raine pursed her lips. "It was Rage’s trusted servant, Lyssana. I don’t know how she managed to create an identical one without my brother’s knowledge. She must have planned something. But we can use it. We can try."

Nathaniel soon agreed. He even compared the two ledgers and was convinced that it might work. After the plan was set, Athan couldn’t help but ask. "So, once this investigation starts, what exactly will happen to Azrael’s assets? Will they all be frozen? Seized?"

Rian answered, "Most of them, yes. Any legitimate holdings will be locked up as part of the investigation, pending court rulings. The illegal assets—once they’re traced—will be seized by the authorities. However, I believe Azrael already cleaned his pockets of any rotten cookies. None of it will indict him."

Athan realized that Rian did not know about Azrael’s name listed on the ledger. He furrowed his brows, wondering if the guy hadn’t tried to read the other ledger. Suddenly, his eyes widened. He dashed to his father’s desk. "Dad, did you check the content of the fake one?"

Rian and Raine exchanged glances, curious. Nathaniel replied, "Not yet."

"Let me see," Athan opened the fake ledger and confirmed his hunch. "Azrael’s name...is missing here."

"Azrael? Why would Azrael..." Rian’s words trailed off after realizing what Athan meant. He gasped; disbelief displayed in his eyes. Besides him, Raine’s complexion went pale. "My God, he’s determined to ruin his son’s life..." Rian whispered, still in shock.

Meanwhile, across the city, in the sterile, quiet halls of the hospital, Shawn sat beside Kayden’s bed. The alpha lay there, still as death, tubes connected to machines that beeped rhythmically, keeping him alive.

The sight of Kayden like this made Shawn’s chest ache.

"You stupid bastard," Shawn muttered, blinking back tears. "You couldn’t just stay out of trouble for once, could you? I thought after stealing the ledger, you’d go back to being a doctor...now you’re the patient."

He rubbed a hand across his face, exhaustion weighing him down. Still, he had to be strong. He couldn’t afford to break, not now, not while his alpha was fighting for his life.

The doctors didn’t know when—or if—Kayden would wake up. The coma had been induced to allow his body to heal, but it was impossible to predict the outcome. Shawn hated the uncertainty. It gnawed at him, filling him with helplessness.

"Azrael’s missing too, you know," Shawn said softly, though Kayden couldn’t hear him. "Knox is a mess. He’s barely holding it together. And now you’re here, unconscious, leaving me to deal with everything."

He reached out, gripping Kayden’s hand tightly, hoping he could feel the warmth through the haze of his unconsciousness.

"Wake up already. It’s been three days, Kayden. Let me hear your voice..." Shawn pleaded, his voice cracking in the quiet hospital room. The nurses came and checked on the patient, yet Shawn’s plea was denied.