Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 213: Wish granted

Chapter 213: Wish granted

Two weeks passed and Azrael finally recovered. The prosecutor who kept coming back into his room, checking on him if he was ready to stand on trial, sighed in relief once the discharge of the patient was decided.

"We will be expecting you tomorrow in the trial court, Mr. Del Valle. Normally, you are to be brought into our custody, but Chairman Horace’s lawyer asked us to give you a day. However, tomorrow, if you don’t appear before the court at the designated time, we will have no choice but to apprehend you with force."

"I understand, Prosecutor Moore," Azrael answered.

Maxwell Moore left after that.

Azrael took Knox’s hand and squeezed it, gathering courage from his husband’s warmth to step forward and do that ’important’ thing he had to do as soon as he was discharged from the hospital.

Knox squeezed his hand back and looked at him proudly, which urged Azrael to finally move. The drive took not even an hour. Luis, the one driving, was silent the whole way.

The cold wind bit at their faces as they approached the small cemetery, its gates creaking in the winter breeze. Azrael, Knox, and Luis walked in silence, each step crunching softly over the frost-covered ground.

The sky above was a dull gray, the pale sun hidden behind thick clouds, casting a muted light over the tombstones. Thin layers of snow blanketed the earth, and the air smelled faintly of pine and distant fires.

Winter had come early, and with it, a quiet stillness that seemed to hang in the air like a thick shroud. They came so far, and many things happened, and a life was taken. A life important to Azrael.

As they neared the grave, Azrael stopped, his breath visible in the frigid air. Knox stood beside him, their gloved hands intertwined, while Luis lingered a few steps behind, allowing the two their space.

The wind howled faintly through the trees, rustling the bare branches like skeletal fingers reaching toward the heavens. The cemetery was silent, save for the occasional caw of a distant crow or the shuffle of leaves moving across the ground.

Roy’s grave stood at the far end of the cemetery, a simple tombstone carved with his name and the date of his death. The inscription was modest, befitting the man who had lived a life of silent service and unspoken loyalty.

To many, Roy had been just a bodyguard, but to Azrael, he was much more than that.

He had been a guide, a protector, and a father in all the ways his own blood had failed him. Roy had sacrificed everything, including his life, to save Azrael, and now, all that was left of him was this lonely plot of land.

"Why here?" Azrael mumbled as he stood before the gravestone. "There’s plenty of space in my family’s mausoleum..."

Luis knew the question was directed at him, so he replied in a somber tone, "He’d been serving you since you were young, staying by your side all the time, so I thought...it was time for him to spend time with his family instead."

Azrael looked around. The other tombs next to Roy’s bore the same surname he had. He chuckled bitterly. "This old man...he said he didn’t have family..."

"He had, sir. Only they were all dead before he served you. I figured...he’d prefer to lie with them, and you were unconscious, so I couldn’t ask you," Luis said.

Azrael nodded. Knox gave him the basket of flowers they bought on the way, and Azrael carefully placed them on Roy’s tomb. He crouched for a while, touching the stone while praying for the soul of his guardian.

His eyes stung with unshed tears as he glanced around the cemetery, the early winter setting adding to the melancholy of the moment. The snow-covered trees stood tall and unmoving, as if mourning alongside him, their branches heavy with the weight of ice and snow.

Knox knelt beside him, placing a hand gently on Azrael’s back. "I’m sure Sir Roy is at peace now, knowing that everything has come to an end," Knox said softly, his voice low and melancholy, almost carried away by the wind. "He did everything he could to keep you safe. I’ll forever be grateful to him."

"I know," Azrael replied, his voice rough. "He wasn’t just a bodyguard. He was more of a father to me than... anyone else ever was." His eyes flickered downward as he sighed, the weight of those memories pressing down on him.

For a long moment, they stood in the quiet cemetery, surrounded by the stillness of winter. The world felt frozen in time, as though the snow and the wind were mourning with them. But eventually, Azrael rose to his feet, composing himself once more.

"We should go," Knox whispered gently, taking his arm. "It’s getting colder."

Azrael nodded, glancing one last time at Roy’s grave before turning away, leaving the cemetery behind, though the weight of loss remained with him. The day was far from over, and there were more trials ahead—literally.

The next day, Azrael stood in the courtroom, a place he had hoped never to find himself.

Rage Del Valle dragged his name into his crimes, and the prosecution had turned their attention toward Azrael. The courtroom was packed with reporters, legal teams, and spectators, all eager to see what fate awaited the Del Valle’s heir.

Nathaniel Horace was seated on the first row of Azrael’s side, next to him were Athan and Knox. Before Azrael stood in the stand for questioning, Nathaniel gave him a reassuring look. It took Azrael by surprise and somehow gave him the courage to face whatever verdict would be given to him.

Behind the Horaces, seated the Montgomerys. Raine, in particular, looked confident. Kayla gave her a quizzical look, but her mother just smiled.

As the judge read the charges, Azrael stood silently, his mind drifting back to the events that had brought him here. His father’s illegal dealings had finally come to light, and the evidence against him was overwhelming.

Rage’s crimes had sent shockwaves through the country, and now, the focus was on whether Azrael had been involved.

Thankfully, Nathaniel had stepped in. With his legal team’s help and Raine’s contribution, much of the evidence tying Azrael to his father’s crimes had been wiped away, ensuring his freedom.

Something that Azrael would have never expected from his father-in-law.

The judge’s voice broke through his thoughts. "Due to the lack of substantial evidence on the involvement of the defendant in the crimes orchestrated by the mastermind—the defendant’s biological father, Rage Del Valle—this court finds Azrael Del Valle not guilty on all counts."

A wave of relief washed over him. He was free, but his father—who had never been much of a father to him—would spend the rest of his life in prison. Rage had been sentenced to life, and there was no coming back from that.

"Congratulations!"

People applauded and congratulated Azrael, convinced that his hands were truly clean. It was because of the support of charity organizations that Azrael once gave donations to, that his image wasn’t entirely ruined.

Nevertheless, his hands, from his father’s crimes, were clean, yes...but they weren’t, from his own crimes. If the investigation hadn’t focused on Rage’s illegal activities, they might have found out about Azrael’s cruelty toward certain people...missing people...whose deaths were all accounted as mere accidents.

He wanted to pay the price of those lives he’d taken, to become new, to repent and be more suitable to stand beside Knox, but now...

"Why?" Azrael asked Nathaniel once.

Nathaniel replied, "Knox’s second pregnancy, according to the doctor, was sensitive and weak. It was because of the oral sedative he ingested when he was kidnapped. Too much stress might cause miscarriage."

That was just what his father-in-law said before walking away.

After they left the courthouse, Sandro, who waited for them at the parking lot, spoke with Azrael.

"Azi," Sandro said, his voice low. "I have something to tell you." He leaned closer and whispered, "Lyssana is dead."

Azrael’s eyes darkened, though his face remained composed. "When?"

"This morning. One of our men found out," Sandro replied, his voice equally hushed. He briefly glanced at Knox who stood beside Azrael, but the omega pretended like he heard nothing.

For a moment, Azrael said nothing. His mind raced, processing the information, but outwardly, he appeared calm. He simply whispered, "It’s done then. Bury her corpse, and send the man to jail. Then, erase all traces of our involvement."

There was no joy in his words, only a sense of grim finality. Until now, Rage had no idea of what Lyssana did. If he visited his father and told him the truth, Azrael wondered what reaction he would give.

Will he finally repent and ask forgiveness, both to his dead husband and to his two sons? It was something Azrael could know, but he swore never to see that old man again. He will finally close this Chapter of his life and focus on his husband and his three children.

With that, Azrael turned to Knox, taking his hand as they made their way to the waiting car. The drive home was quiet, but there was a silent understanding between them. When they arrived at the mansion, a sense of nostalgia washed over Knox, his eyes tearing up as they approached the familiar estate.

It was Azrael’s mansion, to his surprise. He gave Azrael a quizzical look, wondering why they went there instead to his father’s home.

"You don’t want to be here?" Azrael asked, pulling Knox to the entrance.

Knox shook his head immediately. "No! I like it here! I’m just wondering why you suddenly..."

His voice trailed off after Azrael opened the door and revealed the interior of the house changed. From its former elegant and minimalistic design, it became cozy, warm, and homier.

And there, by the colorful set of new sofas in the spacious living room, were Knoa and Aresh.

"Papa!"

"Daddy!"

The kids rushed toward them; sporting happy, excited faces. They finally were able to see their daddy again. Azrael crouched with his arms open wide, taking the two kids in his embrace.

Aresh was the one who spoke first, a big smile, no longer awkward, was on his face. "Welcome back, Dad."

Knoa chimed in, livelier than ever. "Welcome home, Daddy! Do you have presents for us? I want chocolate cake!"

Azrael chuckled and Knox just shook his head. No wonder the kid’s cheeks were getting chubbier by the day. He knelt beside Azrael, wrapping his arms around his husband and his kids, and then he rested his head on Azrael’s shoulder and whispered, "We have something to tell you, kids. What do you think about having a little brother or sister?"

The kids were surprised and confused, but when Azrael explained it to them, they both shouted in excitement. Knox joined their little celebration; he reminisced how he was alone celebrating his pregnancy before, but now there were other three with him.

A loving husband, adorable kids, and a bigger family—his greatest wish was finally answered.