Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 217 - 3: Steve Williams

Chapter 217: Chapter 3: Steve Williams

Killian woke up drenched in sweat, the remnants of his heat still lingering in his body. The room was dark, curtains pulled tight to block out the sunlight. His hands were sticky and smelled of semen.

He had taken the entire week off from work, confining himself to his small apartment to ride out the feverish storm that had overtaken him. His heat had been unexpected and violent, and even after days of battling it alone, the residual ache still clung to him.

It was a heat that frightened him since his heat had never been as intense as this before, so he made a mental note to visit the hospital as soon as work was done.

He let out a groan as he stretched out his stiff limbs. "Argh...this is...messy and embarrassing."

The sheets were tangled around his legs, sticking to his damp skin. His mind was hazy, clouded by the memories of the past week—hours spent trying to alleviate the intense need with nothing but his own hands.

The pain had been excruciating, and even though it had finally passed, a strange restlessness lingered.

"Would it have been better if I spent this heat with an alpha? But I don’t think I can find an alpha that doesn’t take advantage of senseless omegas...I don’t want to be marked unwillingly."

Killian rubbed his face, trying to shake off the grogginess. He had to get back to work today. He couldn’t afford to take any more time off.

After dragging himself out of bed, he showered and dressed, trying to ignore the lingering discomfort in his body. He picked up the crumpled tissues, wet towels, and empty packs of suppressant herbs and threw them all in a garbage bag, then took it with him as he headed out.

With one last look at his one-room apartment, he scratched his head and commented, "I should clean properly after I get back."

As he walked to work, the events that led to his heat flooded his mind. He wondered if the female omega was back to work as well, or if his colleagues were now convinced that he is an omega.

He dropped by a café near the company and bought sandwiches and coffee, then he ate them on the way. Before he entered the building, he was already full and ready to work.

His face brightened when he saw Emily waiting by the elevator. Emily looked back after he tapped her shoulder.

She exclaimed in glee, "You’re back! How I missed you, Ian. The accounting department became so busy the past week you’re gone. The auditing season is still months away, but they’re rushing us to audit the company’s subsidiaries already! Argh...my back is in pain...and you? Is your back in pain as well? For a completely different reason? Hehe."

Ian slapped the woman on the arm. "I didn’t spend it with anyone. I’m just at home...I’m fine now."

Emily narrowed her eyes at him. "Why the sudden heat though?"

Before Killian could answer, the elevator opened and after letting the exiting people pass through, they both stepped in and Emily pressed their respective floors.

Few people followed so Killian had no time to answer his female friend. However, Emily spoke again. "Oh, right. The reason why departments are busy is because the owner visited. He’s going to use this building as his working site in the meantime, while the headquarters is under construction."

"The owner?" Killian asked. Isn’t the owner the mysterious and ambitious British man who—

"Yes! My gosh, Ian, have you seen him? Have you seen him? He looked so dreamy! And looks like a prince in a fairytale book. He was so tall and handsome and even looked polite and humble! Whoever his wife must have been save a planet in her past life! Not only is he rich, he got the looks and the right attitude too!" Emily gushed.

The female employee who was with them in the elevator looked back with similar excitement and chatted with Emily about the owner. "The other employee from the main headquarters is handsome too! I wonder if he’s taken already?"

Emily agreed, slapping the female employee on her arm excitedly.

Watching the two gushed over those men, Killian just shook his head in the corner.

If the owner has a good personality, then he must not be an alpha, but someone who runs a big corporation must be one, so Killian was doubtful about his personality. Maybe Emily and the girl were just seeing him with rose-tinted glasses.

As Killian settled into his desk at the Payroll Division, he felt a strange tension in the air.

His coworkers were murmuring to each other, their faces curious and excited. He tried to ignore it, focusing on the files in front of him, but the growing buzz in the room became impossible to tune out.

Just then, the door to the division swung open, and the manager of the department strode in. "Everyone, listen up," she called, commanding the attention of the entire room. "I’d like to introduce someone who will be overseeing the company’s operations for the next few months."

Killian glanced up from his desk, and his heart stopped in his chest.

It was him. The man he met in the elevator.

Nathaniel Horace stepped into the room, looking as commanding as ever. His tall frame was draped in a perfectly tailored suit, his green eyes scanning the room with a cold precision that sent a chill down Killian’s spine. His dark brownish hair, neatly combed, framed his sharp features.

For a split second, their eyes met.

Killian’s pulse quickened, his body reacting to the intensity of Nathaniel’s gaze. The man’s presence sent a jolt of heat through him, and he could feel the stirrings of something dangerous building inside him.

He quickly looked away, hoping no one had noticed his reaction.

Nathaniel, however, seemed unfazed. He stood beside the manager, his expression cool and composed as she continued the introduction.

"This is Steve Williams," the manager said. "He’s been appointed by the Horizon Corporation to oversee HZ Finance Solutions during a company audit. He will be working closely with us, including other departments, of course, so make sure to cooperate fully during his stay, and be nice."

Nathaniel’s eyes swept over the room again, but this time, they lingered a little longer on Killian.

Killian’s heart pounded in his chest. He tried to keep his breathing steady, but the sensation of Nathaniel’s gaze was like a heavy weight pressing down on him.

It was unbearable.

How could one man make him feel this way? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, fighting the urge to fidget under the scrutiny.

Nathaniel nodded to the room, offering a polite but distant smile. "I look forward to working with all of you," he said, his voice deep and authoritative. "If you need anything or have questions regarding the audit process, don’t hesitate to reach out."

With that, the manager dismissed the group, and the room slowly began to return to its usual rhythm. But Killian’s day was far from normal.

Throughout the morning, he found himself hyper-aware of the alpha’s presence.

The man’s office was just a few doors down from the Payroll Division, and every time Killian caught a glimpse of him walking past, his entire body tensed. It was as if an invisible thread connected them, pulling Killian toward him, in a terrifying, indescribable, intensity.