Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 229 - 15: Killian’s accident

Chapter 229: Chapter 15: Killian’s accident

Nathaniel was never the same after that call. Killian had no idea why, but he could feel the alpha was avoiding him. Why? After that kiss they shared, and that sweet moment in his office. He was saddened and confused. A bit angry too.

Is the director just messing with his feelings? It weighed on his mind, that he kept committing minor mistakes on work, but surprisingly, the deputy director did not call for him, not even once.

"Killian! Let’s go have lunch together!"

On the brighter side, Emily went back to normal. Killian sighed and waved at his friend waiting outside the Payroll Division’s office. He organized his table first before leaving.

"I heard there is a new menu in the cafeteria. Let’s go quickly," Emily tugged on his sleeves and dragged him to the elevator.

On their way out, they bumped into the chairman and the deputy director. Killian bowed at them and quickly moved away. He was still upset, so he ignored his boss. However, Emily spoke to them.

"Hello, chairman, are you going out for lunch too?" Emily asked politely.

Steve, the real one, nodded. "Yes. Are you going as well?"

"Yes, sir. We heard there’s a new menu in the company’s cafeteria, so we’ll try it out. Would you like to join us, sir?"

Steve furtively glanced at the real chairman, but Nathaniel was staring at Killian without a care in the world. Steve sighed. His master had been acting strangely after meeting the payroll employee, but he also noticed how that change was positive.

Nathaniel’s expression became more relaxed but looked...excited, now he’s back to that stoic and always business-minded person.

The four of them quickly found a vacant table in the cafeteria. After they ordered and sat, Steve and Emily quickly found common ground in their conversation. Emily, always full of energy, started talking about the new menu options with enthusiasm.

"So, chairman, have you tried the cafeteria’s dishes? I mean, all of them?" Emily asked, grinning.

Steve smiled, shaking his head. "Not yet. I usually have lunch outside and rarely eat here, but today’s a nice change of pace. Anything you recommend?"

"Well," Emily began, scanning the menu plastered on the wall in the queuing area, "the grilled chicken looks promising. I’ve heard good things about the pasta too."

Killian who sitting beside Emily, remained mostly quiet, his eyes darting occasionally toward Nathaniel, since he was sitting right across him. His thoughts were swirling, wondering why Nathaniel had been acting so distant lately. Meanwhile, Nathaniel was focused on his plate, barely acknowledging anyone at the table.

"Have you tried it too, Killian?" Emily asked, her tone light, but she was clearly trying to draw him into the conversation.

Killian glanced up. "Yeah, it’s good," he replied quietly, offering a faint smile before returning to his meal.

Emily sighed inwardly, sensing the tension but not wanting to push too hard. She turned her attention to Nathaniel, hoping to break the awkward silence between him and Killian. "And you, Director? What’s your favorite meal here?"

Nathaniel barely looked up, his voice flat as he answered, "The food’s fine."

Emily raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the short response but not willing to give up just yet. "Well, at least we’re getting a bit of variety today. Keeps things interesting, right?"

Nathaniel nodded curtly, his eyes betraying none of the frustration simmering inside him.

Throughout the rest of the meal, the conversation mostly consisted of Steve and Emily chatting about various topics—work, new projects, and even some office gossip—while Killian and Nathaniel stayed silent, occasionally exchanging glances that held far more weight than words ever could.

By the time lunch ended, the tension between Nathaniel and Killian grew more noticeable. As they all stood up to leave, a young alpha from another department approached Killian.

"Uhm... Excuse me, Sir Killian," the alpha said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck, "do you have a moment to talk?"

Emily exchanged a curious glance with Killian, while Nathaniel’s entire demeanor shifted, his gaze darkening at the sight of the young alpha nervously addressing Killian.

Killian, not noticing Nathaniel’s reaction, nodded and excused himself. "Sure, excuse me, sirs, Emi."

Emily just waved, already having an idea of what the two would talk about. She sighed and mumbled, "Killian has so many admirers..."

Nathaniel stood frozen, watching Killian follow the alpha. His fists clenched at his sides hearing what Emily said, but he did nothing.

Emily noticed Nathaniel’s stiffness and raised an eyebrow. "Is everything alright, sir?" she asked casually, pretending not to see the obvious.

"Yes," Nathaniel muttered before abruptly heading back to his office, his mind already spiraling into restless thoughts.

Back in his office, Nathaniel barely listened as Steve went over the day’s reports. His mind was elsewhere—on Killian and that alpha. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t concentrate. The idea of someone else being close to Killian made his chest tighten with jealousy, and he couldn’t shake it off.

Finally, Steve paused mid-sentence, giving his boss a pointed look. "Sir, are you even listening?"

Nathaniel snapped back to attention, his expression hard. "Just get to the point, Steve."

Steve sighed. "Did the madame... call?"

Nathaniel ignored his assistant. He whirled the chair around and gazed at the sky beyond the glass windows.

"The kids are missing you; can’t you at least call and check on them? Or are you really that busy?" Geraldine’s voice echoed in her head.

He knew Geraldine was unaware of his wrongdoings, yet he felt like her tone was accusing him already. It was because of the guilt. He wanted to erase Killian Arden in his head so badly after that call, but somehow, the more he did, the more he desired him.

It was wrong, yet every time he’d see him, he couldn’t help but stare. Killian Arden was drawing him in, pulling him in like a magnet, and until now, he didn’t know why.

"Chairman?"

Steve’s voice snapped him back into reality. Nathaniel turned around and changed the topic. "Any new developments regarding the investigation?" He asked, his tone was serious now. He will just bury himself in work, so he won’t have time to think about his employees.

Steve nodded, flipping through some documents he carried. "We’ve been able to trace the financial anomalies back to several suspicious accounts. It seems that someone high up in the company has been working with external parties—specifically with a certain conglomerate."

"Which one?"

"DV Group, sir."

Nathaniel’s brows furrowed. DV Group was a powerful and well-known entity, and its involvement would complicate things significantly. "Do we have proof linking them directly to the embezzlement?"

"We have leads," Steve said carefully. "But nothing concrete yet. However, the patterns are too strong to ignore. Transactions, offshore accounts—it all points back to them. But it was a big company that we have to consider someone must have been trying to sabotage it by using us."

Nathaniel crossed his arms, leaning against the edge of the desk. "If DV Group is involved, this could be more than just internal corruption. It could affect our entire operation. We’ll need to tread carefully."

Steve nodded in agreement, his eyes narrowing. "Yes, Chairman. We’ll have to ensure that whatever evidence we gather is airtight before moving forward. DV Group has deep connections, and any misstep could expose us to risks."

Nathaniel’s mind was already working through the possibilities. His father instilled in him a sharp sense of business, and this situation was no different. DV Group’s involvement added a layer of danger, and it would require careful maneuvering.

"Rage Del Valle...he’s younger than me, right?" Nathaniel couldn’t help but ask.

"Yes, sir. You’re ten years older than him," Steve replied.

"What a capable man. To be the chairman of that big conglomerate at that age."

They discussed further about what to do. After the possibility that there was involvement of DV Group in their internal conflicts, Nathaniel was even more determined to focus on the purpose of his visit to that country and forced himself to forget about Killian Arden.

However, fate wasn’t on his side.

He found himself running to the hospital after he heard that Killian got into a fight and was sent there. When he arrived at the emergency ward, he saw him covered in bruises with his arm in a sling.

"What happened?!" Nathaniel’s voice thundered in the room.

Killian was surprised to see him, but at the corner of his heart, he was glad. Although, he still remembers how the alpha ignored him all day.

Ingrid, the one who came with Killian, explained in a shaky voice. The furious pheromones of the director were threatening. "H—He fought with my ex-boyfriend, sir. That bastard pushed him off the stairs—

"Miss Ingrid, it’s an accident. We were fighting when I slipped on the last step, he even tried to grab my arm but only got my shirt, and it ripped so, I fell. But the impact was broken so, the result wasn’t severe," Killian explained.

"Why are you defending that man?" Nathaniel’s voice echoed again.

Killian stared straight at him. "It was a misunderstanding, sir. Pushing someone off the stairs can be considered a crime, but as I said, it wasn’t intentional. He claimed that Miss Ingrid broke up with him because of me, so he confronted me but his words turned insulting so I... I threw the first punch, actually."

"Is that true?" Nathaniel turned to Ingrid.

Ingrid paused for a moment, but she soon paled and shook her head. However, the truth didn’t escape Nathaniel’s eyes. Because he had been watching Killian, he was also aware of who was watching him.

Frustrated, he commanded Ingrid, "Go back for now. I’ll stay here with him."

Ingrid nodded and left, leaving the two in an awkward silence.