Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 236 - 22: I know who you are now!

Chapter 236: Chapter 22: I know who you are now!

I know who you are now!

What did he mean by that?! Killian screamed inside. Is the alpha implying that he will never let go of him? If it was before, Killian would have jumped for joy hearing that, but now, his skin just crawled.

"I’ve already arranged everything with your landlord. Your apartment’s been put on lease again. You terminated your contract," Nathaniel said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Killian’s blood ran cold. He did what? Then, where will he go back now?

Anger flared inside him, but he swallowed it down. The truth was a heavy weight on his tongue, but now that he knew who Nathaniel really was, everything felt different.

How am I supposed to argue with my boss, the chairman? He couldn’t let his emotions slip—not when he still felt raw from the truth. Not when the man he was furious with could crush him with a single command.

"I... I didn’t know that." Killian barely managed to keep his voice steady, fighting to keep his anger at bay. "It’s fine. I’ll figure something out."

Nathaniel, ever perceptive, didn’t miss the subtle shift in his demeanor. He stepped closer, his gaze intense, searching Killian’s face. "I’ve prepared a place for you to stay temporarily. I didn’t want you to be inconvenienced while you looked for a new apartment." He smiled, a gesture meant to reassure, but it only made Killian’s stomach churn. "I can help you find a new place too."

"I can manage," Killian cut in, a bit too quickly. His chest tightened. He didn’t want to depend on Nathaniel for anything—not anymore. He wanted to run away from him as soon as possible, hide those ugly feelings he kept at bay.

But why? Why should he be the one feeling shit like that? He should lash out on him! Punch his face for making him feel so...

Nathaniel’s eyes darkened slightly, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t push. "Alright," he said, his voice calm but weighted. "If that’s what you want."

Killian nodded, forcing another smile, even as his heart screamed to break free from the suffocating silence between them. He couldn’t bear to be near Nathaniel any longer. Not when every second felt like another betrayal, another reminder that he had been lied to.

As soon as he left that place and was escorted to the temporary apartment Nathaniel arranged for him, Killian swore to kill those feelings.

"What fated mate? You’re the one who dug your own grave, Killian. You believed something like that, and now look at you... you almost ruined a home... Damn you, Nathaniel Horace!" He didn’t even stay more than a day in that borrowed apartment and went on crashing to Emily’s house.

"Oh, my goodness, Ian! Why do you look like that?" Emily was in shock as soon as she saw her best friend.

Killian said nothing and just went on for a hug. He was selfish for relying on someone he hurt, yet there he was, shamelessly crying on her shoulders, while unhesitatingly sharing bit by bit of what had transpired.

"Ian..." Emily just hugged Killian tighter, rubbing his back and offering her comfort. She had never seen him bawl his eyes like that, so even she was hurting.

The rest of the week, Killian did not go to work. On the weekend, he avoided checking his phone, until another Monday arrived.

I can’t rely on Emily forever like this. I don’t have much in my savings but if I lose this job, I really will be a burden to her... With that thought, Killian pulled himself up. The manager won’t excuse my tardiness just because I’ve got heartbroken...

Even in the office, Killian avoided Nathaniel as much as possible. At work, he buried himself in tasks, keeping his head down, and refusing to answer calls or messages. He made excuses, dodged interactions, and kept his distance, the pit of confusion in his chest growing wider with every passing day.

He still loved Nathaniel—God, he loved him—but how could he reconcile those feelings with the man who had lied to him, who had manipulated him without so much as a word of truth?

It wasn’t just the lie—it was what it represented.

Nathaniel was married. Killian had spent the night with a married man, unknowingly stepping into a world that wasn’t his to claim. He felt morally torn, and disgusted at himself for still wanting someone who had a wife and children.

What does that make me?

But despite everything, Killian couldn’t let go. His heart clung to the memories of Nathaniel’s tenderness, his gentle touches, his quiet words. He wanted to hate him, wanted to erase him from his mind, but no matter how hard he tried, Nathaniel’s presence haunted him.

The tension finally broke a week later. And what he dreaded the most, had come crawling into him, pulling his collar and forcing him to confront the matter.

Nathaniel cornered him after work, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and confusion. He grabbed Killian and dragged him to the emergency exit.

Killian gave up. He just went and let the alpha take him. However, the place only reminded him of the time they met.

"Why are you avoiding me, Killian Arden?" Nathaniel demanded, his voice sharp, though his expression was laced with frustration. "What happened? Did I do something wrong? Is this about the night we spent together?"

Killian’s heart pounded, panic rising in his throat. "I... I’m not avoiding you." He lied, but it was weak. He knew it, and so did Nathaniel.

"Don’t lie to me." Nathaniel’s voice turned cold. "Is it the sex? Was it not good enough for you? Is that why you’ve been pretending I don’t exist? Did I hurt you? Was I too rough? I’m going crazy, dammit! I thought that you must have hated it, that maybe you thought I forced you or taken advantage of your state, so I didn’t reach out even though it was obvious you were avoiding me! But a week, Killian! You’ve been doing it for a week! You could have at least replied to my messages, but you don’t even look at me now!"

Killian remained silent. He looked exhausted, and Nathaniel was getting crazier by the day. He finally gave up everything on his part, yet Killian was pushing him away now. All those nights he was troubled and battered from justifying his actions, were all of those just in vain?

Nathaniel got mad at the deafening silence. He grabbed Killian’s shoulders and shook them, yet the omega did not even look at him.

"Killian Arden! Why don’t you look at me! Tell me what’s wrong!" He yelled, extremely frustrated. "Did you find someone good in bed?! Am I that bad?!"

Killian’s emotions snapped. His control, carefully maintained for days, shattered under the weight of Nathaniel’s accusations. He took a step back, his hands trembling as he pushed the alpha away.

He then shouted back, "I know now! I know who you are now!"

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and unyielding.

Nathaniel blinked, his expression shifting from anger to shock. "You know what?"

"I know who you are," Killian repeated, his voice trembling. "I know you’re not Steve Williams. I know you’re the chairman. Nathaniel Horace." His breath hitched as he finally said the words aloud, the truth unraveling between them.

Nathaniel’s face drained of color and his anger vanished, replaced with fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

The room fell into a suffocating silence, and for the first time, Killian felt truly lost. Now that he let these emotions, the tears he had been keeping from this very man who shattered him, fell like a broken dam.