Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 241 - 27: A living memory of you

Chapter 241: Chapter 27: A living memory of you

Three weeks had passed, and the news finally broke. The atmosphere at HZ Finance Solutions was charged with tension. The company bussed with rumors, speculations, and whispered conversations behind closed doors.

Embezzlement.

It was a word that sent ripples through every department, and now the entire company stood at the edge of a corporate reckoning. Whispers about who could be responsible filled the air.

Employees walked on eggshells, unsure if they would be next on the chopping block. The arrival of representatives from Horizon Corporation, the parent company of HZFS, only confirmed the gravity of the situation.

People were being let go. Not just those directly involved in the crime, but also those suspected of turning a blind eye. One by one, Killian watched as colleagues packed up their desks, escorted out by stern-faced HR officers. Yet, despite the upheaval, Killian remained safe.

His position and his work, none of it had been touched by the storm, and that should have given him some sense of relief.

But it didn’t.

As the day dragged on Killian found himself feeling worse, not better. He tried to ignore it at first—the fatigue, the headaches that wouldn’t go away, and the unsettling cramps in his stomach. Maybe it was stress, he reasoned.

The entire company was in chaos after all. However, Emily noticed quite differently. She approached Killian with a careful look.

"You don’t look well, Killian," she remarked one afternoon, her brows furrowed in concern. "You’ve been dragging your feet for days now."

Killian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I’m fine, Emi. Just tired."

"Yeah? I don’t think so," Emily said, crossing her arms. "You’ve been off ever since this whole investigation started—ah no, ever since you came back after Charles was fired. Why don’t we swing by the hospital? Just to check if everything’s okay."

Killian was about to refuse, to brush her off with the same excuse he had been telling himself for days—work was stressful, he was tired, he just needed rest—but before he could, another sharp pain twisted in his stomach, and he winced.

Emily’s eyes widened with concern as she quickly supported Killian. "That’s it. You’re going. No arguments."

Within an hour, Killian found himself sitting in a cold, sterile waiting room, filling out forms as Emily paced nearby. The pain was dull but persistent, like a nagging reminder that something was really wrong in his body.

He hadn’t wanted to come, but now, sitting in the hospital, he was starting to feel the creeping anxiety of what might be wrong.

The doctor finally called him in. After a brief examination and a series of questions about his symptoms, Killian was left with a wave of confusion when the doctor handed him a pregnancy test.

"A...pregnancy test...?" Killian echoed, blinking in disbelief. He could feel Emily’s startled gaze boring into him from across the room.

The doctor smiled kindly, clearly used to this reaction. "With the symptoms you’re describing—stomach cramps, fatigue, headaches—it’s a standard test we run, just to rule out the possibility."

Killian wanted to laugh, to tell the doctor that it wasn’t necessary, but something in the back of his mind whispered for him to go through with it. Just to be sure.

The test felt like a strange dream. He took it into the small, clinical bathroom and handed it back, his hands shaking ever so slightly.

Minutes felt like hours as he waited for the results. The seconds ticked by, each one dragging longer than the last. He sat on the edge of his seat, nervously tapping his foot. Emily, unusually so quiet, sat beside him, her face was laced with curiosity and concern.

When the doctor finally returned, she held the test in her hand. Killian’s heart pounded loudly in his chest, and he tried to steady his breathing, but nothing could have prepared him for the moment she turned the test toward him.

Two lines.

Positive.

Killian’s world tilted, and for a moment, he thought that he might actually faint. The room seemed to narrow into him, and all the air was sucked out. He stared at the test in disbelief, his brain trying to comprehend what his eyes were seeing.

He’s...pregnant. How?

"Killian?" Emily’s voice was a soft whisper as if she were afraid of breaking the fragile moment. "Killian, are you okay?"

He wasn’t. He really wasn’t. His mind raced, scrambling to make sense of what was happening. A million questions flew through his head, but none of them could settle long enough for him to grasp.

"This... this can’t be right," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I...I can’t... I’m recessive..."

But there it was. The proof, clear as day, staring back at him. Tow undeniable lines. Maybe it was just a false alarm? Maybe it will change if he takes one again. He wanted to try again. He could not accept that his illicit affair, no matter how unintentional, bore a fruit.

He was conflicted, about the situation, toward the growing life inside him.

The doctor sighed. She spoke gently, trying to explain, "Recessive omegas still have functional reproductive organs. Although getting pregnant might be difficult, it isn’t impossible. I know this is a lot to take in. We can do more tests, if you’d like, to confirm, but with your symptoms and the result here, it seems like you are really pregnant."

Pregnant. The word echoed in Killian’s head over and over. He could feel Emily’s hand on his arm, steadying him, but all he could focus on was that word.

The doctor continued, explaining the next steps, but Killian barely heard her. His thoughts were a tangled mess, and the more he tried to unravel them, the tighter the knot became. He had never imagined this, never even considered it as a possibility.

How could this have happened? How could he be pregnant?

And then, as the reality began to sink in, a new wave of panic hit him.

Nathaniel.

His heart clenched painfully at the thought of him. How could he possibly explain this? What would he say? Their affair, already strained by guilt and secrecy, had now taken an unimaginable turn. The thought of telling Nathaniel about this—about them—made his stomach churn all over again.

Killian stood up abruptly, his legs shaky. "I need... I need to get out of here."

Emily looked at him, her eyes wide with concern. "Killian, wait. You need to—"

"I need air," he said quickly, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

The walls of the hospital felt like they were closing in on him, suffocating him, and he couldn’t breathe. He pushed past the people in the waiting room, ignoring their curious glances as he stumbled outside into the cold evening air.

Snow was falling lightly, dusting the streets with a soft, white glow. Christmas decorations twinkled from the lampposts, still present even after the holiday had passed, adding a festive touch to the quiet city.

But Killian barely noticed. He leaned against the brick wall of the hospital, clutching his stomach as if trying to hold himself together.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was unplanned.

He closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. He thought about Nathaniel—about the way their relationship had unfolded, the way it had ended so painfully just weeks ago.

Nathaniel had wrapped his scarf around him and whispered words of regret, but in the end, they both knew it was over.

But now, with this new revelation, everything has changed. And Killian wasn’t sure he could handle it. For a moment, he considered getting rid of it.

Emily came out a few moments later, her breath visible in the cold air as she approached him cautiously.

"Killian," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him. "It’s going to be fine."

No, it will never be. You won’t say that if you learn who the father is, Emi. Killian thought. He let Emily hug him, and they stayed like that for a while longer, erasing the negative thoughts in his head.

He cried in Emily’s embrace.

The following day, both he and Emily were absent from work. They were tangled on the bed, eyes swollen and voices hoarse from crying too much. They spent the night talking about many things; Killian finally spilled the beans about him and his baby, while Emily admitted that she still hadn’t moved on from Killian.

The night was a disaster, but that morning, despite their groggy appearance and puffy eyes, as soon as those two pairs met, they burst out laughing.

Emily was the best thing that ever happened to Killian, and no matter how selfish it might sound, he wanted to stay with her, like this.

"Emi, are you really... okay with it?" Killian asked again.

Emily flipped her head down and tied her unruly hair into a bun. "Of course! I’ve decided it for myself. After going out there, searching for someone I could fall in love with again, I realized that I was just looking for someone who could accept my craziness, insecurities, scars, and everything. I’m too afraid to let people in, so I ended up unconsciously looking for someone like you. But you’re one of a kind, Killian. I could never replace you."

"But... I’m pregnant..."

"So, what?! It’s a blessing! I’m very happy that you’re considering my offer. Who cares if you’re the mother here? I can support you!" Emily grinned. "You will be the prettiest pregnant momma out there, I bet."

Killian ended up smiling. He shook his head and tried to get up from the bed. "Silly."

But Emily pushed him down again. "Go back to sleep. I’ll whip something to eat for breakfast, so stay there. Let’s have a meal on the bed."

"I’m pregnant... not invalid."

Emily winked at him. "Let me do this. I’m going to be a father, so I’m going to spoil you lots. Stay there and don’t come out!"

Killian nodded resignedly. He watched Emily’s retreating figure, and he felt so grateful to have her.

In the following days, as the two of them planned, Emily and Killian resigned from their jobs. With one last look, Killian turned to glance at the mid-rise building before he stepped into the next Chapter of his life.

A life with only him, his baby, and Emily.