Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 266 - 24: Kayla’s offer

Chapter 266: Chapter 24: Kayla’s offer

Once Athan explained the situation to Shawn, he quickly agreed to come along. Their destination was the MSA headquarters, a renowned name in global security that stands as an imposing high-rise in the heart of the financial district.

Its exterior, an expanse of mirrored glass and steel, gleams under the sun, reflecting the cityscape. Shawn was in awe as he entered that place, following Athan from behind. The air is filled with quiet intensity as elite agents, dressed in tailored suits, move with purpose.

He gulped, excitement was building up inside him, despite the critical situation. They were escorted by a male employee to the president’s floor, which made Shawn wonder if it was someone Athan was acquainted with.

He knew an alpha whose last name was Montgomery, but he was uncertain if that person was related to the company. That uncertainty was confirmed after they entered the room. Shawn immediately met those blue eyes. He was stunned, but he immediately averted his gaze away.

His heart pounded. Fear crept inside. What if Athan learned of their past? What if Kayden tells him? What would Shawn do? He was panicking in surprise, surprisingly, Kayden acted strangely, looking away and not greeting him either.

"Please, have a seat. I’m Kayla Montgomery, by the way. I’m the president of this company." A tall female alpha introduced herself to them. She had the same features as Kayden, so Shawn concluded they were siblings.

"Athan Horace. And this is Shawn Williams." Athan shook Kayla’s hand, while Shawn slightly bowed at her who returned his gesture with a small smile. Athan immediately cut to the point. He bickered with another alpha first, before discussing their plans seriously.

The air in the room became tense after the alpha, whom Shawn recognized as Knoa’s father, went crazy. Until the discussion was soon put into action.

"Will it work?" Kayden anxiously inquired.

Shawn nodded without glancing up at him. "I’ve used it before." At the corner of his eye, he could see Athan silently watching them. Why though? Why did Shawn feel like Athan already knew something?

"That’s great. This app... did you create it?" Kayla asked, pulling Shawn’s thoughts back to him. She looked at the omega with amazement and interest. When Shawn nodded, a smile formed on her face and she excitedly blurted out. "What do you think about working for me?"

Shawn was stunned. "Eh?"

Kayla winked at him. "Well, you—

"This is not the right time for that, sister!" Kayden cut her off.

Shawn’s gaze moved at him inadvertently, and their eyes met. Though he quickly looked away, the air between them turned more intense.

Unaware of this, Kayla rolled her eyes at his brother. She went to Shawn and guided him outside the room. "Fine. Mr. Williams, come with me. You’ll have to discuss this with my employees, so they won’t kick you out once the operation begins."

Shawn glanced at Athan and received an encouraging nod in return. He went with Kayla to the company’s operation center.

The room is a dimly lit, expansive space, designed to enhance focus and reduce glare from the numerous large screens covering the walls. Each screen displays various live feeds, data streams, maps with real-time GPS tracking, and surveillance footage, creating an environment where time-sensitive information is always visible.

"What do you think? Do you feel like working for me now?" Kayla asked him again.

Shawn caught his breath. He was in utter awe. This kind of place was what he had been dreaming of. He believed that in this kind of setting, he would shine and work contentedly.

Kayla smirked, seeing the interest in the omega’s eyes. "I’m serious with my offer. Well, you still have to undergo screening, interview, and demo."

Shawn couldn’t believe it. He mentioned that he didn’t have a related degree in that field. Kayla looked shocked, but she said that as long as he passed the demonstration, then there was nothing to worry about.

He was tempted. But he set aside the offer and focused on the task at hand.

The employees inside did not even look at them. Each of them was busy on their individual workstations, which were separated for privacy and focus, and equipped with multiple high-resolution monitors, advanced communication equipment, and headsets for secure, direct contact with field agents.

The operators work quietly yet with intense concentration, seamlessly collaborating across teams with rapid, coded communications. Shawn knew that the agency had many high-profile clients, inside and outside the country. And seeing how their security works behind the scenes, something awakened inside him.

"Mr. Williams, right here."

Shawn followed Kayla. She stopped in front of an individual workstation much larger than others, where a middle-aged woman wearing thick glasses stood and greeted them.

"This is Faye. The tracking and intelligence operator. She’s in charge of running the team that tracks personnel, clients, or high-value assets in real-time through GPS and other monitoring technologies. You’ll be working with her team."

Faye looked at Kayla, bewildered. Kayla briefly explained the situation. Once Faye understood, she grabbed Shawn’s hands and asked in excitement. "Did you really develop something like that? That’s amazing! And to think you look so young!"

"T-Thank you..." Shawn shyly replied. He was overwhelmed by the next events. He was introduced to Faye’s team and he had to explain his plan. When all was done, he was given access to one individual station to work on his own, while Faye’s team was monitoring the data open for vulnerability.

Once the device was running, Shawn quickly got access to Chairman Del Valle’s phone. He immediately downloaded everything—from call logs, messages, location, and activities—that might help them find Knox.

"It’s done," Shawn declared. He quickly closed the system and all traces of his activities were automatically deleted. "We found him."

"Took you twelve minutes. I’m amazed. Consider my offer, Mr. Williams," Kayla commented, looking at Shawn with admiration.

After that, Athan and Kayden returned, and both looked problematic. They explained what Azrael’s father wanted and the Montgomerys screamed in disbelief. Amidst all this, Kayden stole a glance at Shawn, his eyes flashed with regret and resignation.

Kayden sighed and asked Shawn, "How much time do you need to get the exact location?"

Shawn looked up, unaware of Kayden’s inner turmoil. "A few hours."

"I’ll aide Azrael in the meantime. You better find Knox quick or else I... haa... Never mind. I’m going." Kayden left thinking what was the point of telling Shawn that he was about to marry someone? Shawn rejected him. He was the only one who kept hoping.

Meanwhile, Shawn was left confused by Kayden’s actions. He looked dejected and resigned. It was only after he was gone, that they understood what he meant. Shawn was shocked. He felt pity for the doctor, so he was more determined to quickly find Knox.

"Let’s go, Athan. It might be faster to check the street cameras in the vicinity of these possible locations..." he suggested.

Thankfully, Athan agreed. Though he couldn’t keep himself from watching Shawn closely. When they heard Kayden’s fate, his eyes automatically directed to the omega. He couldn’t read anything, yet his suspicion was growing.

They found Knox and rescued him. Everything happened so fast. Athan got mad and took Knox away, and ever since then, he rarely went back to their unit because he was taking care of the consequences.

Shawn felt lonely, but he wasn’t family, so he could only pray for Knox’s recovery. He knew Athan was too busy, so he didn’t bother him. Instead, he went back to his usual routine. Until he received a message from Kayla, asking if he wanted a tour of the MSA.

With nothing to do, he agreed, expecting that his day would be filled with excitement. However, he wasn’t prepared to see Kayden waiting for him by the lobby, ready to be his tour guide.