Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 268 - 26: Congratulatory flowers

Chapter 268: Chapter 26: Congratulatory flowers

The next day, Shawn was up early, feeling excited and a bit nervous about his new routine—not going to the café or waiting for Knoa—but going to work in a big company like MSA.

He hid it from his parents, but he tried to tell Athan. However, whenever they got to talk over the phone, it was brief and mostly about his apology for not returning home for the past few days.

After Shawn had decided, Kayla had arranged an interview and a demonstration for him already. He passed, so now he was on his way to his first day of work.

But he did not expect the earnest welcome of the president herself to him. Shawn could feel the eyes on him as Kayla introduced him to Faye’s team—the Tracking and Intelligence Team.

Whispers passed through the room, subtle but unmistakable, as she outlined his new responsibilities and emphasized his qualifications. Though Kayla was clearly confident in her decision, Shawn could sense the skepticism simmering beneath the polite nods and smiles.

He was a bit anxious and conscious of their stares since it was his first time working in a professional setting.

Team Leader Faye, however, had no reservations.

She gave him a welcoming grin as he was seated at a desk near hers, diving right into the details of the current project. Her genuine warmth helped settle Shawn’s nerves, and he focused on her instructions, determined to learn and contribute his best.

Yet, he couldn’t ignore the glances and murmurs he caught from other team members whenever they thought he wasn’t looking.

"Alright, Faye will take care of you from here, Shawn. Make sure to do your absolute best!" Kayla winked at him, waving as she went back to her office.

Shawn looked at Faye, a female beta, and bowed slightly. "Please take care of me."

Faye smiled warmly; her eyes sparkled with excitement. She was excited to work with someone who had inherent skills, and she couldn’t help but favor the male omega.

Shawn went to do his morning task without a hitch. His nerves calmed down, and he thought that the day would continue like that.

However, during lunch, a couple of his teammates were whispering a little too loudly just a few desks over.

"Guess it pays to know the right people," one muttered with a shrug. "No degree or experience, but look where he is."

"Well, at least Faye’s got a new favorite," another one said, smirking. "Let’s see if he can keep up with the rest of us."

The remarks stung, but Shawn took a deep breath, letting the words pass by. He was aware that, on paper, he looked out of place here. But he was also here to prove himself—to himself and to everyone else.

His mood was down as he finished his meal alone. Then, his phone rang. Is it Athan? I should really tell him—oh... He stared at the phone for a few seconds, before answering it after receiving silent glares from the people surrounding him.

"H-Hello..." he awkwardly answered. It was the first time Kayden called him.

"I heard from Kayla that you accepted her offer. Are you working in the company now?" A calm, yet full and baritone voice reached Shawn’s ear.

Shawn inhaled deeply. "Yes... today is my first day..."

"Oh~, then where are you right now? What are you doing?" Kayden sounded excited. Shawn heard some noises from the background.

He replied, "I just finished eating lunch. I’m on my way to my station now."

"Do you have a minute to spare?"

Shawn halted. He was out of the cafeteria now, on the ground floor. He hesitated to answer since the operation center was on the 20th floor, and he didn’t want to be late coming in the afternoon since the team’s first impression of him was bad already.

"It won’t take long, just a few minutes," Kayden repeated. His voice sounded strained and heavy. Shawn got curious and he couldn’t help but think if something was going on. He agreed to meet him at the basement parking.

When he got there, Kayden was already out, leaning on a car parked right in front of the entrance door, still on his white coat. He held a bouquet of flowers. Shawn froze in his tracks. Kayden looked up as he noticed Shawn’s presence, and his smile widened. He jogged to Shawn quickly and gave the flowers to him.

"Congratulations on your first day of work, Mr. Williams," Kayden said. Shawn took the bouquet from him, a bit dazed. Kayden rubbed his neck as he dropped his gaze. "I just heard from Kayla when I was on my way to grab lunch. I immediately thought of sending you flowers to cheer you, but I ended up coming myself... to get at least a glimpse of you."

Shawn lowered his gaze. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "...but we just saw each other the other day..."

"Right. But I miss you already," Kayden replied without hesitation.

Shawn gasped. His eyes shook at that feeling of his heart skipping a beat. Now, he couldn’t hide his cheeks blushing anymore. He raised the bouquet and pretended like he was smelling them, but that action only made Kayden happier.

"Do you like them?"

"...I do."

"I’m glad. Anyway, I have to go back now. I’d like to treat you to a good meal for landing the job, but I’ve got a scheduled appointment tonight. Are you free tomorrow?" Kayden asked, leaning a bit, and gazing at Shawn expectantly.

"Huh? Ah...uhm... I am...?" he answered uncertainly.

Kayden chuckled. He winked at Shawn and waved as he got in the car. "Then, let’s get dinner tomorrow. Bye!"

Shawn watched the car disappear before whirling away and going back to work. He received glances when he entered with a huge bouquet at hand, but he just ignored them.

Later that day, Faye gathered the team for a task that would give Shawn the chance to demonstrate his skills.

She assigned him a crucial role in managing a real-time operations report, something that required quick thinking, organization, and an understanding of their systems—skills Shawn had honed even if he hadn’t come up the traditional route.

As he worked, he felt the weight of their gazes, some watching him intently, waiting for him to slip up. But Shawn stayed focused, running through his checklist, ensuring he didn’t miss a single detail. Hours flew by, and with Faye’s encouragement, he finally submitted the report. When the data was reviewed, it was flawless.

Faye smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Great work, Shawn. You’re a quick learner! Normally, getting these perfect results would at least require a newbie a few days of work, but you did it in a single sitting. As I thought, you’re really a genius!"

"Thank you, team leader," Shawn proudly replied.

One or two team members gave polite nods, but others just looked away, unwilling to acknowledge his success. Shawn noticed, but he didn’t let it deter him.

The next day, he did the same routine, only when dinner came, instead of coming home and ordering food for himself, he had dinner with Kayden.

"How’s work at the company?" Kayden asked him a few questions about his new working environment, and Shawn answered him truthfully.

He couldn’t understand himself, but with him, he felt like he could be honest. Maybe because they shared similarities growing up, so he felt like opening up.

Kayden’s expression went grim after listening to him. "They’re all jealous of your talent. Faye appreciated you and saw what you really could do, so she gave you the task that someone couldn’t handle. What’s wrong with that?"

Shawn sighed. "The thing is, that task was already half-done by someone."

"Did Faye approve of it?" Kayden asked as he sliced his food.

Shawn shook his head. In fact, there were plenty of errors, and Faye pointed out, but the guy insisted on doing it again. It was time-consuming, and the most efficient way was to give it to someone.

"Faye did the right thing. If he lets that guy continue to work on that task but keeps repeating the same error, then time will only be wasted and might lead to another error. Don’t think too much of it," Kayden looked at him worriedly. He changed the topic and the mood between them became lighter. Soon enough, Shawn was having fun talking with him.

The night ended with a smile on their faces.

Over the next few days, Shawn quietly but consistently proved himself, working late and asking questions whenever he hit a roadblock. His hard work began to shift some of the team’s perception, though there were still a few who doubted him.

Every time he encountered skepticism, he reminded himself why he took this opportunity in the first place: not just to show others what he was capable of but to learn and grow.

One afternoon, during a particularly tense moment in a project, Shawn noticed a critical error in the code while reviewing a colleague’s section. He flagged it immediately, saving them from what could have been a costly mistake.

For the first time, he saw a few of his teammates exchange surprised looks, acknowledging his contribution with a nod of respect.

However, what he thought progressing in a good way ended up being destroyed by someone’s envy and resentment. He received a call from his uncle, asking him to go visit the Horace Mansion as quickly as possible.

A case was filed against him, with supported evidence.