Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 30: Engagement Party [2]

Chapter 30: Engagement Party [2]

"Is he crying? Make sure to have him eat dinner before he sleeps, okay? I don’t really know when the party will be over, but I’ll try to come home as soon as possible. Please, don’t leave him alone in bed. He always wakes up in the middle of the night and cries if he sees no one beside him," Knox worriedly spoke over the phone. "I’m really, really sorry about this, Franz, and thank you so much."

He ended the call after a few exchanges and looked ahead. Athan was driving silently beside him, sporting a troubled expression on his face.

"I’m sorry about this, Knox," he mumbled without glancing at Knox.

Knox shrugged his shoulders and lightened the mood, "It’s fine. As your secretary, I should grab this opportunity to support you even in your quest to expand your connection outside office hours."

Athan laughed lightly, "What quest? Are we on a game?"

Knox answered enthusiastically, "Sounds like the case! A quest to find investors!"

However, upon hearing the word ’find’, Athan’s mood became sour again. He averted his eyes and focused on driving to hide the change in his mood from Knox. He just smiled and listened.

They arrived at the venue half an hour later. It was nearly seven at night already, and the Palace Hotel’s allotted parking spaces outside the multi-story parking building were jampacked with media vans and reporters crowding the entrance.

Knox furrowed his brows in wonder. He turned to Athan and asked, "Why are there so many reporters? Is this because of the engagement? Is it an engagement of the century?"

"It’s because the one to be engaged used to be a famous model," Athan answered as he lowered the window on his side to give his pass to the stationed guard, "And the other one is the D—

"Sir, the first and the second floors are already out of vacant slots, we will park your car on the third floor," the guard interrupted.

Athan answered, "That’s fine."

He started the engine and stopped before the valet waiting on them at the other hotel entrance connected to the parking building.

"Athan, I’m nervous..." Knox grabbed his arm as they made an entrance. The venue hall was on the second floor, but the hotel lobby was already filled with rich-looking people and high personalities that could make ordinary people shiver under their presence.

Athan took his hand and squeezed it, before placing it on his own arm. He replied with a gentle voice, "It’ll be okay, Knox. I won’t leave you alone, so don’t worry."

He squeezed Knox’s hand once more, before stepping inside the venue hall. Even though he was told to find Knox a prospective husband, as long as Knox doesn’t want it, he won’t let anyone bother him.

They strode past several round tables decorated with expensive cutleries and dinnerware until they stopped on the seat where the name ’Athan Horace’ was laid out. Athan pulled the seat for him, and Knox mumbled thank you as he sat.

Some people threw glances at them filled with curiosity which were all directed at Athan’s companion. It was interesting gossip and information for them to find the youngest son of the chairman of Horizon Corporation attending a party with someone.

They all thought that someone must be his lover or fiancée. So, they all plan to butter up on him to have a chance to get close to the youngest heir.

A middle-aged woman walked up to them and struck up a conversation, "My~, who might be this beautiful man accompanying you, Mr. Horace?"

Athan showed his business smile and stood from his seat, "Mrs. Welson, it’s a pleasure to see you," Athan stretched his hand for a handshake, which the woman gladly accepted.

Mrs. Welson answered, "Oh, same here, Mr. Horace. I assumed that you’d be attending alone tonight so I asked my daughter to come with me to accompany you. But I didn’t expect this."

She showed a disappointed look behind that friendly and sophisticated smile.

Athan returned her a cold smile and an unbothered look, before introducing Knox who already stood beside him, "This is Knox Arden, Mrs. Welson. He’s my executive secretary."

Knox sighed in relief. Whenever they would attend such fabulous events, Athan always insisted on introducing Knox as a close relative, but Knox always felt burdened by it, so he asked him to stop.

Mrs. Welson showed a surprised expression, but her smile widened and her eyes twinkled in delight after, "Oh! So, he was just your secretary! Goodness, Mr. Horace, why would you bring your secretary to this kind of business-unrelated event? This is a union of two lovers that we should celebrate without thinking of work at all!"

Athan hid his disagreeable look by turning his face away from the woman. Everywhere he looked, groups of men seemed to be talking about business while holding their champagne glasses.

And, even the two lovers involved in that engagement were probably just into an arranged agreement.

"So, what do you say about sitting next to my daughter instead?" Mrs. Welson suggested with an expectant look.

Athan turned to look at her again, and gave her his best smile, "I’m sorry, Mrs. Welson, but I’m afraid that your daughter will only get bored upon hearing my newfound ideas and strategies to expand my business out of the country since she was only interested in idols, their merch and albums, and other idol-related scandals, as per what I heard about her, of course."

Athan gestured at the man who climbed up the stage and took the microphone, "I think it’s starting, Mrs. Welson, we should return to our respective seats and talk later. Though it was nice talking with you again, Mrs. Welson."

The middle-aged woman was flustered. She gave Knox a surly look before turning away, "Hmph."

Knox ignored the contemptuous gaze of the woman’s daughter from the other table and just focused on what the man on the stage was saying. It seemed he was having his speech, but nothing was registering in his mind because of the discomfort and uneasiness he kept feeling from unknown gazes.

He tugged on Athan’s sleeves and whispered, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

Athan looked at him, wondering why he needed to ask him that, "Of course. Do you want me to accompany you?"

Knox shook his head hastily, "No. I can manage. I’ll be back."

"Alright. Call me if anything happens."

Knox nodded at Athan’s words. What could happen in the restroom? He asked himself. He traversed the path to the exit of the venue hall. Luckily the restroom was located just outside the hall.

There were a few men inside but they didn’t pay much attention to him, much to his relief. Because of that unfamiliar situation, he was too self-conscious and edgy. He released the nervousness that accumulated in his bladder and washed his hands before going back.

When Knox entered, all the attendees were standing and clapping, so he temporarily stayed in the corner and joined the cheering.

However, his hands froze midair after one of the tall men blocking his view of the staircase on the opposite side moved and walked away, giving him a full view of the grand entrance of the engaged couple walking down the stairs.

Knox felt a hundred buckets of iced water poured into him. His face turned paper-white and his heart felt like it was drummed with thunder, pinning him on the spot, speechless and stunned.

His knees trembled as he foolishly watched the man approach his guests and exchange pleasantries with a practiced smile on his face. Everything aside from him, was like a film caught in very low quality to Knox’s eyes, vague and insignificant.

He started to lose air as his breath was caught. He breathed heavily, blinked his eyes, and moved his feet. However, once he blinked, the man who was busy handshaking his guests’ hands was already looking directly at him.

Knox shuddered from the recognition he saw flashed in Azrael’s eyes. His feet staggered and he lost balance only if he didn’t support his body by grabbing on the curtains. He looked back and saw Azrael swiping everyone out of his way.

Knox quickly stood straight again and rushed to the door. He ran past the restroom and headed to the emergency exit door. He was running while catching his breath and not daring to look back again.

His mind was going awry and scared, so he didn’t notice the fast-approaching sounds of footsteps behind him.

On his second flight of stairs, due to his hurried footsteps and unstable mind, he tripped on his own and almost fell on the stairs only if Azrael hadn’t snatched his arm and grabbed him back to the landing.

His back was pushed against the wall quite forcefully. Knox groaned from the sudden pain, his eyes squinted from dizziness, but once they opened and cleared, they widened with fear after Azrael’s angered face appeared inches away from him.

"Game over, little tiger."