Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 33: Pressing charges and shocking news

Chapter 33: Pressing charges and shocking news

The engagement party ended at the late hour of the night. Some younger people stayed at the hotel’s bar, but most of the guests had left already.

The two families of the betrothed were already planning their children’s marriage, which only made Azrael’s head ached more. He suffered a scolding, at that age, for causing a ruckus on his big day, but as he wasn’t in the mood to bicker with his father, he remained silent.

He recalled their conversation back at the party.

’What do you think you’re doing running off like that? You know we carefully selected and invited some reporters but you still acted recklessly! If this sparks scandals that might ruin your name, you’d be the one shouldering the consequences,’ Azrael’s father, Rage Del Valle, scolded his son.

The older man’s impenetrable and inscrutable eyes bore into Azrael. His cold countenance was void of any consideration for his son. The man whose face was like the older version of Azrael stood and excused himself to his acquaintances.

He walked to Azrael and whispered, ’I don’t want to know who that man you chased, son, so don’t make me.’

With that, the chairman of DV Group left. What he said was clearly understood by Azrael. If he doesn’t want his father to look for Knox, then he should stop involving the man to himself.

But how could Azrael do that? The ingrained thorn that had been pricking his skin finally revealed its head, and pulling it out would be so satisfying, but that would mean throwing it out afterward.

Azrael leaned on the lavatory, his arms stretched on both sides supporting his weight, as he watched his reflection in the mirror blankly. His hair was dripping and droplets of water trickled down his half-naked body.

He grinned after a while. Finally thinking of something that would help him keep the thorn by his side.

He walked straight to his study room and took out his phone. It was already past twelve, so the phone rang thrice before his secretary answered.

With a groggy voice, Luis cursed at the midnight caller but stumbled after reading the caller’s name. He answered with a shaky voice, "Yes, sir, how may I help you?"

Azrael leaned back on the edge of his desk and rubbed his hair with a towel, "I’m going to sue someone for breaching a contract. Prepare the necessary document tomorrow and bring it to me."

Luis sat up straight, finally awake, "Wait, sir. Who are you suing? And I can’t just produce those papers without knowing what and who breached the contract, sir."

Azrael smirked, "Who else? You know him. The little runt who ran way after receiving my money but didn’t complete the agreement."

Luis mumbled through the phone, "...I knew it," his voice raised as he asked again, "Sir, is that person the one you chased at the party?"

Azrael, "Yeah."

Luis sighed. He could already see what would happen. But his loyalty lies in Azrael Del Valle, so even if it might earn the chairman’s ire, Luis nodded and assured Azrael that the papers would be ready tomorrow.

That night, Azrael slept with a satisfied grin, anticipating the event that would occur the next day.

However, his anticipation turned into disappointment when Luis called in and informed him that Knox Arden wouldn’t be able to answer his summon since he was currently in the hospital.

"Then, might as well pay him a visit," he stood and headed to the door.

"But, sir! You have prior appointments with the directors today! You can’t pass on this one, they postponed this meeting because you were acting busy with the preparation of the engagement, but now you don’t have an excuse to refuse."

Azrael stopped. He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, "When?"

"At lunch, sir."

Azrael’s face brightened. Luis was baffled but when he saw his boss tapping on his wristwatch, he understood already. Luis grumbled inwardly and wanted to shout ’You have plenty of work to do!’, but swallowed them after Azrael just walked past him and disappeared.

The poor executive secretary sighed pitifully.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, inside an expensive hospital suite, was Knox seated on his bed, while Kayden stood silently before him. The atmosphere between them was awkward and tense.

Kayden didn’t recognize the man Azrael chased during the party until he went to work and saw Knox, with the same outfit folded at the center table. He immediately realized why Azrael acted that way.

On the other hand, Knox was sweating from the way Kayden stared at him, while Kayden held the chart and examination results with disbelief in his eyes.

Kayden broke the silence, "So...you were an omega from the very beginning...?"

Knox nodded silently. Kayden continued, "Right, I only treated your arm back then without checking your sub-gender. So, I assume that you’re the one who offered a bloom to Azrael—

"It was an accident. I didn’t know him and wasn’t aware that he was in the area. I was just releasing my pent-up pheromones," Knox explained his former condition to Kayden.

"I see. So, that’s explains why. But Mr. Arden, are you aware of what happened to you before you were brought here?"

Knox’s face turned grim, "Yes, that bastard tied me up."

"That bastard is my cousin, so I’m apologizing for his rash actions. But what I meant to say is, did you experience something weird with your pheromones?" Kayden asked. Knox shook his head but also paused so suddenly. His eyes shook as if he remembered something.

Kayden sighed and continued, "Based on the results of your examination," Kayden waved the papers to Knox, "Your pheromone count increased, doubled, in fact. We have no record of you here, but if you said you suffered from a pheromone condition, then you must have been visiting a doctor for a regular check-up. I’d like to request your records, if possible. That is, if you want to continue being treated by me, of course."

Knox fiddled with his finger. There must be plenty of doctors specializing in gender research and development in other hospitals, but Knox hesitated to refuse Kayden. It might even be more dangerous since he was Azrael’s cousin.

After a while, Knox parted his lips and spoke, "I have a doctor...abroad. He’s the one checking me up regularly. If there’s anything you want to know, I can just answer them."

Kayden understood and pulled a chair. He sat with his legs crossed like an interviewer and started interrogating, "So, is your pheromone count always like this?"

Knox, "No. It was stable."

"Even when you were affected with alpha’s pheromones?"

"Yes," Knox answered.

Kyden ran his tongue over his lower lips as he contemplated, then he threw the question, "By chance, Mr. Arden, are you...bonded?"

Knox flinched. He swallowed the lump in his throat and hid the shaking of his finger. He mumbled quietly, "...yes."

Kayden went silent. His eyes glazed over the results he held. The pheromone count is abnormal for someone who was receiving protection from a mate, so he couldn’t help but be confused. This kind of result only happens if the omega is stimulated by his alpha’s pheromones.

Otherwise, the omega wouldn’t be affected by another alpha’s scent.

Kayden tapped his foot on the floor slowly. From what he recalled, there were two alphas with Knox before. His cousin and the one who requested for him specifically. Kayden remembered his name was Athan Horace.

’One of them stirred Knox’s instincts. One of them is his mate. There’s no way Azrael wouldn’t know about the bond, so perhaps, the other one?’ Kayden thought to himself. ’It would be a relief if it’s the other one.’

"Well, if you’re bonded, then that explains why your pheromone count doubled. You were stimulated by your mate’s scent, so it’s a natural instinct for omegas to release a love trap to their alphas, something they couldn’t resist," Kayden explained. He added, "The count will return to normal if you let your mate help you, so don’t worry."

"Help...me...?"

Kayden lowered his head and scanned the papers once more, unnoticing Knox’s pale face, he responded quite supportively, "Yes. In that way...intercourse, it’s much more effective after all. We tend to release pheromones during intimacy, so you’ll be fine if you..."

His voice trailed off when he lifted his head and saw Knox’s frightened look. He hastily stood to check on him, but Knox flinched and moved away unconsciously.

Knox looked up and met Kayden’s worried eyes, "What would happen if it doesn’t return to normal?"

Kayden was unsure why the patient was acting that way, but he answered otherwise, "You’re just like a walking ticking time bomb. Although other alphas won’t be able to smell your scent and be affected, your body will crave and be feverish. You might even induce your heat out of schedule."

Kayden witnessed how Knox’s eyes shook with fear. He added, "In your case, you don’t have to worry since you can just ask for your mate’s help. I’m sure—!"

Kayden froze as he watched Knox shake his head unconsciously from what he said. Slowly, his hand covered his gaping mouth and exclaimed, "Don’t tell me...!"