Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 40: A dinner date [2]

Chapter 40: A dinner date [2]

As soon as the shorthand of the clock struck seven, Azrael stood from his chair and pressed the intercom, "Luis, I’m heading out now."

A few seconds later, the door opened and a panting Luis came around, holding a phone against his ear. He calmed his breathing first before walking to the desk and holding out the phone to him.

Luis spoke with wary, "Mr. Shin was already captured. They tracked down his last card transaction and he was found hiding in the night district. Shall we send him to the police now?"

Azrael paused after hearing that report. Mr. Shin was one of the former deputy directors in his company, who had been secretly embezzling money and selling confidential information to their competitors.

He had been very elusive and smart. After learning that the management was starting to get suspicious of him, he humbly resigned and reasoned that it was time for him to give others the opportunity to rise in his former position.

Azrael found it funny and couldn’t contain his sinister laugh at the audacity of the old man acting like a saint in front of him. But without proper evidence back then, he couldn’t just indict the man.

So, he had him under surveillance. But the rat escaped after learning the cat was on his tail. It took three months to find the rodent again.

"Sending him to the police would be too easy for him, after all those nuisances he brought me," Azrael walked to the coat stand and took his black coat. He hung it on his arm before grabbing the phone and keys on his desk. "Lock him up first. I’d like to give back the same headache he gave me, personally. Make sure not to let him escape."

Luis, "Yes, sir."

The secretary bowed as Azrael walked to the door and left. He called one of his boss’ men and informed him of what to do. The boss didn’t specify where and how long the man should be locked up, so Luis just ordered to hide him in an abandoned warehouse and make sure to feed him at least once a day.

After the call ended, Luis calmly walked back to his office as though he hadn’t ordered someone to be kidnapped and confined. After serving Azrael for more than five years, he was already used to giving orders and had seen worse things.

Luis pondered, there’s still kindness inside his boss, and he’s still humane, but if poked in the wrong side, a devil will surely awaken.

Meanwhile, the drive to the hotel where Azrael booked a reservation would only take half an hour, but it was already past eight when he arrived. There was an accident on the highway and the road management locked it, so he had to take a detour.

He expected calls from his phone, but there wasn’t even a single message hurrying him to come over or cursing him for being late. So, his chest somehow pounded from the thought that Knox didn’t even bother to come.

At last, he arrived at the top floor of the hotel where a high-end restaurant was overlooking the nightscape of the entire city. His strides were quick and big, and with each step he took, his heart beat erratically.

He couldn’t help but think, ’You’d better be here, or else—

Passing the corner hiding the table he reserved, Azrael finally sighed in relief after seeing Knox looking out the clear window panes, admiring the different city lights blinking from the distance, mixed with twinkling stars visible in that clear night sky.

His solemn reflection was seen in the mirror. Azrael stood frozen in his spot for a while, admiring the image in the window. He decided to set aside his pride and anger towards Knox, and learn the truth about him.

Knox’s eyes blinked and he caught a black image standing behind him. If he was alone in a dark place, he would have jumped out of scare of that figure. He turned his head in that direction, his hair moved with that movement, hindering a bit of his sight by the soft locks that cascaded on his forehead.

He tucked them into his ears, then he frowned after recognizing the figure was Azrael. He narrowed his eyes and spoke accusingly, "You said not to be late but you’re fifteen minutes late!"

Azrael masked his amusement with a dead face and sat across Knox, replying at him nonchalantly, "There was an accident."

Knox hissed, "Don’t make excuses. I know you deliberately stood me up to annoy me."

Azrael clicked his tongue, "Do you see me that way?"

Knox, "What? You’re not aware? Wow. Did God forget to pour even a pinch of self-awareness when making you? Your lousy tricks are so obvious. You’re trying to enslave me, making me do things that’ll annoy me but entertain you while threatening me if I refuse to comply. You’re obviously making my life difficult just because...just because..."

Azrael listened to Knox rambling silently. A thought dashed in his head, if God did forget, then why did he bring his hand up to cover his widening grin?

He pursed his lips to stop them from curving up even more, then he popped them and asked playfully, "Just because of what? What? Cat got your tongue? Did God forget to add even a tiny gram of humility and open-mindedness when making you? You can’t even speak about your mistakes. Tsk."

Knox glared at the man, "If you didn’t drag me to that place, I wouldn’t even have to—!"

He closed his mouth after noticing the waiter standing by the corner, contemplating whether to approach them and ask for their orders or let them argue first.

Azrael raised his brows. The waiter hastily came closer and took their orders. Knox made sure to order the most expensive course on the menu. A satisfied smile settled across his face as he gave back the menu to the waiter.

The waiter momentarily paused and blushed from that pretty smile, but he quickly straightened his back and looked away after the other man threw the menu on the table. He frantically took it and immediately excused himself.

Knox raised his eyebrow at Azrael, questioning his rude behavior. The latter just looked away. Knox looked at the time and sighed. He called at home before Azrael arrived, and checked if Knoa already had dinner.

Fortunately, Shawn was able to convince him, so his worries were lifted. He looked ahead and observed Azrael. His mood when he came seemed brighter, but now he looked unapproachable again.

A tense and silent atmosphere reigned over them. Knox chose to just shut his mouth and admired the scenery until Azrael broke that silence. His indifferent yet confused voice earned Knox’s full attention, "So, why did you do it?"

Knox furrowed his brows. He failed to understand what Azrael meant. Bewildered, he asked carefully, "What do you mean?"

From gazing out the window, Azrael shifted his eyes to Knox without turning his head. He looked mad with that slight movement and with his lips pressed tightly. The waiter came and set the food. Only the sound of small clanking noises and the stream of wine being poured on the wineglass settled between them.

When the waiter came, Knox unconsciously let out a breath, and when the server left, he realized that he’d been holding his breath while waiting for Azrael’s answer. He lowered his head and wet his dry lips by running his tongue over them.

Azrael picked up the fork and knife, and as he started to slice the steak before him, he spoke casually, "What happened at the park at that time, it was you, right? I was unaware for the whole time; I only realized it when I smelled your scent. Must have been fun acting like you don’t know anything, huh?"

Knox’s body stiffened. His brows knitted and a thought dashed in his mind, ’He still didn’t know?’

He thought that his doctor, Kayden, might have shared some of the things he told him at the hospital. So, he was a bit surprised that Azrael was still clueless.

’No wonder he kept thinking I’m some omega releasing his pheromones to just anyone,’ Knox inwardly thought.

He stopped slicing his food and looked directly at Azrael, "It was an accident."

Azrael’s brows furrowed. Knox quickly explained things and diligently erased suspicions and wrong accusations towards him. He wanted Azrael to know he was unlike the omegas he’d seen in the night district.

Knox, "That’s why...that night happened. My pheromones were already tip-toeing around an alpha’s scent, but then I still tagged along with you in that club, and they just snapped. Plus, the alpha’s scents induced my heat and I couldn’t have thought of any other way to relieve it. I didn’t plan it. I never planned to sleep with you even once. It was an accident."

Azrael’s eyes still glimmered with doubt. He propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin above his clasped hands. Then, he asked coldly, "So, why did you run away?"

That was what he couldn’t understand. It might have been a mistake. What happened might have been an accident that both of them couldn’t stop. But why did he have to disappear and make him lose his mind thinking about the possibility that it was his fault he turned into an omega, that he forced himself to him?

He might have been enraged and felt betrayed after knowing the truth. But he couldn’t have hurt him. After all, Knox was...

Azrael’s gaze narrowed on the man talking and explaining his side with a sweaty forehead and apologetic eyes before him. Strangely, the words he uttered weren’t registering in Azrael’s mind. All the latter could think of was, ’Who is Knox to him?’

With his head filled with only business, cruelty, success, and domination, Azrael couldn’t answer.