Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 49: Trapped by the devil [2]

Chapter 49: Trapped by the devil [2]

"Azi!" A shrill voice resonated throughout the entire place, echoed in the hallways, and reached the ears of the employees working at their desks a room away from the president’s office. These staff were from the design department, and they were all startled by that loud voice.

They exchanged glances in wonder and one by one peeked through the glass doors. Their eyes bulged from witnessing a famous model dash to the infamous heir of a big group lying on the floor.

"Oh. My. God," Rona unbelievably remarked. She pointed her finger in that direction and looked at the people gawking like her as though they weren’t watching the scene with her. "What in the world happened?!"

Another shaky voice erupted in the background, "Sir Athan, please don’t!"

The trembling voice of the secretary was heard next. Elise Chen rushed toward Azrael who was slowly getting from the floor and blocked him from another attack. Athan’s arm halted midway as the model’s slim body hugged Azrael.

The secretary quickly clung to his lifted arm and kept begging her boss to stop and calm down. Heavy and quick footsteps came dashing from the design department’s room, accompanied by their shouts.

"Sir, don’t!"

"Mr. President!"

The clamor started to gain more attention from the other rooms. Heads began peering out the doors inquisitively to see what was happening. Sean, one of the designers, quickly wrapped his lean arms around his boss’ torso and pulled him away.

Athan struggled. Veins popped in his neck and temple, and the hands that clenched tightly on his sides were as hard as steel.

Sean grunted, "Sir, calm yourself. Don’t attack a woman."

Rona hastened and checked on Elise. She sighed after seeing that the woman seemed fine, but her skin turned cold as her eyes slipped and glimpsed the face of the man behind the model. Rather than anger, what he saw was satisfaction. An accomplished smile danced on his lips, making Rona shudder more from the uncanny expression.

Would someone be satisfied after getting beaten up? Rona almost thought he was a masochist.

Dalia, the creative director of their department, came along with two security personnel and broke the commotion. The shock she had after finding out who was the other guy was inexplainable.

She glared at the heads peeking through the doors, "Get back to work!"

They scurried away after, scared to anger the final decision-maker of their design proposals. Dalia glared at the secretary and hissed, "Take the president inside his office now," she turned to Rona, "Bring Ms. Elise and Mr. Del Valle in the lounge."

Azrael stood, shoving Elise away from him. The crowd flinched as he straightened, cracked his neck and shoulders, then looked down at the fuming Athan. "Expect a court summon, Mr. Horace. On grounds of assault and...intentional infliction of emotional distress."

With that, Azrael walked out, suppressing a laugh. The look on Athan’s face was priceless and it would probably make him laugh for a few days. He couldn’t see Knox and get an answer for where he was, but, if Athan were to be locked in the precinct, Knox would probably come at least.

Elise followed Azrael, but was stopped by Dalia, "Wait, Ms. Elise, I’m so sorry about this, but can you please wait a little longer? The signing of—

"I won’t sign. What kind of a company leader would punch someone out of the blue? I don’t want to work under such a person," Elise interjected.

Dalia’s face changed, "Our president isn’t someone who would throw a punch at someone without reason, Ms. Elise. I’m sure Mr. Del Valle provoked him."

Elise arched her brow and recalled something she heard. "I don’t care. I don’t like someone who hurts my friends."

She turned away and left after that. She glared at someone who whispered how unprofessional she was, but just ignored them and ran to catch up with Azrael. "Azi! Wait for me!"

Azrael’s strides never slowed. She pouted and ran faster on her high heels. Her left foot tripped and she fell with a thud, "Ah! Ngh!"

The unbothered Azrael stopped and looked back. His good mood went bad as he saw Elise whimpering while clutching her left ankle. He sighed exasperatedly before walking back to her. Azrael crouched down and checked the woman’s ankle.

"Ah! A-Azi, it hurts..." Elise yelped, eyes tearing up from the pain.

Azrael grimaced, "Why are you following me anyway?"

Elise pouted, "You were hurt! I just wanted to know if you’re okay. How could that violent man hurl you out like that? And they say it was your fault. Saying you provoked him that’s why you got beaten! Ugh, you really should sue him!"

"I will," Azrael stood and glanced at the security personnel tailing them, "Carry her."

"What?!" Elise almost stood as Azrael spun away and walked to the elevator, "Azi!"

The door opened and Azrael went in, not even sparing Elise a glance until the door closed again. Elise stomped her feet and swatted the security personnel’s hand away. She glared at the man before strutting away.

Meanwhile, inside the president’s office, Dalia was pacing back and forth in the room. Fingers pinching the bridge of her nose as she walked. After a few minutes of acting like that, she turned to the secretary and inquired quite forcefully, "What the hell happened?"

The secretary trembled under pressure, she gulped and nervously glanced at the president sitting in the middle of the L-shaped sofa in his office lounge with his eyes glaring at the glass center table reflecting his frightening appearance.

The creative director stressed and repeated her question. Rona and Sean were standing behind the older woman and they all faced the president while waiting for the secretary’s answer who was standing at the end of the sofa.

The skittish secretary began explaining what happened. She was stammering and stealing glances at her boss, observing if he would get mad at her for sharing every detail. However, Athan’s eyes were only focused at the center, unblinking and blank. Not a word from his secretary entered his ears, but some sentences kept replaying in his head.

Every time it would repeat, his hands would claw his palms tighter and his eyes would set ablaze out of anger.

Paired with Azrael’s infuriating voice, they would occupy his mind, ’Not after having a taste of him. He’s good in bed, so why don’t we share?’

Slam!

"Oh, my goodness!" Rona exclaimed.

"Eeek!" the secretary squealed from surprise.

Dalia and Sean gasped. If the center table wasn’t made of thick tempered glass, it would have shattered from the impact of Athan’s fist slamming on it forcefully. Dalia came over and sat opposite Athan, she knocked on the table to catch the president’s obviously preoccupied mind.

"We lost another prospective model. Ms. Elise said she won’t sign with us. Rona’s team’s approved drawings have already been passed on production department and begun evaluation. The samples will arrive in a week and we need you to be present for the dry run. So, please fix this problem with Mr. Del Valle right away, sir. We can’t have you in jail! That will negatively impact the brand and we might as well lose all the hard work we put in making the launch successful!"

Athan was certain that even if he went and personally apologized, Azrael wouldn’t let him off easily unless he gave what he wanted. He stood from his seat and strode to his desk, "Let’s halt searching for a model first. Go back for now. Let me think about this."

His dismissive tone had the four decide to leave him alone in the meantime. He ran his hand over his face and swept back his hair until his hand stopped on his nape and leaned his head back. He needs to plan for a counterattack with his legal team if a subpoena comes in knocking on his door.

Even though he knew they would be on the losing side, he wouldn’t submit so easily. He took out his phone and dialed his family lawyer. Sooner or later, his father would catch wind of what happened. It was better to inform him through the lawyer instead of hearing it on the news.

’This simple skirmish would end up a big deal if the media get involved. That damn bastard...f*ck it!’ Athan gritted his teeth out of frustration. Just thinking about that man was putting him in a foul mood.

After talking with the lawyer, he dialed Knox’s number, yet when it was answered, he couldn’t bring himself to ask him about Knoa’s father. Knox had never once brought up that topic to anyone, not even to his closest friend. Athan never probed either. He believed that someone who abandoned his pregnant lover wasn’t worth remembering. He deemed Knoa’s father insignificant and never tried to know who it was.

However, knowing and confirming it was Azrael Del Valle, is a different matter.

"A, is there something wrong? Are you still there?"

Knox’s innocent voice echoed through the phone. He sighed and shook his head unconsciously as if Knox could see him, "Nothing. How’s the little guy?"

"He’s getting better. His fever is almost gone and he’s even asking me to send him to his school already, saying he has a lot of homework to do," Knox giggled, "Can you believe it? He’s just a kid but he’s already so diligent and smart. I’m starting to be convinced he’s really a genius."

Athan went silent.

"A?"

He spoke after a while, "Maybe he is. Maybe...it runs in his blood after all."

Knox was silent after that. He sighed and ended the call after informing Knox that he’d like to talk to him about something. He intended to meet him once he went home, as the two were staying in his apartment unit for the meantime, including Shawn.

However, that night, he was summoned by his father. And when tomorrow came, a letter of court summons was delivered to his office.