Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 50: A sudden call

Chapter 50: A sudden call

Knocks on the door woke Knox up from sleep. He sluggishly sat up, rubbed his eyes, and glanced at the child sleeping soundly beside him. He yawned silently and stretched his hands up before carefully getting out of bed.

The knocks stop as if the person realized that he might disturb the child’s sleep. Knox swiftly moved to the door and opened it, peeking his head out. Shawn’s back was already turned away from the door, but upon hearing the door click, he spun around and mouthed, "Uncle’s here."

Knox paused to ponder. ’Is there any reason for him to visit this early in the morning?’, he thought. He answered Shawn, "Can you tell him to wait?"

Shawn replied, "Sure."

The recessive omega quickly moved to the bathroom and washed his face. He was even surprised to see the dark circles under his eyes. He sighed and proceeded to brush his teeth. The reason he lost sleep was because of what Athan said to him through the phone.

It was uncertain and vague, but somehow Knox felt a deeper meaning behind it. HE decided to abandon the thought and just focus on what was at hand. And that is Steve’s sudden visit.

He was gurgling water while trying to ruminate what was the reason. Usually, his alpha father’s assistant only appears before him whenever the chairman has something to deliver to him. He brushed away the thought that it was because of Knoa, since his father didn’t even care about him, there was no way he’d be concerned about a fatherless grandson from his illegitimate child.

So, there was only one reason that came to mind. He wiped his face and mumbled, "Is it another blind date?"

Rikard Meyers had never reached out to him ever again, after speaking about being friends and getting to know each other, he disappeared and acted even worse than a ghost. He walked out of the bathroom and took his phone, glancing at the screen as he approached the door.

There weren’t any calls, not even from that person. It’s been days since he last saw him. He started to wonder why Azrael stopped contacting him.

After leaving the hospital, Knox took Athan’s offer to stay in his unit for the meantime, as his place was closer to the hospital. He asked Franz to bring some clothes for them once, and he was informed that someone suspicious-looking man was searching for him.

"Papa, going somewhere?" A muffled voice came from the bed. Knoa rolled in bed sleepily, trying to get up but because of the blanket wrapped around him, his movements were limited and his futile attempt to rise just ended up seemingly adorable.

Knox walked back and fished his son up from the cocoon, "Just stepping outside, baby. There’s a guest so Papa needs to step out," he nuzzled his nose on Knoa’s left cheek and asked, "Did you sleep well?"

Knoa nodded drowsily. He rubbed his eyes and shaped his little mouth round, surrendering to another yawn as he talked, "Who...hah..."

The father couldn’t resist the child’s cuteness, he pinched his plump cheeks and slightly bumped his forehead to the child’s, "Hm, your fever is no more. You can go back to school again tomorrow, cutie~."

Knoa’s eyes widened. Sleepiness abandoned him as soon as he heard the word school. He rocked in his father’s arm and swung his feet in anticipation, "Really, Papa?! I can school now?"

"Yep! But not today. You still have to rest and see if the fever won’t come again, okay?" Knox walked to the door, carrying Knoa in his arms while rubbing his back affectionately. He opened the door and was startled to see Shawn with a raised fist ready to knock on the door again.

"Oh, he’s awake already," Knox nodded to Shawn’s remark. Knoa peeked at Shawn and giggled, happily sharing the news with him. "That’s great, Knoa! I heard that your playmates are asking for you already. I asked the teacher about your activities and she said they already started drawing flowers. Should we draw them together after breakfast?"

The child beamed and stretched his hands to Shawn, "Yeah! I want to draw flowers and bees!" he paused for a moment and looked up to Knox, with a pleading look, he asked, "Papa, can I now? Knoa won’t be sick?"

Knox rubbed his head, "Of course. You can draw flowers until lunch," he gave Shawn a meaningful look. Shawn slipped between Knoa’s stretched hands and took him by the armpit. Knoa looked at Knox with wonder, so he explained, "Papa will just have to talk with the guest. Uncle Shawn will wash you first, okay?"

The kid obediently nodded, "Okay..."

Knox excused himself and stepped out. From the door closing behind him, he even glimpsed Shawn cackling as he walked to the bathroom. Their conversation reached his ears and he smiled in appreciation.

"What flower do you want to draw, Knoa?"

A lively voice replied, "Lavender! Papa’s favorite!"

The door closed and Knox strode to the living room with a wide smile. That smile remained even until he saw Steve sitting by the single-seater sofa. "I’m sorry to have you waiting, Sir Steve."

Steve rose and curtly shook his head, dismissing Knox’s unnecessary concern. He sat again after Knox settled on the couch beside him. The latter then inquired, seemingly aware already of the secretary’s visit, "So, why are you here, sir? If it’s Athan you’re looking for, I don’t think he went home last night."

Steve replied, "The young master stayed the night at the main house. I came here to pick you up, sir Knox. The chairman wanted to speak with you."

Knox’s breathing hitched, "...what?"

"He wanted to meet you," Steve repeated, unbothered by the tremor he witnessed in the omega’s eyes.

Knox closed his sweating palms and swallowed the lump in his throat. He avoided the older man’s gaze and asked, "Do I have to? If it’s another blind date again, I’ll go. Just tell me the address and time."

Steve, "The chairman gave no orders like that. He wanted to speak with you about something."

"Something like?" Knox asked. He scoffed as a thought dashed in his mind, ’Surely, he isn’t going to ask me about my favorites and dislikes, is he?’

"I have no idea," Steve answered monotonously.

In the end, Knox submitted. He went back to the room and informed Shawn, who looked at him guiltily, "Uncle already told me. I really don’t want to wake you up, but he’s persistent. Don’t worry about Knoa..."

His voice trailed off. A flicker of shame showed in his eyes and disappeared as quickly. Then, he smiled awkwardly and added, "I mean, I can bring Knoa to the café and ask for Franz’s guidance..."

"You don’t have to do that. Knoa just recovered too, he can’t be strained or he might have a fever again. For now, just stay here and call me if there’s anything, even if it’s trivial or small, call me, okay?"

Shawn nodded and reassured him. Knox scooped Knoa up from the carpet and nuzzled him. "Knoa, Papa’s going somewhere first. Once, I’m back, I’ll check your drawings, okay?"

"Papa won’t take too long?" Knoa’s voice lowered. His tiny yet chubby hands touched his father’s cheeks and he poutingly spoke, "Papa looks tired. Stay at home!"

Relief washed over Knox. His child was growing perceptive by the day. He might have seen his father’s eyebags so he suggested adamantly. His pouty face looked adorable even when his thin eyebrows were meeting in the middle.

Knox pointed at that center and spoke gently and convincingly, "Papa needs to go to work. If not, who else will send you to school and buy you milk? Papa hates it when Knoa is hungry and lonely."

Knoa only frowned deeper, "But Papa will get sick."

"Then, Knoa can take care of Papa if he gets sick," Knox caressed the creases on Knoa’s forehead and stole a quick kiss on the tip of his nose.

Knoa’s face brightened after hearing that. It seemed that he liked the thought of playing doctor and patient, so he exclaimed excitedly, "I will!"

Knox sighed in relief. Before he left, Knox asked Steve to let him eat breakfast with his son first, since they just barely woke up when the older man arrived. Steve agreed and excused himself, stepping out of Athan’s unit while talking with someone over the phone.

After the harmonious breakfast, Knox and Steve finally left. Along the hour’s drive to the main house of the Horace family, Knox never once felt calm in his seat. How long has it been since he last saw his alpha father?

’Since I had Knoa and left their house abroad, that’s three years ago already,’ Knox mumbled to himself. The passing trees on the highways with their flowers in full bloom reminded him of his younger days when three of them, his beta mother and omega father, would go on short trips in summer.

An image suddenly flashed in his head that made him stiffened. He inadvertently murmured, "The date..."

Steve sitting next to the driver glanced at him from the rearview mirror, "Pardon?"

Knox blinked and shook his head. He propped his elbow on the armrest and gazed at the sky with sad eyes. Today was his father’s death anniversary and, in a few weeks, would be his mother’s.

He couldn’t visit their graves ever since he moved to another city out of fear that his debtors were waiting for him to show up. But now that all his debts were taken care of by the chairman, it should be safe to appear and pay his respects.

’I should bring Knoa to meet them one day,’ a forlorn smile curved on his lips.