Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 74: A father’s agony [2]

Chapter 74: A father’s agony [2]

That night, after Athan talked to Knox, he was called by his father in his room. They discussed their plans on how to handle the matter once the news spread. The quiet life in Knox would be overturned once the media hears the truth.

"I suggest you hire a bodyguard for him, Dad," Athan commented after his father implied that he’d officially announced Knox as his fifth successor. "And, this matter, I’m elated but was shocked as well. Is Mom aware of this?"

Chairman Nathaniel who sat straight on his bed turned his head from the laptop on his lap to his son sitting on a chair next to the bed. His visage looked peaceful, as though he had finally been freed from a long, existing knot in his heart. "Your mother isn’t aware yet. I plan to tell him once I get back. Until then, I asked Steve to handle and stop all the rumors from leaking out."

Athan nodded, "I can take care of my employees, but there were a few outsiders who heard it, so just let Steve handle them. Also, allow me to pick Knox’s and Knoa’s bodyguards."

"There’s no need for the little one to have a guard. Steve will take care of him," the chairman decided, giving his executive secretary, who was waiting by the door, a meaningful look.

"If that’s fine with you, then I certainly prefer Steve to take care of Knoa. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my room," Athan stood from his seat and walked away. Before he stepped out of the door opened by Steve, the chairman’s low voice reached his ears again.

"How is he?"

Athan angled his head slightly to give his father a sideways glance. He didn’t like that his father was still unwilling to call Knox by his name, or was he the only one giving meaning to his words? He sighed and replied, "He’s doing fine now. I brought him dinner and talked to him about this matter. He seemed perturbed, so I left him by himself after telling him the gist of what happened."

"I see," Chairman Nathaniel responded. He looked away and focused on his laptop screen again. "You may go."

"Goodnight, Dad," Athan said before he disappeared.

The chairman was left in his room, brooding over the things that should be done after his declaration. The bright screen of the laptop illuminated his effete countenance, and his eyes were staring blankly at it, mirroring the landscape on the windows’ display, yet seeing another image instead.

It was the image of his three-year-old grandson playing with Loki without a care in the world. The innocent child would run to his office shouting ’Grampa! Grampa! Look at this!’ every time he would come home from daycare, boasting about his drawings or activities he did in the center and showing him the Excellent Mark at the back of his hand.

Those days, the overly quiet mansion became as lively as a children’s playground. Even her daughter, Althea, who had become distant to him after her failed marriage, visited after hearing that Knoa was staying at the mansion.

The child’s innocent and cheerful smile colored the dull house and brought a smile to their lips. Knoa showed him how he was raised, and told him many stories about how great his father is. That was when he was struck with an undeniable remorse and self-reproach.

The kid he abandoned grew up well without anyone by his side and now was a father raising his child full of love and righteousness, something that he, an alpha considered to be sitting atop the hierarchy and more dignified and responsible than anyone else but was nothing but a coward, even worse than an omega, failed to do.

He showed his pride in Knoa’s drawings and achievements, but he couldn’t even tell how proud he was of Knox. He was old enough to realize how foolish and prideful he was. Everything was his fault, yet he let his son receive the punishment.

Once tomorrow comes, he’ll talk to his youngest son, Knox.

"I didn’t think I’d miss the little kid," he whispered as he chuckled lightly.

Steve responded, "Would like me to call him?"

The chairman shook his head once, "There’s no need to. It was dark already, he might be sleeping already."

Chairman Nathaniel already had a grandson from his eldest son, Amiel, who was seven years old already. However, since Amiel’s family was based in England, taking care of their businesses and their manors, he rarely spent time with his first grandson.

His second son, Anton, was having a hard time conceiving a child with his beta wife. The third, Althea, the only girl among his children, just got divorced by her omega husband and was wasting her life on her home, while the youngest, Athan, refuses to proceed with the marriage alliance between the Horaces and Williams.

All of the chairman’s children are dominant alpha, so he was at a loss for how to take care of a recessive omega that suddenly appeared in his life. However, it didn’t justify the neglect he gave Knox.

After spending time with Knoa, he realized how foolish he was, showing his concern over wanting Knox to have a safe and comfortable married life, and ignoring what he truly wanted. The child felt burdened by all the help he got from him, and never once thought of receiving it without thinking that he had to give something in return.

The chairman made Knox feel like that. He made him see him not as a father, but just a benefactor who he has to return the favor one day.

"What do I expect, when I abandoned him and his father from the very beginning?" Chairman Nathaniel muttered to himself after. While Steve pretended like he didn’t hear the pained voice of the man he served. He just shut his eyes silently and stood still, waiting for his master’s next order.

Meanwhile, one of the suites in the hotel was occupied by the famous actress slash model Elise Chen who was seated on the couch biting her nails while looking down at the table unblinkingly. At the edge of the long couch, stood her female beta manager who was fidgeting in her position.

"M-Miss...what should I do? Help me, miss. I slapped Secretary Arden! I slapped the son of Chairman Horace! W-What if they throw me in jail?! H-Help me, miss..." the female beta manager pleaded with a shaky voice, her drooping eyes teary and reddish. She was scared after learning the truth, but she believed that her boss would help her.

However, Elise Chen didn’t show interest in the distressed manager. She was too occupied thinking about Azrael’s treatment of her when they met outside the building. His words were like daggers piercing into her chest mercilessly, and the unsympathetic look on his face only hammered the daggers deeper.

Elise Chen gritted her teeth as she kept biting the nail on her right thumb finger. She wouldn’t accept that kind of treatment. Azrael belongs to her; he was her fated partner like she always believed!

So, Elise would do everything to get the man of her dreams.

The female beta manager noticed her boss’s disinterest in her problems. She knelt before her and begged, stealing Elise attention. "Miss Elise! Please, at least listen to me! You’ll help me, right? I don’t want to go to jail!"

Elise clicked her tongue and showed irritation. Using the heel of her branded heels, she kicked the manager on her shoulder which caused the latter to lose balance and stumbled backward. Elise shouted back, annoyance dripping in her shrill voice, "Who told you to slap him anyway?! It’s your fault for acting rashly and mighty!" she stood and sighed, calmed her angry nerves, and looked down at the manger sprawled on the floor insignificantly. "I can’t guarantee that I can get you out of this. That’s Chairman Horace, you should know that even my family can’t hold a candle to him. Even if that recessive omega was just a bastard, seeing that the chairman and President Horace protected him, then it must mean they favored him."

The manager sobbed. Elise scowled at her and pointed at the door, "Ugh! Don’t cry in front of me and go back to your room instead! You’re annoying me!"

The manager wiped her tears and quickly stood. She didn’t forget to bow to her boss before scurrying away.

Elise sighed exasperatedly before slipping from her clothes and taking a shower. She needs to cool down her head to be able to think properly of how to hurl Azrael back to him. If her former bitchy friend Diva hadn’t gotten in her way, Azrael might have fallen in love with her!

She grimaced and glared at her reflection on the mirror inside the bathroom, after remembering the hateful female alpha again. She showed her interest in Azrael first and she told Diva about her feelings, but the latter decided to get engaged with him instead, disregarding her feelings! And when she made efforts to pursue Azrael, Diva got in her way and separated them!

That was the reason why she hated the female alpha the most.

Elise let out a loud sigh and shook her head to erase her former friend in her head. Then, she filled her mind with Azrael instead, joining her under that pouring shower, their hands caressing each other’s body as they moaned together in that sweet delight.

A loud and lustful moan escaped Elise’s mouth as she touched herself. She shuddered; lips biting from the pleasure brought by her imagination. As she embraced herself under the pouring water, she vowed to make that imagination happen soon.