Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)

Lyssana’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, pulling Knox’s mind back into the present. "I need your help. There are documents—evidence of the chairman’s crimes—that could dismantle his operations and put a stop to his overwhelming power and authority. If those documents are in the hands of the right people, everything will be over for the chairman. Our Azrael will be free from his shadows. However, I can’t get them to you without risking my life. So, I will need an outsider’s help to retrieve them."

Knox clenched his fists. The icing on the cakes served to them was melting and none of them was yet touched. His eyes darted to the lemonade drink he ordered, watching the moisture formed into droplets and slide to the glass surface, as though that serene motion would help him decide what to say or do.

After a while of silence that almost spent Lyssana’s patience, Knox finally gave an answer. "Where are these documents?"

Lyssana hesitated before answering. "It’s in the chairman’s villa. It’s a ledger, secured in a safe box in his office."

Knox’s mind raced. "Why didn’t you tell Azrael all of this? And how am I going to get it if it’s in the chairman’s villa?"

"Because." Lyssana said, her voice trembling slightly, "If I had, it would have put him in even greater danger. Imagine if he learned of the existence of the ledger, he would surely barge in indiscreetly, and it will only alarm the chairman more. Azrael’s already at risk, and he’s been trying to shield you from that."

Knox looked at his sons. They were playing, oblivious to the turmoil inside their father’s eyes. If he were to agree, then, he needs someone to take care of the kids. The urgency in Lyssana’s voice was undeniable, but something about her demeanor felt off.

But Knox did not dwell on it any deeper, instead, his head was filled with the urge to help Azrael, to lighten the burden on his shoulders, and to finally be useful for once. He parted his lips to speak, "You...have to teach me how to get in and out without getting caught. I want to help Azrael, but I don’t want to risk my life and freedom for this. I have sons to raise."

Lyssana’s face brightened. She nodded enthusiastically and squeezed Knox’s hands tightly. "I’ll provide you with the necessary details, but we need to do this quickly. This week, the chairman will be leaving the country for a business trip. I can’t leave the mansion because he might suspect something, so you have to get to the villa alone."

Knox, "How?"

"Don’t worry," Lyssana patted the back of his hands. "The chairman likes playing games. He usually hides his precious things in the most conspicuous places, yet no one even dared to think that they were there all along. The chairman has many villas scattered in the country, but the one where the ledger is just on the outskirts of the central district."