As the ceremony started, Beckett could feel that everyone's eyes were on him. He was positioned in the VIP seat because aside from receiving an award for his performance in an action movie, he and his team were also invited as special guests by the organizers of the awarding show.
Unfortunately, Jeru couldn't attend due to some prior commitments. So Beckett ended up being alone in his seat, while the one next to him remained vacant.
The ceremony continued, and Beckett was struggling to maintain his focus. He checked his phone from time to time, not just to see what other artists were doing on stage, but also to check if he had any messages from his staff.
Being a model and a part-time actor wasn't his only job. It wasn't even his main job since the income from that wouldn't be enough to sustain his luxuries and desires. When comparing his earnings from modeling and his company, his showbiz industry income would seem like spare change.
Nevertheless, Beckett didn't let go of this industry. He might feel suffocated at times, unable to show his true emotions because of the constant scrutiny, but he didn't care.
The main reason he entered this field was the connections he could establish as a model. That was the driving force behind his decision.
"Shit!" Beckett snapped out of his thoughts when someone suddenly sat on his lap.
It was a woman wearing a white polo shirt and black pants. Her long black hair was tied up, still the ends reaching her waist, and her hair brushed against Beckett as she moved.
"Sorry!" she shouted while still facing away from him, not even getting up from her seat on Beckett's lap.
Given their current position, Beckett could see how smooth and delicate the woman's neck was, how sweet her scent was, and how curvaceous her behind was.
'Goodness gracious,' Beckett thought to himself, trying to contain all the emotions rushing through his body.
"Enjoying sitting in my lap?" Beckett teasingly asked her, causing the woman to quickly stand up as if she had been burned.
Her mouth fell open when she saw that the woman was even more beautiful up close.
His suspicions earlier about her were correct. She had fair and smooth skin. Her nose was sharp, and her cheeks and lips had a rosy hue. At that moment, it wasn't just the woman who seemed dumbfounded standing in front of him.
His masculinity was also prominent. He crossed his legs on the other, especially since the attention of most reporters was on him. He didn't want rumors circulating that he was interested in a mere event organizer.
"I-I'm sorry, sir Beckett—Ah!"
The woman screamed when Beckett pulled her closer. This time, she sat on him with her body facing him. Vivianne gasped as she felt something against her thigh, but she couldn't speak to ask what it was.
Vivianne Allamino, one of the organizers of the awarding show, was too stunned to speak.
"Careful, lady," Beckett warned in a serious tone before shifting his gaze to the people walking in front of them.
Vivianne also looked in that direction and gasped when she saw that everyone's attention was on her and Beckett. She quickly moved away from him, her face turning as red as a tomato.
Little did she know, Beckett found her cute. He pursed his lips, trying to suppress his smile, but his gaze never left Vivianne. His attention was only diverted when he noticed the reporters approaching closer.
"Go," Beckett commanded before pointing at the reporters with his gaze.
"P-Pardon?" Unfortunately, Vivianne didn't understand what he meant. She furrowed her brow, trying to decipher Beckett's intentions.
"Pretty stupid," Beckett murmured under his breath. It was soft enough that Vivianne couldn't hear it. "The reporters would be here in less than a minute. Do you want them to ask you directly why you sat on my lap earlier?"
"N-No."
Vivianne shook her head repeatedly before quickly leaving. Beckett continued to gaze after her until she disappeared backstage. He wanted to keep looking at her because of her extraordinary beauty and the effect she had on him.
But he didn't tolerate stupidity. He disliked people who acted foolishly, and that was the characteristic of the woman he had spoken to earlier.
The reporters eventually approached him, and as he expected, they asked about the girl who sat on his lap. They wondered if she was one of his desperate fans trying to get his attention, but Beckett immediately denied it.
"It was accidental. She slipped as people started walking in front of us," Beckett answered. "I let her be since it wasn't intentional, and the girl looked nice. She didn't take advantage of me, and I appreciate her for that."
He wasn't sure if the girl had done it intentionally, but because she was attractive and sexy, he let it pass.
His answer received various reactions from the reporters. Some were thrilled, while others, especially the female reporters, felt jealous. Sitting on the lap of the great Beckett Clainfer was a privilege.
"I'll appreciate it if you don't publish what happened today to the press..." he said, grinning widely. He also licked his lower lip. "Hmmm, should I answer one question in exchange?"
The reporters immediately agreed. Beckett didn't expect that he would engage in this kind of conversation with the reporters for the sake of a stupid girl. Even though Fiona called out to the reporters to let him prepare for his speech later, the girl didn't leave his mind.
He didn't know what to think, whether he should pray to see her again or not. Until now, he was annoyed by her gentle and calm demeanor... But there was a part of him that wanted to see her.
"For the best rookie actor award... Beckett Clainfer!"
Beckett smiled pretentiously as he walked toward the stage. The audience greeted him with a round of applause. The sound was loud, but Beckett suddenly stopped when he heard the whistle again, the same one he heard outside earlier.
His smile faded as he froze in place. People wondered why he had suddenly changed his mood, while others were captivated by how handsome he was despite not doing anything.
Amidst the noise, he could hear the whistle.
It was subtle. If he hadn't focused on listening, he wouldn't have heard it over the noise. He couldn't understand why he was hearing it again now.
Beckett wasn't sure if he was still in his right mind or if his mind was playing tricks on him because he was determined to find that person. He felt lost, devastated, and frustrated…
"Hey, hey!"
Suddenly, someone snapped him out of his thoughts. That someone tapped the side of the stage and whispered as if she was waking Beckett from his imagination. He blinked twice and turned his head to the right.
There, he saw the woman who had sat on his lap earlier. Her face looked sour and worried, but when she saw that Beckett had snapped back to reality, she smiled.
Vivianne didn't receive any command from someone to distract Beckett from his thoughts. Before she knew it, she was tapping the stage frequently to wake Beckett up. Vivianne knew these actions well, as her mother would do the same when she had a panic attack.
In a flash, Beckett regained his usual charismatic expression and continued walking until he reached the stage. Vivianne smiled at him before returning backstage.
"Sorry for worrying you, everyone. I had a light headache as I just came back from France," he explained.
He could see the concern from the people as he said that. He smiled before delivering a memorized speech that he had said countless times before.
"First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who voted for me to get this award. I know I still have a lot to learn, but thank you for believing in me," Beckett said as one of the hosts handed him the trophy. "I wouldn't be here in front of the stage if not for my fans. I love you all."
It was a short, scripted speech, but Beckett's fans went wild upon hearing what he said. They almost worshiped him, especially the young fans who would do anything to buy his magazines.
Yet, they didn't know the secrets behind Beckett's flawless reputation.
After the awarding show, Beckett immediately went to the Dweller Cartel—A drug den that he owned.
"How's the newest invention?" Beckett asked when he arrived at the laboratory where the latest drugs he had invented were being made.
With his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, he knew how to create drugs. One of his friends also helped him with the drug formulation until he mastered it.
"Everything is going well, sir," Jeremy, the head of the drug processing team, replied. "We just need to test it, and then it can be distributed."
"Make sure to do it clean and clear. I don't tolerate stupidity, do you understand?" Beckett warned, and Jeremy nodded twice.
This was his main source of income—his drug dealing schemes. He owned one of the largest drug warehouses and was also one of the most well-known drug dealers in the country.
He had clients locally and internationally, and ironically, some of his top clients were actors and models. If someone recognized him, he would eliminate them and make it look like an accident or suicide.
The police were trying to find him under his alias "Mob," but they couldn't locate him.
And he wouldn't let them.
After realizing that everything was running smoothly at his warehouse, Beckett headed to a high-end bar. He wore a face mask and a black cap as a disguise. His main goal was not to drink until he passed out, but to find someone to have sex with.
"Damn it, I need good sex right now," Beckett muttered as he scanned the place, looking for the best woman whom he thought could please him for the night.
But his eyes stopped when he saw a woman sitting at the counter, casually drinking alcohol as if it were water.
"What is that woman doing here?" Beckett furrowed his brow as he realized that he knew that woman.
Alfred raised his right hand, and all the members of the Allamino mafia emerged. Beckett did the same, and his men who were hiding in the trees and bushes earlier also came out.Seeing how the two leaders are determined to clash with each other, it only means one thing: this place will be in bloodshed soon.And indeed it happened. The people between Beckett and Alfred started fighting. Blood flowed, and many lives were lost. It was a long-time war between the two of them, and Beckett won.Now they are face to face. Alfred is sitting on the ground, his body full of wounds and bruises from Beckett's beating, while Beckett is standing. His gun is pointed at Alfred.“I know you want to kill me… But why can’t you fucking pull the trigger?” Alfred asked, grinning. “Has your fear of killing people returned?”“Hah.” Beckett clicked his tongue, annoyed.But he didn't answer the question. The reason he didn't shoot Alfred was because of Vivianne. She was still sitting in the grass, but the ropes
In Alfred's anger, he approached Vivianne with large strides before grabbing the collar of her clothes. "Take back what you said.""I'm not your father to obey you." Vivianne grinned, especially when she saw the rage intensifying in Alfred's eyes. "I never considered you a father because I don't have a demon for a father like you—"Vivianne didn't finish her sentence because Alfred suddenly let go of her collar and slapped her. Not just once, but three times.Vivianne smiled painfully. The happy family she had dreamed of... She would never have that. And she needed to accept the painful truth."You have no manners! After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me? By fighting me and insulting me?!" Alfred's anger and shouts echoed throughout the entire office.Vivianne chuckled sarcastically. "I have no manners? And everything you did, you did for me? Why, did you even ask if I wanted to be in this situation?""You're ungrateful!"Alfred slapped her again, harder than befo
After that, they discussed their next plan all night. They agreed on one thing: they would rescue Ella from the hospital and inject her with the new medicine that Beckett had developed to wake her up.“I will distract Alfred and his men,” Beckett said, pointing to the right side of the footprint. “We will go here since Ella’s room is on the left side of the hospital. While we’re here, use the opportunity to escape with your mother.”“But that’s dangerous.” Vivianne shook her head. “Alfred might have prepared for this and could have you killed in the hospital. He can easily do that. Believe me.”“I believe you, but it doesn’t matter. What’s important for me right now is to save your mother and fulfill my promise to you…” Beckett kissed his wife’s forehead again. “So let’s do this… and see the end together.”THE NEXT DAY, it was time to execute the plan. Beckett was already in the parking lot, along with the men who would pose as doctors, nurses, and janitors if anything went wrong.He
Alfred went to the hospital afterward to check on Ella's condition. He’s making sure Ella will be alive, but not enough to wake her up. He will only get her treated once Vivianne follows his demands. But it seems fate is not on his side now, because he was shocked to see Vivianne just coming out of Ella's room, holding a large suitcase. “What does this mean?” Alfred asked in a deep and angry tone. “You’re leaving your mother for that man?” “I just said goodbye to her earlier, and I’m sure she’ll understand me,” Vivianne replied. “How can she understand if she's already dead?” “She won’t die.” Vivianne gritted her teeth but forced herself to stay calm. This was not the time to argue with her father. She was already exhausted from everything that had happened. “I’m leaving.” Vivianne took a step forward, thinking her father would not speak again, but she was wrong. “I’m giving you one last chance to take back what you said. Go back to the mansion and break up with Beckett,” Alfre
“TWENTY million dollars.”“Twenty million? Dollars? Are you out of your mind?!” Vivianne suddenly shouted when she realized what her husband intended to do. “No! That’s too much money! Just leave me here!”“Shut up, lady,” Raul said in a deep voice, frowning as he seemed annoyed by Vivianne's yelling in a language he didn’t understand.“Non maledire con mia moglie, Raul.” [Don’t curse at my wife.]Beckett didn’t like the way Raul reprimanded his wife, especially the tone of his voice. He glared at Raul but quickly calmed himself.“So, is this enough for you to buy guns from their organization?” Beckett asked, raising the diamond card. “You have collateral, and remember how I saved your ass when we were in elementary school?”Unbeknownst to everyone, Raul and Beckett were not just acquaintances. They were classmates back in the day, and when someone tried to beat up Raul because he didn’t know how to fight, Beckett saved him. They became best friends somehow after that, until they dec
"Don't talk shit with me. I know you're the reason she's missing." Beckett approached Alfred, his eyes filled with rage. "Where did you take her?""I don't know. Which part of that don't you understand?" Alfred slammed the newspaper down beside him before meeting Beckett's angry gaze. "And don't forget that you're in my territory. I could blow your brains out right now."Beckett smirked. "If you really planned to do that, you should have done it already.""I'll do it later, once I have all your wealth."Hearing Alfred's words, Beckett couldn't help but laugh. His suspicions were correct—Alfred had ulterior motives for agreeing to his marriage with Vivianne and for pretending to be cordial with him."Keep dreaming," Beckett whispered, his jaw clenching. "I will find her, no matter how long it takes. Mark my words, Alfred Allamino."Beckett turned to leave the mansion, but stopped when Alfred spoke again."Even if you do find her, can you be sure she's still alive by then?"Beckett turn