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.
Vivianne was almost going crazy with the pain she was feeling as she gulped down the beer on the bottle she was holding. She was no longer in the right state of mind to even grab a glass, and she didn't care about the effects of alcohol on her body.She was getting dizzy and slightly nauseous. Despite being in an upscale bar, her behavior was becoming more unruly. She continued to curse because the pain in her heart was intensifying."Fuck all of you!" Vivianne exclaimed, and shortly after, she slammed her head on the counter, not caring if she had everyone's attention.She wanted to forget the pain... Everything. But she couldn't.As time passed, her anger continued to boil, especially when she looked at her phone and saw her wallpaper and that of her boyfriend.Wrong. Her ex-boyfriend, to be precise. After catching him earlier having sex with another woman in his condo unit, he had the audacity to break up with her."Fuck you, Tristan. I told you I’ll exact my revenge! Just wait!"V
"You're the same woman as before..." Beckett said in a cold tone before glancing at the girl. "I told you to go home, didn't I?" he added, but Vivianne didn't immediately respond.Beckett was almost taken aback by the appearance of the woman in front of him. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she couldn't walk properly.But that wasn't what he noticed. Her gaze shifted to the small wounds on the girl's arms. Vivianne had fair skin, so even a slight grip would surely leave prominent red marks.And Beckett was certain on his hunch, too. He knew that someone had tightly gripped Vivianne's arm, given the terror he could see in her eyes.'Fuck that guard. I told him to ensure the woman's safety,' Beckett thought as he clenched his fists, annoyed.But his annoyance was quickly replaced by surprise when Vivianne suddenly answered him. "Well, I don't want to go home yet! I just wanted to have a drink, is that not allowed?" she said, rolling her eyes.Beckett was astounded by Vivianne's sudden chang
Vivianne woke up feeling good in the morning. She had released her anger last night by drinking and punching Beckett, the person she despised. Satisfied with what she had done, she looked at her fist—the one she used to punch him.She smiled, confident that it was the first time the guy received a punch aside from those on his shows."He may seem pitiful, but he deserved it," Vivianne muttered before getting up from bed.She did her routine afterward—fixing the bedroom, eating her usual breakfast of pancakes and apples, and getting dressed.One of her strengths was drinking alcohol as if there were no tomorrow, getting wasted, and acting like nothing happened the next day. Well, she could feel the dizziness and headache of a hangover, but she could tolerate it.This pain was nothing compared to the intensity of the rehearsals her father had given her. At a young age, she could say she was physically strong for a woman, although she preferred guns because they were easier and quicker t
Vivianne didn't answer. She was afraid that Manager Yu might notice that they knew each other if she responded. She tried to calm herself down before smiling."You called for me, manager?" Vivianne changed the topic.Henry had many questions in his mind, but he dismissed them for now. They were still within working hours, and the famous Filipino-Italian model Beckett Clainfer was right in front of them."Vivianne, baby, I want you to meet your new client," Henry looked in Beckett's direction as he pointed at him. "From now on, you'll be working outside. Mr. Clainfer personally requested you as his personal dress stylist.""W-What?" Vivianne asked incredulously.At that moment, Vivianne would have believed it if Henry said that the sky had turned white or the moon had turned purple."W-Why would he need a dress stylist from a small company like ours?" she added."Because I liked how you style your clients' clothes," Beckett interjected, his lips forming a pretentious sweet smile... bef
The loud sound of her favorite song, "As It Was" by Harry Styles, reverberated around the room as someone was calling Vivianne on the phone. Suddenly, she forgot that she had a hobby of maximizing the volume of her ringtone, especially outside her house. She did that so when someone called her, she could easily hear it. And that foolishness was what Vivianne didn't expect to get her into trouble now."Shit!" Vivianne muttered to herself before ending the call, but before she could put her phone on silent mode, it rang again. It was an unregistered number, and as much as she wanted to know who it was, she couldn't answer the phone. She was at work, and the director at the photoshoot was already giving her a stern look."Sorry…” she apologized as she turned off her phone instead.She was panicking, so she decided to turn off the phone before putting it in her pocket. She just hoped that she wouldn't receive an important call at this moment.Unlike earlier, the room was now filled with
Suddenly, Director Valeria knelt in front of Vivianne, causing her eyes to widen."W-What—""I'm sorry, Vivianne!" the director pleaded, his voice filled with desperation and tears. "I-I know what I did earlier was wrong. I shouldn't have humiliated you like that... I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"Vivianne was frozen in her spot. She didn't know what to say, and she didn't know how to feel because she sensed the desperation in the person in front of her."As you should."It was Beckett who interjected as he pulled Vivianne slightly away from Director Valeria, especially when the director tried to hold her hand and plead even more."Let's go," Beckett commanded again, but he didn't wait for her response this time.Beckett kept his hand on Vivianne's pulse as they walked out, and they could still hear the director incessantly begging for forgiveness until they finally left the studio."I still have another photoshoot," Beckett said as they reached the parking lot."I know," Vivianne re
"What do you mean?" Beckett raised an eyebrow and bit his lower lip, appearing nervous at Fiona's statement.Fiona could be referring to two things. One was Vivianne being the heiress of the Allamino Corporation, and the other...'No, Fiona shouldn't know about that,' Beckett thought with a hint of anxiety. 'At least, not yet.'"Her real identity." Fiona raised the folder she was holding and handed it to Beckett."Vivianne Allamino, the sole heiress of the Allamino Corporation and the entire Allamino Empire. Beautiful, a bit rebellious, but skilled in negotiation and strategies..." Fiona raised a brow, giving Beckett a suspicious look. "Are you going to use her for your own gains?"Beckett breathed a sigh of relief at Fiona's assumptions. Though his manager said a lot, he was glad that it seemed that was all the woman knew."I know that everyone is already aware that I want to build my own business now, but I'm not that evil to use someone that way." Beckett leaned against the doorfr
Fiona placed the paper bag on Vivianne's thigh before leaving her alone. Despite what Fiona said to her, she wasn't offended. If anyone cared deeply about Beckett, she knew it was Fiona.She's his manager, after all.But Fiona's last sentence made the hairs on her neck stand up in confusion and fear at the same time. It felt like Fiona knew something about her… something that scared her.The hours quickly passed, and she didn't realize it was already time to go home. It was Thursday, and her father wanted her presence at the mansion. She wished she didn't have to go, but she knew she had no choice.She had power... but she felt powerless.She went back to the dorm to freshen up. Vivianne wore a black sleeveless Saint Laurent dress, paired with Gucci black high heels. The bag she used was from Dior, and even the earrings she wore.Today, she wasn't Vivianne Allamino, a mere dress stylist at a small company... but the sole heir of the Allamino Empire, along with its other subsidiaries.