All Chapters of Playing Mrs. Beckett: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

72 Chapters

031 - I'm Bored, Adrian

A long-wheelbase Bentley pulled up in front of Donovan Rise. As if it wasn’t enough, a Whitaker crest was painted on the side. Sophie held her laugh: Mrs. Whitaker didn’t play. She really wanted to cheer Sophie up. So as to not waste the kind gesture, Sophie climbed into the car and, within the bounds of propriety, enjoyed all the amenities provided. Except the vintage wine. Damn, Sophie could really use some of that. She put her hands on her belly. There would be champagne tonight. Plenty of it. Normally, refusing a glass at a Whitaker gala would attract little attention. Tonight, however, every eye in New York seemed determined to watch her. She still wanted to keep her baby a secret for a little longer, but if she completely steered away from alcohol, she wondered if it would be too noticeable. Just an hour later, they arrived at the Whitaker’s residence. Built on a vast generational land, it took another

032 - Disappearing Champagne Glass

Oliver stood there, his towering 6’4 body draped in black tie suit. His golden hair was neatly slicked back. Sophie couldn’t remember the last time she saw Oliver in such a formal setting. Normally, he just let his hair down, obscuring the edges of his face. With his hair pushed back, the strong lines of his face were suddenly impossible to miss. “Looking good, Ollie,” Sophie said in a hushed voice, “but I’m Mrs. Beckett right now.”“Right, right,” Oliver nodded, pulling his hands when he saw Sophie had found her footing. He followed it all by speaking, in a slightly raised voice this time, “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Beckett. You should be careful. There are dangerous shards everywhere.”Sophie smiled—Mr. Blackwood was a terrible actor. If not for his reputation as a carefree socialite, people might have noticed how deliberate this entire exchange sounded. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwood,” Sophie said.On the corner of her eyes, she saw Adrian on the floor. His palm was bleeding after holdin

033 - Thank You For The Grand Spectacle

Dinner wound down the way Whitaker events always did. Slowly, warmly, with Mrs. Whitaker extracting promises from everyone before she would let them leave."You'll visit next week," she told Sophie. Her voice was firm, a signal that it was not a question."I'll try, Mrs. Whitaker.""You will visit next week," she repeated, putting emphasis on each word.Sophie could only laugh. "Yes, Mrs. Whitaker."Only then did the older woman seem satisfied. She held Sophie's hands for a moment, slightly longer than necessary. Her kind eyes searched Sophie’s in a way that was reassuring."You're doing well," Mrs. Whitaker finally said. "Bett

034 - Stepping Into Meadow Lane

Several days went past without any news on a signed divorce filing. Sophie found herself waking up later and later in the day. She consulted her doctor and received only words that it was normal during early stages of pregnancy.As if complicit in that diagnosis, bouts of nausea began hitting her, too.It was another one of those days. She woke up to find that it was already ten in the morning. Gregory had been trying to reach her: a rather concerning detail, since he never contacted her if there wasn’t any meaningful update. So she called back.“You need to prepare for a contested divorce, Mrs. Beckett,” Gregory opened.“Why? Did he shred the papers again?”“No,” Gregory replied. “But he knew you’re currently busy at your bo

035 - Bigger Crisis

Adrian walked to the reception and asked for Sophie. The answer he received was, “Mrs. Beckett is in a quarterly review meeting. Is it urgent? I can try to relay your message, Mr. Beckett.”Quarterly review meeting. Sophie ran it more seriously than Adrian thought.“No, it’s okay,” he said. “I will just wait here.”He watched the employees move about. Just like how Sophie set up a system at home, she had set something up here as well. They moved in a coordinated manner, restocking and replacing displays. He then had a talk with one of the people from management, and he just showed Adrian a few reports with very few resistance.Sophie really never planned to hide anything from him. He just didn’t bother asking.

036 - Sorry, I'm Busy

Adrian almost dropped his phone.Calden Finance was the very first firm to reach out back during Beckett Holdings’ foundation days. It was also the firm that always extended a hand every time Beckett Holdings faced a wall regarding a lot of things. Even now that Beckett Holdings had outgrown Calden, Adrian still thought of them as a good partner, and sometimes took on small projects just to maintain relationships with them.This wasn’t Beckett Holdings’ first scandal, either. Back when he was inexperienced, he had product issues. Then some small frictions with management that rippled into big things. Both were events that shook their finances, and both times, Calden Finance stood by their side, providing capable consultants. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Calden helped them back on their feet.

037 - A Battle On Another Front

The rest of their meal went uneventfully. Jessica Ballard offered to pay, then recommended Sophie some fruit juice when she refused to have coffee. They talk further about the senate, then a little bit about Meadow Lane. Jessica Ballard disclosed that she owned some of their shirts, as well as her mother. "Mother was thrilled when she heard you owned Meadow Lane. She said if Mrs. Whitaker and Mrs. Beckett are both wearing it, she'll finally have an excuse to replace her wardrobe." Then, Sophie’s thirty minutes was almost up, so she said her goodbye, thanked Jessica for her patronage, and went back to Wright Textile.She was up against an unpredictable battlefield, and she could feel her heart thumping. It had truly been a while. She followed the assistant to Mr. Wright’s office. When the sliding door opened, Sophie took a deep breath.“Mrs. Beckett,” Mr. Wright’s dignified voice carried through the room. His chair turned, revealing his seasoned figure. Each wrinkle on his face a sig

038 - A Fulfilling Day

After her tense back and forth against Mr. Wright, Hartford Apparel was considerably easier to deal with.They were eager. Sophie's marriage scandal barely seemed to concern them .“If anything, you're the victim, Mrs. Beckett,” their director had said with a shrug. “Of course you're allowed to be jealous.”But most important of all was the fact that they were eager to form connections with established Whitaker couples.Funny how everyone wanted something, and every meeting eventually came down to leverage.Knowing that made the negotiation easier. If Hartford Apparel wanted an introduction to the Whitakers, that put Meadow Lane in a position of strength. Any kind of connections needed to be earned bef

039 - The Beginning Of The Fall

Meanwhile, on the other side of New York.The moment Adrian stepped foot at the headquarters, Gregory and a few other executives swarmed him. In front of the other employees, they tried to appear calm. But if the traces of sweat on their temple were any indicator, they were no doubt panicking.Gregory Abbott was the first one to step forward. “There’s an urgent delivery for you, sir.”Adrian frowned. What could be more important than their future funding crisis?But Gregory continued with a gravely serious expression. “It’s from the court house.”That stopped Adrian in his tracks. His hand froze, just for a slight moment, before he lifted his head and met Gregory’s concerned eyes. “The courthouse?”“Yes,” Gregory confirmed.Adrian extended his arms, wordlessly demanding to see the papers. Gregory could only obey. “Mrs. Beckett is serious enough to bring this to court, sir. Should I contact the legal team?”“No,” Adrian said, almost automatic. He read the divorce petition line-by-lin

040 - Two Sides Of The Same City

The Farlow Tech Lawsuit. Julia had been with the company for a mere three weeks. A senior manager tried to pin a negligent mistake on her. She demanded to meet Adrian, claiming that she had information to regain Farlow Tech’s trust.She went through all the necessary procedures, and when she finally stood before him in his private office, she didn’t cry. Didn’t beg. Just quietly placed a stack of evidence on his desk.“I believe I’ve been made a scapegoat.”Adrian took the evidence, a smirk escaped him when he saw what it was. An incriminating proof, enough to pull every rotten root.“I understand.”He called legals. They won. The cunning senior was no more. Julia Hall said as she was leaving.“Thank you, Mr. Beckett.”“Don’t thank me,” he replied. “I’m simply rewarding competence.”That was that. The extent of Adrian’s assistance. He had used Julia Hall as a means to clear out corrupt personnels. That was the first time. That should have been the end of it. From then on, Julia prove

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