BEFORE THE PUNCH could land on Beckett, he quickly raised his hand and held onto the woman’s fists. Beckett realized she was a woman by the feel of her fists in his grip.
Although small, her fists were surprisingly strong and had a soft yet masculine touch. Beckett winced at the force behind the woman’s punch. However, he was relieved that it didn’t hit his face again, especially after the trouble he faced when Fiona and the higher-ups saw the bruise on his face from the previous incident.
At least, not for the second time.
Beckett couldn’t let someone punch his handsome face again. Fiona and the higher-ups almost went ballistic when they saw the bruise on his face back then, and he knew that if that happened, Syneverse Entertainment would take action.
He doesn’t want to lose his freedom, but he couldn’t leave the modeling industry for now. Beckett needed to take everything under his control… and this is one of these things; the gunshot, the killer, and his purpose.
“Who are you?” Beckett asked the woman as he tightened his hold on her fists. “Are you his accomplice? Why are you following me?”
The woman didn’t respond and attempted to break free from Beckett’s grip, but he didn’t let her. As she raised her left hand to strike him again, Beckett swiftly caught her wrist.
In a swift move, Beckett pinned the woman to the ground. She was dressed in an all-black jumpsuit with a black cap and face mask, similar to the man Beckett had been chasing earlier, who now lay unconscious on the floor due to a tranquilizer.
This heightened Beckett’s suspicion that the woman might be associated with the man who nearly killed the child. To prevent him from spilling any information, the woman decided to make the perpetrator unconscious before he could talk.
“Answer my questions, or I’ll break every single bone in your body,” Beckett threatened, exerting his strength and dominance over the woman. “Who are you?”
The woman remained silent, irritating Beckett. Negotiation wasn’t his strong suit, and he detested anyone getting in the way of his plans. He felt annoyed that he had wasted his time on the now-sleeping man he had intended to interrogate earlier.
“This is your fault…” Beckett said before clenching his jaw in frustration. “Silence means yes. You just pushed me to my limits. And if you think I won’t hurt you because you’re a woman, you’re mistaken.”
Beckett raised his hand, delivering a strong blow to her face to render her unconscious. He knew he could handle this problem if needed. Beckett could claim that the woman was also an accomplice and have his people blackmail her to keep her quiet.
Gender isn’t an exception for Beckett; if someone interfered with his plans, he would surely hurt them regardless of who they are, except for Vivianne. And damn, even in this dangerous situation, he found himself thinking about her.
And now, he didn’t know why he was hallucinating, but he could hear her voice again.
“Wait! Wait!” the woman beneath Beckett exclaimed in panic. “This is Vivianne! Stop!” she added, causing Beckett to stop moving.
“Vivianne?” Beckett questioned as he swiftly removed the woman’s face mask, widening his eyes in surprise at the revelation. “What the fuck!”
Beckett was taken aback as he least expected to see Vivianne in this place. He released Vivianne in shock and disbelief, allowing her to breathe freely. Vivianne had thought she could fight back earlier, but when Beckett cornered her, she could only pray for her life.
Vivianne had seen how terrifying Beckett’s gaze could be, and she couldn’t bring herself to fight back. She hadn’t intended to reveal her identity to Beckett, but she needed to use their employee relationship to save herself from harm.
But it looks like she didn’t spare herself at all.
Beckett stepped back from her, but he still gave her a wary look, as if he would attack her at any moment.
“Why are you here?” Beckett asked, glancing around, concerned that someone might spot them. After all, he’s a celebrity. “Don’t tell me you’re a fucking killer?”
“What? Hey, excuse me?” Vivianne raised an eyebrow before crossing her arms. “I’m here to save, not to kill! I was going to capture that man, but someone else beat me to it.” She gave Beckett a disdainful look.
“What?” Beckett blinked twice, confused by her statement. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Huh? No,” Vivianne frowned.
“Just tell me, why are you here?” Beckett asked, returning to the original question. “What do you mean you’re here to save someone-”
Beckett stopped talking when they heard footsteps. Both of them became alert and assumed fighting positions.
“You know how to fight, but you’re still weak,” Beckett remarked as he glanced at Vivianne. “Go to the back. I don’t know if they’re that man’s accomplices, but we must be careful.”
“I’m not weak. You’re just really strong,” Vivianne rolled her eyes but still followed him. “That’s right. I’ll be at the back, and you stay in front. If someone has to die, it’ll be you.”
Beckett snorted and chuckled afterward. Wherever they ended up, even in dangerous situations, the woman remained straightforward. The woman whom Beckett initially perceived as stupid and careless turned out to be exactly his type-fierce, brave, and hot as hell.
“Shit!” Vivianne suddenly cursed, looking over to the other side of the roof. “The police are coming!”
“You’re making us sound like criminals,” Beckett sneered.
“They can’t see me here!” Vivianne exclaimed.
Her heart pounded with anxiety, fearing what would happen if the police saw her. Beckett could come up with explanations, but Vivianne had only one connection-Alfred-and if her father found out she was there, she would be in serious trouble.
“Why did you even come here in the first place? If you knew what would happen, why didn’t you call the police?” Beckett asked, irritation evident in his voice. “Someone was shot because of this guy, and not calling the police beforehand makes me think you’re an accomplice, not a savior.”
“The police won’t help us, Beckett…” Vivianne replied in a soft tone. “The person who ordered this has a strong grip on the police and the government. They’re powerful and influential. Many have tried to bring them down, but none have succeeded.”
Vivianne’s heart ached as she acknowledged her failure among those who attempted to take down their illegal organization. She was supposed to be the heir next in line, and she didn’t want that position. She despised involving herself in crimes, but at the moment, she had no choice. She needed to escape from Alfred, but before she could do that, she had to rescue her mother.
“Run,” Beckett suddenly said, bringing Vivianne back to reality.
“H-Huh?”
“You’re not dumb. You heard me.” Beckett held both of Vivianne’s shoulders and faced her. “Run as far as you can, and act like you were never here. Do you understand?”
“Really… You’ll help me?” Vivianne asked, finding it hard to believe that Beckett would be the one to aid her.
Beckett nodded, and this time, Vivianne saw the sincerity in his eyes. “Yes. I’ll take care of everything, and all you need to do is run.”
Vivianne nodded. With Beckett’s signal, she ran away from the scene with all her might. Her agile body and quick movements allowed her to swiftly escape from the rooftop. She even noticed some police officers climbing up after her, and she was amazed at how many police were present.
When Vivianne was finally out of Beckett’s sight, he approached the man on the ground and picked up the tranquilizer that was stuck in him. The police arrived just in time to witness this scene.
Suddenly, all the policemen aimed their guns at Beckett, forcing him to raise his hands in surrender. There was a slight smirk on his lips, but his eyes revealed his irritation. He never thought he’d have to endure this humiliation just for a woman.
“Somebody called our office about a shooting that happened here earlier,” said the team leader. “You’ll have to come with us to the police station. It’s surprising to find you on the rooftop, so we need to investigate.”
“Fine. It’s not a problem with me,” Beckett replied before glancing at the man on the floor. “But that man would not be able to walk anymore. He’s sleeping… safe and sound.”
Beckett chuckled slightly when the man suddenly groaned after his speech. The police were annoyed, thinking that Beckett was mocking them, which was partially true. After all, the police arrived just as he had caught the man.
There were five police officers in total. Three of them went to attend to the man on the floor, while the other two, including the team leader, approached Beckett. One of them was about to handcuff him when Beckett avoided their hands.
“You’re treating me like a criminal, and I don’t like it,” Beckett said firmly. “I will come with you, and if I cause a commotion and manage to escape, call Syneverse Entertainment’s director to find me.”