Only then did the police realize that a famous model like Beckett would not do anything that could tarnish his reputation. One of the policemen glanced at their team leader and shook his head.
The team leader suddenly realized that Beckett, known in the modeling industry, might be wealthy, and they didn’t want any trouble if they confronted him.
“Okay, come with us,” said the team leader.
Beckett nodded and complied. The police escorted Beckett to the station without handcuffing him. Some residents in the area watched-some were delighted to see Beckett, while others were annoyed because their sleep was disturbed by the noise of footsteps on the rooftop.
In no time, they arrived at the nearest police station. The police brought Beckett to the interrogation room to investigate him. They questioned him about things that seemed pointless.
“I am still innocent until proven guilty, so stop guilt-tripping me,” Beckett retorted in an irritated tone. “And I’m not the criminal here. He is,” he added, pointing to the man in front of him.
“We are police officers, so watch your language,” said the female police officer he was talking to. “Just because you’re a famous model doesn’t mean you can act like that towards us. Do you understand?”
Beckett snorted in frustration but managed to conceal it with a neutral expression. He didn’t like how the police handled the case, but he was controlling his emotions. He would teach this station a lesson once he was out, but not at that moment.
“Fine. Just finish this,” Beckett said wearily, too tired to argue.
The woman nodded before returning to questioning him. Beckett answered all the questions honestly, explaining his purpose there and why he had tranquilized the man.
Beckett had to acknowledge the use of the tranquilizer because if he didn’t, the presence of Vivianne might be revealed by the police. He was relieved that there were no witnesses at that time, and the lawyers who arrived shortly after were able to defend Beckett effortlessly.
Syneverse Entertainment was influential, and they could clean up any mess involving their artists quickly and efficiently-most of it involved bribery and money. He couldn’t help but smile when the female police officer told him he was free to go, and he promptly left the station.
Beckett walked outside the police station as if he were walking on the red carpet. The lawyers behind him became his bodyguards, waiting for his instructions. They used the back door because the entrance was swarmed with reporters.
“Where should we take you, Sir?” one of the lawyers asked when they reached the outside. “Reporters might arrive soon once the news spreads.”
“No need to accompany me. I’ll call my car-”
Beckett paused when a car suddenly stopped in front of him. It was an Audi A5 Sportback, an expensive and limited edition car. Beckett whistled lightly as he admired the car and the woman sitting in the driver’s seat-Vivianne.
He approached her and asked, “How did you know that I’m here?”
“News,” she replied shortly. “You’re all over the headlines. Well, they’re all positive. It’s impressive how you can dodge all the negative news about you, huh?”
“Cut to the chase.” Beckett clicked his tongue, annoyed.
“Do you have any plans now?”
“I said, cut to the chase.”
“You’re so grumpy. How did your fans even like you if you’re like that?” Vivianne stopped talking when Beckett gave her a deadly stare. “Fine. If you have any plans now, cancel them all.”
“And why would I do that?” Beckett raised an eyebrow.
He felt both confused and amused at the same time. He didn’t have any other plans now, as he just attended a charity event earlier, but at the same time, he wanted to tease Vivianne.
“Because I need to show you something.” Vivianne playfully winked at Beckett as she pushed a button, indicating that the passenger seat was open. “Hop in. I’ll pay for all your canceled shoots.”
“Now, you’re bribing me with money?” Beckett chuckled lightly.
The woman in front of him was different from the woman he knew before. Beckett was pleased to see that Vivianne was becoming more comfortable around him.
“You know who I am now. I don’t need to hide,” Vivianne casually said as if she didn’t almost kill Beckett earlier. “Let’s go. We have a long drive ahead.”
Beckett didn’t reply but went to the passenger seat and closed the door. “Where are we going?” he asked, and his eyebrows furrowed when Vivianne clapped her hands three times. “What the fuck?”
“To the mountain!” Vivianne said before giggling. It was a reference from the ‘Dora the Explorer’ series, but based on Beckett’s confused reaction, it seemed he didn’t get it. “Oh well, your life is so boring. Forget it!”
Beckett hadn’t even finished fastening his seatbelt when Vivianne started the car. She laughed as she heard a sequence of curses from Beckett. Vivianne was a reckless driver, and she loved sports cars.
The two of them remained silent during their journey. Long travels weren’t an issue for Beckett, especially since he often went to different countries for his photoshoots. Vivianne also enjoyed the silence, especially now that she had a lot on her mind.
She didn’t know if she was going to do the right thing, but this was the only way she saw to escape. It might not be apparent, but she had been carrying the weight in her heart for a long time because of what happened to her family.
First, she wanted to enjoy, relax, and have peace of mind, even just for a while. Second, she wanted to burn the world… burn them all to ashes with her.
After a while, Vivianne stopped by the side of the road, causing Beckett to raise an eyebrow. The man looked out the window and his eyes filled with curiosity upon seeing their location.
“You should’ve asked me if you wanted a beach date,” said Beckett, obviously teasing Vivianne.
“Oh, come on. This is just a quick stop because my back is hurting from all the driving,” Vivianne retorted. “And don’t you need to use the bathroom? I wanted to pee,” she complained. “Just give me a moment, okay? I’ll be out quickly.”
Beckett simply nodded and didn’t say anything. As Vivianne got out of the car and ran towards the comfort room, Beckett checked his phone and saw the overwhelming number of calls and messages he received due to what happened earlier.
He massaged his forehead as it furrowed, then put his phone on “do not disturb” mode before putting it back in his pocket. At that moment, Vivianne returned from the restroom.
Beckett expected that she would go back to the driver’s seat so they could continue their ride, but he was mistaken. Vivianne went to the front of the passenger seat and knocked on Beckett’s window.
“What?” Beckett asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
“Let’s take a walk,” Vivianne said. “Look, the beach is beautiful. It’s fun to explore at this hour because there are fewer people. No one will recognize you,” she added while gazing at the sunset.
Beckett chuckled lightly. It suddenly felt like Vivianne was asking him out on a date. Walking on the beach with someone wasn’t his usual thing, but Vivianne was an exception… as always.
“Say please first,” Beckett teased. His raised eyebrow was matched by Vivianne’s.
She felt a bit embarrassed by what the man said. Vivianne knew what he was thinking. “You know what? Nevermind!” Vivianne replied before leaving Beckett alone.
Vivianne herself didn’t know what she was doing either. This wasn’t the first time she did something impulsive. The first time she saw Beckett at the bar, she asked if she could hug him. For her, it was fucking embarrassing.
“Chill, woman. I’m just kidding,” Beckett suddenly said, now standing next to her. “Walking like this feels so nice, too.”
Beckett showed a genuine smile for a few seconds as he glanced at the combination of orange and yellow colors blending in the clouds. It was his first time appreciating a sunset like this, and looking at the beautiful scenery with Vivianne beside him felt… ethereal.
Suddenly, he felt calm. It had been so long since he last felt that way. It felt foreign to him, and it confused him. How could someone possibly bring sunshine with just their presence?
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Vivianne asked. She was now looking at the sunset too. “It’s so refreshing to look at.”
“Yeah,” Beckett agreed, but this time, he wasn’t looking at the sunset anymore. He was looking straight at Vivianne.
She felt his gaze She quickly turned to face Beckett and immediately regretted it. She suddenly met Beckett’s eyes, and for her, it looked more breathtaking than the beautiful scenery behind her.
Beckett’s dark blue eyes pierced deeply into her soul. She didn’t know how someone could be as perfect as him. His presence suddenly felt like a sin… a dangerous one.
“Did I do the right thing about bringing you here with me?” Vivianne asked herself.
It was supposed to be just in her mind, but she accidentally muttered it, causing Beckett to furrow his brow for a moment.
“If that’s what your intuition is telling you, then it’s fine,” Beckett took a step forward, approaching her. He locked gazes with her. “I’m not complaining either. Wherever you want to take me, I don’t care at all.”
Vivianne closed her eyes momentarily because of those words. They were unnecessarily seductive, making her cheeks flush with red and her core throb in anticipation.
As time passed, Vivianne couldn’t understand herself anymore. She knew it. She was falling too fast, too hard, and too deep. Everyone was right when they warned her about Beckett before.
There was something in him that she wanted to discover… to caress… to love. And as Beckett’s dazzling eyes bore into her, the feeling significantly intensified.
‘No, Viv.’ She shook her head in her mind. ‘You know it’s not possible. You know you’ll both just get hurt…’
“We should go back,” Vivianne cut off the tension between both of them. “We still have a long way to go-”
“Vivianne,” Beckett interrupted what she was about to say, taking another step forward. In one swift motion, Beckett’s hands were already on Vivianne’s waist, and his forehead pressed against hers. “Do you want to know what my intuition is telling me right now?”
“W-What is it?”
“This.” Beckett’s right hand traveled onto Vivianne’s cheek as he leaned forward to give her a deep, passionate kiss.