‘What the fuck?’
Beckett’s string of curses continued as he realized that Alfred was the one in front of him now. At first, he was in denial, thinking that maybe he was just seeing things, but no.
The great Alfred Allamino, known by everyone as a hard-working and innocent guy, was in his coffee shop, and he was his potential client, for fuck’s sake.
“I know that you know me already, so I don’t need to introduce myself,” Alfred said before grinning.
He looked around, his grin widening as he scrutinized the employees one by one. “I expected the meeting place to be eerie and dark like an abandoned room. A coffee shop didn’t even cross my mind. That was so unique of you.”
“I believe that our products should be treated with care, too, just like the other products in the market,” Beckett coldly replied in front of his voice changer. “And I want my client to be comfortable while talking to me, too.”
Beckett’s voice was cold and intimidating, especially since he was using a voice changer. He just couldn’t risk encountering fans who could recognize his voice. He knew there were those kinds of fans-those fans who could be recognized by the dirt under their nails.
Fans can be scary at times, and for people who are keeping a secret like Beckett, he needs to be extra careful… especially since he’s not Beckett right now. He’s MOB.
“Is that so?” Alfred stood up and locked eyes with Beckett. There was a threatening expression in his eyes. “Then, can you ask all of them to leave?” he asked, pointing to the employees around them.
“Why? They’re my employees, don’t worry,” Beckett answered before shrugging his shoulders. “You don’t need to worry about your identity either. We value confidentiality even for our potential clients.”
“I thought you were handling your people with care, but you can’t even fulfill this simple request?” Alfred’s authoritative question tested Beckett’s patience. “I’m going to discuss something important with you. If you don’t want to ask them to leave, I’ll leave.”
Beckett cursed upon hearing that. If it were anyone else, he might have pointed a gun at them or dragged them out of the coffee shop to Nathan. But hell, it’s Alfred. He’s searched for dirt on him multiple times, and now, he’s the one approaching him.
The opportunity is truly unbelievable.
“Alright.” Beckett turned his head to everyone and commanded, “Everyone should leave, and no one will go inside until I command you to do so.”
The employees immediately complied. They moved quickly, leaving Alfred and Beckett alone inside the coffee shop.
“Happy now?” Beckett sarcastically asked, and Alfred could sense that even though he was using a voice changer.
“More than happy, MOB,” Alfred replied. He sat down again and leaned back. “I will get straight to the point, just like how both of us like it. I need a new drug dealer for my business.”
The corner of Beckett’s lips lifted. “And how much can you pay me?”
“I don’t need negotiations. Just tell me the amount, and I’ll pay it,” Alfred grinned, crossing his hands and leaning back in his seat. “You have a good reputation, that’s why I’m here. But I only believe what my eyes see.”
“We’re the same,” Beckett replied. After all, that’s how businessmen usually are.
Alfred clasped his hands together before speaking again. “What can you offer to me?”
“Wow, so this is how the great Alfred Allamino negotiates with someone,” Beckett commented with amusement as he cracked his neck. He truly felt the authority exuding from Alfred. “Would you like to test our latest drug invention?”
“Sure.”
Beckett glanced around and called Nathan. Nathan quickly approached him, now wearing a face mask. “Bring me the collection.”
“Copy, Boss.”
Nathan left momentarily to retrieve the drugs from the car trunk. While waiting, Beckett and Alfred simply stared at each other. Though Beckett didn’t show it, he was slightly nervous due to the way Alfred was looking at him.
‘There’s no way he would know me. I’ve been careful about my identity for years,’ Beckett thought, lightly tapping his fingers on the table. ‘But why does it feel like he knew something about me?’
“You’re tall and seem muscular,” Alfred suddenly spoke, causing Beckett to snap back to reality. “Did you try to consider modeling? Or being in the showbiz industry?”
Beckett cursed silently in his mind. Luckily, he had trained himself on how to control his emotions, so Alfred didn’t notice his surprise.
“I don’t answer personal questions,” Beckett replied with a grin. “And you haven’t seen my face yet. You can’t be sure if I’ll qualify as a model or actor, or not.”
Alfred laughed at his response. Whoever the man behind the mask was, he knew how to play with his words. It was as if he was used to being cornered with such questions.
After a while, Nathan arrived carrying a suitcase. He placed it on the table, nodded, and then left again. Beckett opened it, revealing various types of drugs inside.
“All these drugs had good feedback from our clients, but I recommend this one the most,” Beckett said as he picked up a plastic-sealed packet of powder and handed it to Alfred. “The pleasure drug. Using this one would bring someone to ecstasy, and it’s perfect for bars or something. Do you have one?”
“Of course.” Alfred nodded while examining the drugs. “I’m selling women to different clients, and this will increase their value. But I can also resell it.”
Beckett felt a sense of irritation. He knew he wasn’t a saint to be morally upright, but one of the reasons Beckett entered this field was to seek out whoever was responsible for killing his parents.
Alfred, on the other hand, seemed like he was involved in every illegal activity purely for pleasure and profit. His grin widened even more as he thought about the money that would pour into his business.
Beckett shook his head. He couldn’t let himself be affected. He needed to close the deal so he and Nathan could investigate further.
“Right. It can bring you a massive amount of profit.” Beckett extended his hand, pointing at the suitcase. “You can try it and see if it suits your preference.”
Beckett carefully observed Alfred’s reaction to his words.
‘If he’s also using drugs, I will find it easier to imprison him,’ he thought to himself.
Alfred didn’t immediately respond. He just shook his head before placing the drugs back in the suitcase. “Tell me the price, and I’ll buy this one. I’ll buy the others too.”
“So, it’s a deal.” Beckett extended his hand, and Alfred shook it. “My secretary will give you the form and process half of the payment. I’ll take the other half once we deliver the products.”
“Sure. No problem.”
There was a firm grip between Beckett and Alfred-almost as if there was underlying anger in their touch. Beckett composed himself slightly before leaving the coffee shop and returning to the warehouse.
But Beckett wasn’t naive. Before they traveled back, he had Nathan check if anyone was following them or if there was a tracker on their car. Fortunately, there was none, but it was still better to double-check everything than to become complacent.
When they arrived at the warehouse, Beckett inspected the various departments there. Nathan was a capable employee, so Beckett didn’t have to worry too much about the operations. Nonetheless, his presence was still necessary, especially since the final decision rested with him.
Afterward, he went to his office, with Nathan trailing behind. While working on some papers, Beckett noticed Nathan’s occasional glances. His eyebrow raised in response.
“If you want to ask me something, go on,” Beckett said in a cold tone.
“It’s your first time being late, boss,” Nathan replied, scratching his neck. “Is it because of Miss Vivianne?”
Beckett didn’t answer, and Nathan already understood what that meant. It’s a yes. Vivianne was the reason Beckett almost didn’t make it to their business meeting today.
“Our business won’t be ruined because of this, right?” Nathan asked, his curiosity and concern evident in his tone.
Just like Beckett, revenge was also Nathan’s motivation for joining this organization. He wouldn’t let Beckett stray from the path just because of a woman.
“I won’t let the organization go in vain. I still know my main priority,” Beckett replied, twirling the pen in his right hand. “Besides that, I got leads. It won’t be long before we find out the truth and get justice.”
Beckett put down the pen and held his gaze on Nathan. “Anyway, any news about what I asked you to do?”
“Yes, boss.”
Nathan took his tablet and pressed something on it. He presented the screen to Beckett.
“Here, boss. One of our hackers found a document from the warehouse, but it’s encrypted. It’s too risky to open, and we don’t know if it’s a trap. Our people can’t decrypt it either.”
“Do you need a skilled hacker?” Beckett asked, and Nathan nodded. “Alright. I know who can hack that shit.”
Beckett picked up his phone from the table and called someone.