As if on cue, Beckett’s mind went back to that day, especially when Alfred re-enacted exactly what the killer did that night. He was removing his upper garment while playing with a fork in his right hand.
Beckett froze in his tracks, his body trembling. It was happening again. The entire place seemed to fill with blood due to his imagination. He even held his breath without realizing that he had let go of Vivianne already.
Fortunately, Vivianne was sober enough to steady herself, but she was confused as to why Beckett suddenly stopped walking when he was the one eager to get her out of the house in the first place.
“Beckett?” Vivianne called to her boyfriend in a soft voice, but he didn’t respond. He just kept staring at Alfred, so her gaze also shifted to her father.
She furrowed her brow when she saw that his shirt was now removed, and Alfred was facing both of them. There, she saw the tattoo again-an infinity sign with small thorns.
At first, she didn’t know what was happening, but when everything dawned on her, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
‘That tattoo… Shit!’ Vivianne cursed in her mind. ‘It’s the same as Beckett’s mother’s… Wait…’ She also pondered for a moment.
She had suspicions that Beckett’s mother might be one of the special members of the Allamino mafia, but she didn’t want to accept it initially. But now, as she watched Beckett seethe with anger, it seemed her suspicions were correct.
Vivianne breathed heavily as she held onto Beckett’s hand, trying to calm him while controlling her own thoughts at the same time. Vivianne held a deep-seated anger toward every member of that mafia because of what happened to her mother.
And just as she had always turned a blind eye to every evil thing her father did for the sake of her mother’s safety, she couldn’t help but hate herself as well.
“Why haven’t you left yet? Have you changed your mind?” Alfred asked with a smirk. He continued to toy with the fork as if it were a knife he held. “Or perhaps you’re remembering something while staring at me, Mr. Clainfer?”
Beckett’s grip on Vivianne’s hand tightened during those moments. His cheeks suddenly flushed with anger, and the veins in his neck became visible as he restrained himself.
Beckett knew that Alfred was insinuating something, and only they understood what was going on. At this moment, Alfred was declaring war between them, and Vivianne had no clue.
Vivianne felt like she had an idea, but it wasn’t enough. She also felt that Beckett would explode soon if she didn’t intervene.
“We’re going,” Vivianne cut the tension between her boyfriend and her father. “Let’s go, Beckett. Just follow my lead,” she said before trying to pull Beckett along, but she didn’t succeed.
Beckett remained defiant. He didn’t want to break eye contact with Alfred. Vivianne used all her strength to try to move Beckett from his spot, but he was simply stronger.
“Can you whistle?” Beckett suddenly asked, raising Alfred’s eyebrows.
“What’s with the sudden question?” Alfred chuckled before placing the fork he was holding on the table. “Of course.”
Beckett nodded but kept his eyes cold. “Do you have a favorite song? A song that you whistle every time you’re happy or doing something?”
Vivianne felt a sense of curiosity and fear because of that question. All members of her family could whistle. Even she could whistle when she was happy or bored.
“But how did he know that?” Vivianne wondered in her mind. Sweat was forming on her forehead. “Is it because of his mother again?”
As she was consumed by her doubts, her gaze settled on her father. Now, she understood what he was doing. Alfred was provoking Beckett, but she didn’t know exactly how the provocation was taking place.
“Beckett…”
“Just a minute,” Beckett held Vivianne’s hand tightly as if reassuring her that everything was still fine.
Vivianne nodded, silently praying that there wouldn’t be a disturbance in their house today. Her mother was sleeping on the second floor, and she didn’t want to disturb her peaceful slumber. She was also glad that she had spent some quality time with Ella earlier.
“Make sure to find it out,” was Alfred’s cryptic response. “Take care on the road.” He picked up the bottle of alcohol from the table before leaving.
Then, Vivianne was able to pull Beckett away from the dining room as well. They exited the mansion, and instead of heading to her own car, Vivianne went to Beckett’s car.
She sat in the passenger seat, while Beckett took the driver’s seat.
“I can’t drive. I’ve had some drinks,” Vivianne explained.
“You don’t need to explain. I’m here to take you home,” Beckett replied.
Beckett was about to start the car when Vivianne suddenly grabbed his wrist. “What happened back there?”
“Hmm?” Beckett feigned innocence.
“That won’t work on me. Why did you come here even though you weren’t invited?”
“I just wanted to.” Beckett started the car even though Vivianne was still holding onto him. “Always be careful, okay? Don’t drink too much alcohol, especially when you can’t handle it.”
“Hey, I’m not drunk, you know. I just got a little dizzy,” Vivianne said, releasing her grip on Beckett. She leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.
Meanwhile, Beckett drove towards Vivianne’s dormitory. They were both silent throughout the journey, as something was bothering them both. They wanted to ask each other a question, but they couldn’t find the courage to do so.
Before long, they arrived at the parking lot of Vivianne’s condo building.
“We’re here,” Beckett said before parking the car. “I’ll take you upstairs.” He reached for a hat and a face mask from the compartment and put them on.
Vivianne smiled at him and turned away to hide it. “You don’t need to…”
Beckett just shrugged and pursed his lips, suppressing his own smile. He then helped Vivianne out of the car and didn’t take his eyes off her until they reached the front of her condo unit.
“I’m okay here,” Vivianne said when she noticed Beckett still looking at her. “Thank you for driving me. Take care on your way home,” she added.
“You won’t ask me to go inside?” Beckett raised an eyebrow but had a slight grin. “Is this what I’ll get after bringing you home?”
“Hey, quit being dramatic,” Vivianne chuckled, causing Beckett to laugh as well. “You have a busy schedule in the next few days. You should make the most of every rest you can get-”
Vivianne didn’t finish her sentence as Beckett suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. It was different from their usual embraces when they were intimate.
“W-What are you doing?” Vivianne asked, her embarrassment evident in her voice.
“You told me to get all the rest that I can get, so I’m doing it,” Beckett replied, caressing her hair and planting small kisses on her head.
Vivianne couldn’t help but feel touched by this. “So, are you saying that you can rest when you’re with me?”
“Well, I guess you can say that.”
Vivianne couldn’t contain her smile any longer. She really appreciated the fact that she was the only one who saw this side of Beckett.
“You’re being cheesy,” she teased, pulling away from the hug. “You should go home. We’ll see each other again tomorrow. Don’t be clingy.”
“Tch. I’m not, woman,” Beckett denied out of embarrassment.
“Really, huh.” Vivianne laughed after saying that.
Beckett smiled when he saw how beautiful Vivianne was. Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe that he had found love despite his dark past. He felt unworthy of her love, but he couldn’t let her go.
He knew that the world they were in now was dangerous, so his promise to himself was to protect Vivianne, no matter the cost.
“If something bad happens, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?” Beckett said before kissing Vivianne on her forehead. “Stay alert and be cautious. Keep your guard up. Don’t trust anyone.”
“Mmm,” Vivianne nodded. “You take care on the road too. Watch your actions, and someone might recognize you.”
Beckett just smiled in response before walking away. Once Beckett was out of her sight, she finally entered her unit and threw herself down on the couch.
Today has been a very exhausting day. She had discovered a lot, including the hidden tension between Beckett and Alfred. Despite the doubts swirling in her mind, she couldn’t help but feel lucky to have a boyfriend who was willing to love her no matter who she was.
The speed of time and the events that transpired had not been a hindrance for them to love each other. From the very beginning, Vivianne knew that Beckett was the one for her.
But how long would it last?