BECKETT STOPPED breathing for a second upon the mention of his late mother’s name. He didn’t even notice that his forehead had furrowed deeply while his left hand clenched tightly. He was filled with even more anxiety as his discoveries slowly pointed towards Alfred’s relationship with his mother in the past.
“Do you have his file?” Beckett asked Nathan.
Nathan shook his head as he read the document in his hand. “Yes, boss. But it’s quite sparse. It’s difficult to find information about the kid because someone seems to be deliberately hiding it from the public.”
Beckett’s brows furrowed even deeper. “Any idea or hunch who it is?”
“It could be your mother, boss, or maybe his father. Dyrus Hechanova.” Nathan scanned the file while looking for information about Dyrus. “According to this, they both worked at a small company with Ma’am Ylona and resigned at the same time. After that, no one knows where Dyrus went. There’s no trace left.”
“How did my mother become that kid’s guardian, then? Did he leave his son?” Beckett inquired again.
“No, boss…” Nathan cleared his throat before speaking. “Dyrus is already dead. According to this, he was hit by a vehicle in a dark alley and declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Dylan became an orphan, so Ma’am Ylona took him in as his guardian.”
“What year is it?”
“It’s December 2013, boss,” Nathan replied. “Then, in 2014, Dylan ended up in the orphanage.”
Beckett was stunned for a moment. The deaths of Dyrus and Ylona were close in timing. He had come home for their semester break in March 2014, so he couldn’t forget that.
‘This couldn’t be a coincidence,’ Beckett thought as he tried to piece it all together.
From Dyrus and Ylona’s friendship to their simultaneous resignations, Dyrus’s death followed by Ylona’s, and almost the death of their son Dylan, all of them had one common factor: Alfred.
But there were still some things that confused him. Beckett didn’t know that his mother had worked for another company before the Allamino Corporation. It made him feel like he didn’t really know his mother well because he had spent more time in Milan than with his parents.
“Thank you, Nate,” Beckett said with a small smile. That was all he could muster, and he felt drained. “Make sure to hide those documents, and ensure that you’re alone every time you report to me. Do you understand?”
“Yes, boss.” Nathan nodded before looking around. “I’m in the warehouse now, and there’s no one at my post. Everyone is busy making drugs. Jeremy is here too because he said he needed to report something to you.”
“Why did he bother to go there?” Beckett furrowed his brow. “He could have just called me. He wasted time going there if he’s not going to do anything.”
Jeremy has the most crucial work in Dweller Cartel. Among the many chemists he hired in the past, no one lasted as long as Jeremy. Jeremy was able to grasp the working method that Beckett preferred-fast yet precise. This resulted in no hiccups in the production of the drugs they made.
“Should I send him home, Boss? But it looks like he’s doing something here too. He’s been inspecting the drugs that will be distributed outside since earlier,” Nathan asked hesitantly.
Beckett grinned and shook his head. “No need. I’ll go there tomorrow. Just continue handling the daily transactions and tell Jeremy to wait for me.”
“Understood, Boss.”
Beckett ended the call after that. He looked at Vivianne again and smiled when he saw her sleeping soundly. He tidied up his things and turned off the laptop before sitting beside her on the bed.
“Vivianne…” Beckett softly called out to the sleeping woman and gently caressed her cheek. “Are you sleeping?”
The woman didn’t respond, which made Beckett chuckle softly. It seemed like she was really tired. Sometimes, when he joined her in bed late at night, Vivianne would wake up briefly, but now she was completely knocked out.
“My beautiful Vivianne…”
Beckett stared at Vivianne for a long time. His hand traced her cheek and moved down to her lips. Vivianne was facing him, so he could clearly see her fair skin and her rosy lips.
At that moment, he couldn’t believe that an innocent woman like Vivianne belonged to him.
“I love you,” Beckett whispered before he kissed her on the lips.
They might not say it to each other often, but they made sure to show it through their actions. Both of them weren’t very vocal when it came to expressing their feelings.
Nevertheless, there was no doubt-They loved each other deeply.
For Beckett, Vivianne wasn’t just his lover. She was the light of his life, his escape, his salvation. She brought happiness into his life. Without her, he might still be living a dull existence filled with pain, hatred, and his thirst for revenge.
Vivianne gave him a reason to live, and without her, he would rather die.
The next day, Vivianne woke up with a headache and aching body. It couldn’t be helped, as Beckett wouldn’t have let her rest if she hadn’t insisted on needing a break.
Nonetheless, she still had a smile on her face. She loved it when her boyfriend claimed her as if there were no tomorrow. They needed to cherish every moment they had together because their relationship was like a ticking time bomb.
With all the secrets they had kept from each other, once revealed, it could shatter the trust between them.
“Beckett?” Vivianne called for her boyfriend when she noticed he wasn’t by her side. “Where are you?”
“Here.”
Vivianne turned to her left as Beckett entered the room from the terrace. He looked like a Greek god, while she resembled a hot mess. Her hair was in disarray, and she winced due to her body’s soreness.
“Are you okay?” Beckett asked teasingly.
“Do I look okay?” Vivianne rolled her eyes but then laughed. “Well, I’m fine. You took care of me.”
Beckett shook his head at her response. He closed the sliding door and then headed to the bed where Vivianne was sitting. “Let me help you with your morning routine.”
“Is it really just a morning routine?” Beckett raised an eyebrow. “Knowing you, I know you’re going to tease me again.”
Beckett chuckled lightly. “Just a little.”
And he did. While helping Vivianne bathe and change her clothes, Beckett’s touches on her body were sensual. Vivianne would be hypocritical to say that she didn’t enjoy it. In the end, they made love in the bathroom.
Afterward, Beckett had to carry her back to bed because her thighs were sore again.
They spent the morning watching movies together in bed, extending into the afternoon. Vivianne had requested that Beckett not go to work today, and he agreed. Beckett kept stepping out to take calls, though.
Little did Vivianne know that some of those calls were from Nathan, as they had business matters to attend to.
“I’m sorry, I just need to answer that call,” Beckett said as he returned from the terrace. “How was the movie?”
“I didn’t enjoy it. It’s like you weren’t even here,” Vivianne pouted. “You’re always so busy, aren’t you? Even if I ask you not to go to work today, there are things you still need to handle.”
Beckett pinched Vivianne’s cheek. “Cute.”
“Hmph.” Vivianne playfully rolled her eyes.
Beckett didn’t respond. Instead, he picked up the remote control and turned off the TV. “I have to ask you something, Vivianne,” he said in a serious tone.
“What is it?” Vivianne’s smile faded, but after a few seconds, she regained her composure. “You’re being serious, huh? I’m getting nervous,” she said jokingly, but Beckett’s expression remained unchanged.
Her smile disappeared completely. It was replaced by confusion, although she didn’t show it. She remained silent, waiting for Beckett to ask his question. She had an idea-it could be about her father.
“About that time when the child was almost killed by someone…” Beckett looked at Vivianne with a gentle yet menacing expression. “Can you tell me what happened? Why would your father want to kill someone innocent like him?”
Vivianne tightly closed her eyes. She knew that this day would come-that Beckett would eventually ask about things that could lead them to the truth.
“Vivianne…” Beckett called again, bringing her back to reality. Her eyes remained closed. “Can you answer that question for me?”
Upon hearing that question, Vivianne didn’t immediately respond. It’s not like she had planned to keep it a secret, but somehow, she was afraid of how Beckett would react once he found out the truth.
It wasn’t just their illegal organization that the Allaminos were hiding. There were many other secrets.
Vivianne took a deep breath before lifting her head. She opened her eyes, and she was met with Beckett’s determined expression.
“I can answer your questions… But can you accept everything I say?”