BECKETT WAS more than surprised, seeing the love of his life pointing a gun at him. And he was doing the same thing. He knew it was Vivianne in front of him now, but he couldn’t bring himself to lower his weapon.
He trusts her, but there’s something different about Vivianne’s gaze. The hatred looked genuine, and he wondered why.
“Vivianne…” Beckett called out to the young woman. His voice was full of longing and pain. “Why did you leave me?”
Vivianne didn’t respond. Instead, she tightened her grip on the gun. “Don’t look for me again. Don’t visit the company I work for, my apartment, and don’t even try to find my friends. You will die if you do that.”
“Vivianne-”
“And don’t come near me. Stay there. Don’t take a step closer because I don’t know what might happen if you don’t follow my command,” Vivianne said in a stern tone.
Nonetheless, Beckett could hear the pain and sadness in his girlfriend’s voice. In a short amount of time, he had come to know her well. He knew she was just putting up a brave front, but he felt the weight of her emotions, despite Vivianne trying to conceal it all.
“I’ve been waiting for you…” Beckett said in a soft voice as he slowly approached Vivianne. “But I know that you’ll come back to me… Amore Mio. [my love]”
Vivianne’s stomach fluttered when she heard those words from Beckett. At that moment, she wanted to let go of the gun and embrace Beckett with all her heart. She wanted to be selfish and leave everything behind and be with Beckett.
But then she remembered something and snapped back to reality.
“When I left you at the hotel that day, I also ended our relationship,” Vivianne said before glaring at the man. “So I’m not coming back to you. Never.”
There was a mixture of anger and pain in her voice, which left Beckett puzzled and his heart shattered. He wondered why she said that. He couldn’t believe how convincing Vivianne’s words were, and for a moment, he believed that she didn’t love him at all.
“It’s not something for you to decide.” Beckett holstered his gun as if he no longer cared about having any defenses in front of the woman. “You can’t end our relationship just like that, and you can’t just leave me without a valid reason, Vivianne. We are in a relationship, and I deserve to know where your anger is coming from.”
Vivianne smiled before a tear fell from her eyes. “We were in a relationship, Beckett. But not anymore…”
Vivianne was torn between feeling pain and anger. Before leaving earlier to carry out this mission, she had a conversation with her father. She couldn’t forget what he said, and it kept replaying in her mind. Beckett and his family… Had sinned toward them.
“Don’t make everything hard for us,” Beckett pleaded, his eyes almost watery. “You can tell me if there’s something wrong. You know how much I’m willing to endure everything just for you.”
Vivianne was the reason Beckett was still breathing in this chaotic world, and that wouldn’t change. But for Vivianne, it was all over. She needed to end whatever existed between them at this moment.
“My mistake was loving you,” Vivianne said in a firm tone.
“What are you talking about-”
“I wish I had never met you,” the woman interrupted Beckett. “If I hadn’t met you, everything would be easier. Everything would be better!”
Vivianne’s voice and lips trembled when she said those words. Tears continued to flow from her eyes. She knew how much she badly messed up the situation, hurting the one who had done nothing but love her, by telling lies.
None of what she said was true. Meeting Beckett was the happiest event in her life, especially the time they spent together. Although her real job was to investigate and kill him, she had fallen in love with him.
Did she regret everything? No.
“Vivianne…”
“Don’t come any closer.”
Vivianne tightened her grip on the gun, but Beckett remained unfazed. He continued to approach her, slowly dismantling the emotional barrier she had constructed inside her heart.
“Let’s talk, Vivianne…”
“I said, don’t come any closer!”
Vivianne pulled the trigger, and the bullet struck Beckett’s side. It was enough to stop him in his tracks. At that moment, he knew she was serious about her warning. If he didn’t exercise caution, he might actually be killed.
He wondered why Vivianne was acting this way. Did he say something wrong?
“Leave before my associates find you here,” Vivianne warned. “I’m not alone. I’m with my father’s men, and we’re here to kill you. Who knows what will they do if they find you first and not me?”
‘Vivianne… Are you giving me hints right now?’ Beckett wondered to himself.
“Come with me,” Beckett said, as if pleading, but Vivianne quickly shook her head.
“This is my life now,” Vivianne replied in a cold tone, while her grip on the gun continued to tighten. “So if you don’t want to die at my hands, leave.”
Vivianne wanted him to go, but Beckett stared at her for a moment. Although the woman didn’t notice, her hands and eyes were trembling. Beckett found it hard to see Vivianne like this, but he wanted to memorize every part of her face and body.
And see how her eyes begged for help despite what she was saying.
“This is where the gunfire is coming from! Hurry up!”
“Shit!” Vivianne cursed when she heard Joan’s voice calling their other associates to their location. She glanced at Beckett and saw fear and hesitation in his eyes. “Go now! Go!”
“I’ll come back for you,” Beckett said in an authoritative tone before running away.
He had a gun, but the Allamino mafia’s people were too numerous. He couldn’t kill them all, and he couldn’t take a life either. It was because of the trauma he experienced when he saw his parents’ corpses in front of him as a child. Even seeing blood makes his body panic a lot.
Beckett quickly ran toward his car parked in a nearby alley. He knew his vehicle was bulletproof, so once he reached it, he believed his safety would be assured.
As he was about to make a turn toward the alley, he heard a gunshot from behind and felt himself falling to the ground. A bullet had hit his thigh, and the pain was excruciating.
“Fuck!” Beckett groaned in pain while clutching his injured leg. It felt like his whole body was being crushed by the pain.
Beckett turned to see who had shot him, and he suddenly regretted what he did.
He didn’t know which was more painful: the gunshot to his leg… or the piercing look Vivianne gave him after she shot him?
DESPITE THE pain, Beckett managed to drive to the El Continental Hotel. He used the back entrance to avoid being seen by anyone in this condition. Fortunately, Jeru happened to be there, and Beckett called him for help.
Beckett and Paige had been good friends, and if not for their friendship, he was sure Jeru would endure seeing him suffering, even if he were on the verge of dying.
Jeru had almost cursed him earlier for calling him out of the blue. He seemed busy and annoyed. Beckett chuckled when he remembered Jeru’s irritated tone, but then he shouted in pain due to the bullet in his body.
“Ah… Damn it,” Beckett grimaced, and the doctor looked at him apologetically. “It’s fine… Ah, shit.”
“I’ve already administered anesthesia, but it seems like your body hasn’t fully absorbed it. You’ll feel pain. You’ll have to endure it,” the female doctor told him before fixing the tools she will use for the operation.
Beckett nodded. After a while, he felt drowsy, and he didn’t resist it. He would never forget the pain he was feeling right now because it would serve as his motivation to fight.
And to save Vivianne from the clutches of her own father.
THE NEXT DAY, Beckett woke up feeling a stinging sensation on his cheek. It was somewhat strong, so he winced.
“Wake up, sleeping prince,” Jeru said with a grin.
“Fuck you.” Beckett showed his middle finger before attempting to sit up. His supposedly good friend didn’t even offer to help him.
Jeru was initially his enemy because of Paige, but now, somehow, he could say that they were friends.
“Is that how you express your gratitude to people who helped you?” Jeru teasingly asked before sitting down beside Beckett. He shifted his gaze to the wound on Beckett’s thigh. “Damn. That must be painful.”
“Why? Are you worried about me now?” Beckett raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
“Hah. Seeing that you still have the energy to mess with me, I think you haven’t seen this yet.” Jeru smirked. “Look at this, and tell me if you’ll still have the energy to smile after this.”
Jeru handed the tablet to Beckett, and he immediately took it. His eyes widened at what he saw.