“EVERYONE, can I borrow my future husband for a moment?” Vivianne said nervously yet authoritatively. “I believe we should rest for a bit before the wedding, right?” she added, looking at the reporters before turning to Beckett.
Even Beckett was surprised by her sudden interruption. It wasn’t Vivianne’s usual behavior. She often just listened to conversations and didn’t interfere, but she was acting differently now.
Beckett snapped back to reality when Vivianne pinched him. She was giving him a stern look, as if asking for his help.
“Ah, right,” Beckett said, understanding what Vivianne wanted. He looked at the reporters and smiled. “I will let you interview me after this. Kindly excuse us.”
Beckett walked away while still holding Vivianne by the waist. He led her to a corner.
Other guests and reporters who were trying to eavesdrop were about to approach, but they stopped when they saw four men in black suits blocking their way.
Those were Beckett’s bodyguards, but they were not from Syneverse. Beckett hired them himself to guard him and Vivianne.
“Make sure no one will be able to eavesdrop, even all of you,” Beckett ordered them, and they complied.
They moved a bit farther away from where Beckett and Vivianne were standing to give them privacy. Afterward, Beckett returned to where the woman was. His hands were crossed as he looked at her with mischief in his eyes.
“Future husband, huh? I like it,” Beckett said, smiling mischievously, but Vivianne’s expression from earlier didn’t change. “Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?”
“What do you mean by what you said earlier?” Vivianne asked, her tone slightly angry. “Am I the reason why you joined Foedus?”
Beckett avoided her gaze. He scratched his neck before speaking. “It’s none of your business.”
Vivianne felt a jolt of realization upon hearing those words. Beckett didn’t answer directly, but she knew the answer to her question. Beckett joined that group because of her.
“No wonder you reacted that way when I mentioned that you might have been looking for a backer before. Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” Vivianne asked, but Beckett remained silent. He just stared at the wall behind them. “And why did you join them? Why… are you still thinking about my well-being?”
“Because I still love you,” Beckett replied without hesitation.
Their eyes met again, causing Vivianne’s heart to beat faster. She felt like she was melting under Beckett’s gaze, and with his words.
But that feeling quickly disappeared when Beckett spoke again.
“Is that what you want to hear from me?” the man asked before grinning. He didn’t break their gaze. “That I still love you? That I want you to come back to me?”
Vivianne felt embarrassed by what she heard. Anger quickly rose to her head, causing her hand to rise. She was about to slap Beckett when she noticed a few people peeking in their direction.
She forced a sweet smile. Then, she gently stroked the man’s cheek. “You’re such a jerk and an idiot, aren’t you? Who said that’s what I wanted to hear?” she asked to mask the disappointment she felt.
Beckett chuckled softly before taking Vivianne’s wrist. He placed it on his lips before gently kissing the woman’s fingers.
“You don’t need to think about it. You’re not the only reason why I joined them, and it doesn’t matter since I’m already a part of that group.”
“It doesn’t matter?” Vivianne repeated before laughing sarcastically. “You’ve joined the Mafia. Even if you wanted to leave, you can’t do it anymore. Your life is at stake!”
“I don’t care,” Beckett shrugged.
Vivianne sighed and touched her forehead. She’s a part of the Allamino Mafia, and that’s the situation for everyone there. Anyone who leaves the mafia will die because that’s the only way out. So, she knew how difficult it was, and she was puzzled because Beckett seemed unfazed by it all.
“I can’t believe…” Vivianne looked at Beckett as if he was out of his mind. “Do you even understand what you’re saying?”
Beckett leaned closer to her. His gaze was cold and intimidating, but Vivianne could also see sadness in his eyes. “I won’t mind any steps I need to take if that will save you from that hell.”
Vivianne was speechless for a moment when she heard those words. She was momentarily stunned, feeling like she was drowning in Beckett’s eyes. There were so many emotions playing in his eyes, even in the tone of his voice earlier. She didn’t know what to say.
A part of her was saying that… Beckett still loves her.
“Sir.”
Suddenly, a bodyguard approached them, bringing Vivianne back to reality. Beckett seemed to be in the same state as he cleared his throat before lowering Vivianne’s hand and intertwining it with his, but he didn’t let it go completely.
“What is it?” Beckett asked, furrowing his brows.
“Sorry for the interruption, Sir, but you’re being called over there,” the bodyguard said, pointing to the location where they would get married. “The wedding is about to start in a few minutes.”
Beckett just nodded in response, and the bodyguard left after that. Vivianne, on the other hand, just stared at him, still remembering what Beckett said earlier.
“Let’s go,” Beckett said before he and Vivianne walked away from the place where they had their conversation earlier.
Beckett’s left hand was clenched, while his right hand held Vivianne tightly. He was annoyed with himself for lying earlier. He still loves Vivianne, and he really wants to tell her that. But he always resorts to jokes because he’s afraid of Vivianne rejecting him.
He already received rejection from Vivianne a couple of times, and he couldn’t take it anymore. But the most important thing is, she’s going to be his… soon.
The wedding ceremony began shortly after. Beckett and Vivianne stood facing each other, with a priest in front of them. He officially started the ceremony.
“Welcome, everyone. Vivianne Allamino and Beckett Clainfer have chosen you, those special and important to them, to witness and celebrate the beginning of their life together…”
The priest said a lot more, but Vivianne’s mind seemed to drift. She felt bad about herself. She felt like she ruined Beckett’s life for the second time.
But she couldn’t do anything about it. Beckett involved himself in this mess, and she is willing to use Beckett along the way.
“Beckett Clainfer, do you take Vivianne Allamino to be your wife, to live together in Holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as you both shall live?” the priest asked Beckett.
“Yes, I do.” Beckett nodded and smiled, and Vivianne almost melted when she saw that smile.
And when it was her turn to be asked by the priest, she did the same. She smiled as tears streamed down her eyes. “Yes, I do.”
And in their exchange of vows, Vivianne somehow remembered that it was a dream come true for her. She once dreamed of marrying Beckett and building a family with the man in front of her.
They were just reading their vows. Both of them had their staff prepare their vows because they didn’t want to get hurt. They might put their heart out on the wedding vow they would say in the wedding, only to find out that the other one didn’t do the same thing.
They both didn’t want to disappoint each other.
“But the rings… look nice,” Vivianne thought to herself as she saw the rings on their fingers. Despite everything being complicated, they were already married.
“You may now kiss the bride,” said the priest, interrupting Vivianne’s thoughts.
And before she even knew it, Beckett lifted her veil and pressed his lips into hers.
She was momentarily stunned, but then she found herself responding to Beckett’s kiss. Both her hands were clutching onto his neck, and she deepened their kiss as if there was no one else around them.
“I never thought you would kiss me like that,” Beckett said as they parted, grinning teasingly. “Just a while ago, you seemed angry when I stole a kiss from you,” he added, teasingly.
Vivianne just rolled her eyes at him, but deep down, there was only one thing on her mind. Even just for now. Even just for today, she would be true to herself and her true feelings.