Vivianne didn't answer. She was afraid that Manager Yu might notice that they knew each other if she responded. She tried to calm herself down before smiling.
"You called for me, manager?" Vivianne changed the topic.
Henry had many questions in his mind, but he dismissed them for now. They were still within working hours, and the famous Filipino-Italian model Beckett Clainfer was right in front of them.
"Vivianne, baby, I want you to meet your new client," Henry looked in Beckett's direction as he pointed at him. "From now on, you'll be working outside. Mr. Clainfer personally requested you as his personal dress stylist."
"W-What?" Vivianne asked incredulously.
At that moment, Vivianne would have believed it if Henry said that the sky had turned white or the moon had turned purple.
"W-Why would he need a dress stylist from a small company like ours?" she added.
"Because I liked how you style your clients' clothes," Beckett interjected, his lips forming a pretentious sweet smile... before turning sardonic.
'Just say it, you want revenge!'
Vivianne winced, especially when her gaze landed on the man's cheek. She noticed a small black mark on his cheek that looked like it was covered with concealer.
"No." Vivianne shook her head, her voice firm. "I can refuse, right? It's the first time I'll be turning down a client."
"Baby, don't be too harsh..."
Henry's eyes flickered between Vivianne and Beckett. He was slightly afraid because it was the first time they would have a client like Beckett, but Vivianne's attitude surprised him.
"Do you know that he personally came to our company just to look for you?" Henry tried to convince her, but Vivianne just laughed.
"I'm sorry... I must be delusional. He actually came looking for me?" Vivianne said in a sarcastic tone. "Ridiculous," she added before rolling her eyes.
Vivianne seemed to have stopped caring whether the man in front of her was delighted by her reaction.
"You're talking about me as if I'm not here. How funny," Beckett couldn't help but comment.
He crossed his legs this time, his gaze fixed on Vivianne. She glared at him, and Manager Yu noticed it.
Henry wanted to reprimand Vivianne for her behavior, but besides being a talented dress stylist, Vivianne's family was wealthy.
The Allamino family even owned one-fourth of the shares of their company, and Vivianne had no idea about it. That's why no one could confront Vivianne no matter what she did.
"Baby... look. You know that opportunities like this are rare for us, right?" Henry said as he held Vivianne's hands. "Just think that this will be a big help for all of us... including you."
Vivianne remained silent as she contemplated Henry's words. He was right.
If they could get Beckett as their client, they would be flooded with other celebrities and models, which would undoubtedly increase the company's revenue.
'Can I handle this?' Vivianne asked herself before furrowing her brows. 'What if I get stressed to the point of exhaustion?'
"It looks like Miss Allamino didn't want me as her client," Beckett replied. He continued to gaze at Vivianne, who had a disdainful look on her face. "It's fine with me. I can find another one—"
"Fine. I’ll take the job," Vivianne answered before Beckett could finish blabbering. "When do I start?"
"Now," Beckett answered with a wicked smile.
"Immediately?!" Vivianne widened her eyes in shock. "And you're telling me this just now?!"
"Well, I have a full-packed schedule. You should be grateful that I personally recruited you." Beckett looked at his expensive wristwatch. "I'll give you fifteen minutes to pack your things. Just bring the most important ones—I'll ask my manager to buy all your needs."
Vivianne grimaced in annoyance, causing Beckett to smile. It was evident that the woman wanted to punch him again, but she restrained herself. Vivianne was irritated with him, but she couldn't do anything about it.
Beckett would get what he wanted. And right now, all he wanted was to have Vivianne—The first woman who had ever punched him.
"Okay, Sir," Vivianne replied through gritted teeth.
Beckett pretended to smile as he stood up. "I hope we'll have a great relationship between the two of us, Miss Allamino," he said, extending his hand towards her.
Beckett's words were sweet and gentle. Manager Yu smiled, thinking that the two of them would get along, but Vivianne felt the opposite.
Those words coming from Beckett carried an undercurrent of warning rather than a welcoming embrace.
After arranging her belongings, Vivianne went to Beckett's car. It was a Maxus G10 van, causing Vivianne to raise an eyebrow.
Vivianne was used to seeing expensive cars since her father had the same penchant, but she was puzzled by Beckett's choice. She was sure that Beckett had a huge net worth, but she wondered why he chose her as a dress stylist.
'Among all the dress stylists who are more talented than me, why me?' Vivianne asked herself.
"Hey."
Suddenly, Beckett snapped his fingers, bringing Vivianne back to reality. When she blinked, she realized that she hadn't even entered the car yet, and she must have looked starstruck staring at Beckett's face.
She felt like throwing up just thinking about it.
If it were someone else, Beckett would surely have been annoyed because the girl in front of him was acting foolish and spaced out. That was the thing he hated the most because it wasted his time.
But Vivianne was different. Instead of getting angry, he found himself smiling as he looked at the girl.
"Admit it. You like me, don't you?" Beckett asked, and Vivianne immediately caught the teasing tone in his voice.
"Can we not argue with this?" Vivianne raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes for a moment. She couldn't help herself. "Dream on," she added before putting her belongings in the car and getting into the passenger seat.
She may not like Beckett, but she knew how to be professional with her work. The client always sat in the back seat, while the staff sat in the passenger seat.
"Where to, Sir?" his driver asked as he started the car.
"Syneverse Entertainment," Beckett answered before looking at Vivianne, who was now looking at him through the rear-view mirror.
Vivianne quickly averted her gaze and focused her attention on the window. The scenery they were passing wasn't pleasant, and there was no music playing on the radio to break the silence between them.
She wanted to sing, but she held herself back.
"Here." Beckett handed her a folder, causing Vivianne to flinch slightly. "It's my schedule, and most of them are photoshoots. Learn all the themes and give me the most suitable clothes based on it. My manager had an emergency, so make sure to do your best."
"Am I really starting now? Like, right now?" Vivianne asked in disbelief. "No rest? Can't it be tomorrow?" she continued with a series of questions.
Beckett didn't immediately answer. With each probing question from Vivianne, his blood pressure seemed to rise. He breathed heavily, holding his neck and lightly massaging it.
"I told you earlier that you'd start working today, didn't I?" Beckett asked with a slightly irritated tone, and Vivianne nodded. "Then, why are you asking me things you already know?"
Vivianne fell silent at that. Beckett was right. She knew that her life would become hellish if she worked for him, but she still agreed.
"Sorry, Sir." Vivianne just apologized to end their conversation. "It won't happen again," she added before biting her lower lip.
Beckett lowered his gaze. Vivianne's red, plump lips made his body freeze, and his c.ock throbbed hard. He quickly averted his gaze before throwing the folder at her, which furrowed Vivianne's brows.
'Fuck.'
If Vivianne could punch him for the second time, she would have done it, but she tried to calm himself by reading the schedule he gave her.
And she almost swore at what she saw.
"Shit. Is this really a schedule?" Vivianne whispered to herself, but because of the silence inside the car, Beckett heard it.
"Why? Do you think I'm bluffing when I told you that I have a full-packed schedule?" Beckett raised an eyebrow.
"N-No..." Vivianne simply shook her head while trying to read the themes of Beckett's photoshoots. With the number of photoshoots he had, she doubted they would have time to eat later.
Nevertheless, instead of complaining, Vivianne just did her job. She studied each theme and thought of suitable outfits until they arrived at Syneverse Entertainment.
It was her first time entering the place, and Vivianne's jaw almost dropped when she saw how grand the entire building was. Almost every corner had Beckett's face, a symbol of his immense popularity in the entertainment industry.
"That's why he has the busiest schedule," Vivianne said to herself before shrugging.
A few minutes later, Beckett went to his first photoshoot. They had guns and roses as their theme, so Vivianne made him wear a black sando paired with a black and red jacket.
With black leather pants and shoes, along with metal chains hanging around his waist, Beckett's look became simple yet fierce. Vivianne even coordinated with the makeup artist to ensure that the makeup and clothes would complement each other.
She didn't know that Beckett was just watching her while she worked. He knew he had made the right decision.
According to his people's research, Vivianne Allamino was one of the best dress stylists in the city. She often went unnoticed because she worked in a small company. Now that he brought her to Syneverse Entertainment, he was certain that her talent would be noticed.
"Get ready, Beckett!" the photographer called.
"Coming," Beckett replied coldly before going to the center.
Then, the photo shoot started. It was the first time Vivianne saw how Beckett posed, and she was right. There was an inexplicable charm about Beckett, and even she couldn't explain it.
And because she was so captivated by him, she didn't notice that her cellphone had been ringing since earlier because she forgot to switch it to silent mode.
The loud sound of her ringtone caused disturbance to everyone in the room, including Beckett, to look at her with disapproval.
The loud sound of her favorite song, "As It Was" by Harry Styles, reverberated around the room as someone was calling Vivianne on the phone. Suddenly, she forgot that she had a hobby of maximizing the volume of her ringtone, especially outside her house. She did that so when someone called her, she could easily hear it. And that foolishness was what Vivianne didn't expect to get her into trouble now."Shit!" Vivianne muttered to herself before ending the call, but before she could put her phone on silent mode, it rang again. It was an unregistered number, and as much as she wanted to know who it was, she couldn't answer the phone. She was at work, and the director at the photoshoot was already giving her a stern look."Sorry…” she apologized as she turned off her phone instead.She was panicking, so she decided to turn off the phone before putting it in her pocket. She just hoped that she wouldn't receive an important call at this moment.Unlike earlier, the room was now filled with
Suddenly, Director Valeria knelt in front of Vivianne, causing her eyes to widen."W-What—""I'm sorry, Vivianne!" the director pleaded, his voice filled with desperation and tears. "I-I know what I did earlier was wrong. I shouldn't have humiliated you like that... I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"Vivianne was frozen in her spot. She didn't know what to say, and she didn't know how to feel because she sensed the desperation in the person in front of her."As you should."It was Beckett who interjected as he pulled Vivianne slightly away from Director Valeria, especially when the director tried to hold her hand and plead even more."Let's go," Beckett commanded again, but he didn't wait for her response this time.Beckett kept his hand on Vivianne's pulse as they walked out, and they could still hear the director incessantly begging for forgiveness until they finally left the studio."I still have another photoshoot," Beckett said as they reached the parking lot."I know," Vivianne re
"What do you mean?" Beckett raised an eyebrow and bit his lower lip, appearing nervous at Fiona's statement.Fiona could be referring to two things. One was Vivianne being the heiress of the Allamino Corporation, and the other...'No, Fiona shouldn't know about that,' Beckett thought with a hint of anxiety. 'At least, not yet.'"Her real identity." Fiona raised the folder she was holding and handed it to Beckett."Vivianne Allamino, the sole heiress of the Allamino Corporation and the entire Allamino Empire. Beautiful, a bit rebellious, but skilled in negotiation and strategies..." Fiona raised a brow, giving Beckett a suspicious look. "Are you going to use her for your own gains?"Beckett breathed a sigh of relief at Fiona's assumptions. Though his manager said a lot, he was glad that it seemed that was all the woman knew."I know that everyone is already aware that I want to build my own business now, but I'm not that evil to use someone that way." Beckett leaned against the doorfr
Fiona placed the paper bag on Vivianne's thigh before leaving her alone. Despite what Fiona said to her, she wasn't offended. If anyone cared deeply about Beckett, she knew it was Fiona.She's his manager, after all.But Fiona's last sentence made the hairs on her neck stand up in confusion and fear at the same time. It felt like Fiona knew something about her… something that scared her.The hours quickly passed, and she didn't realize it was already time to go home. It was Thursday, and her father wanted her presence at the mansion. She wished she didn't have to go, but she knew she had no choice.She had power... but she felt powerless.She went back to the dorm to freshen up. Vivianne wore a black sleeveless Saint Laurent dress, paired with Gucci black high heels. The bag she used was from Dior, and even the earrings she wore.Today, she wasn't Vivianne Allamino, a mere dress stylist at a small company... but the sole heir of the Allamino Empire, along with its other subsidiaries.
IS IT POSSIBLE to bring someone to Heaven even if they're still alive? Sounds impossible. But for Vivianne, that's the most fitting thing to say for what she's feeling right now.Beckett isn't the typical guy she used to date in the past. Contrary to his innocent-like features and his reputation as a good boy, his kisses were the opposite. They were deep and daring, as if Beckett was craving her."S-Stop—" Vivianne couldn't finish her sentence as Beckett suddenly grabbed both of her hands. Using one hand, Beckett pinned Vivianne's hands above her head, while his other hand went from her nape, down to her arms and waist.It was a shallow but electrifying touch that made Vivianne bite the lower lip of the man. It was slightly forceful, and she didn't know why she did it. She only knew one thing. Each stroke of Beckett's hand drove her crazy.It was gentle yet seductive. Beckett seemed to know exactly how to seduce her even with just a kiss."Kiss me back, Vivianne," Beckett whispered as
"TRISTAN ESTEFAN."Beckett's mention of that name sent a cold and chilling feeling. The man, who was already in front of him, felt the same way too."W-Why do you know my name?" the man stuttered. "Who are you? Are you the one who kidnapped me—""Place that fucking towel inside his mouth again," Beckett said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "So fucking noisy."Nathan and his men were right. The man was even more talkative than a woman. Beckett didn't want to hear his blabberings or complaints. He only wanted to hear Tristan groaning in pain and begging for his life.For now, Beckett was getting what he wanted. Tristan now looked at him as if he saw death itself."What I hate the most is being fooled by someone," Beckett said in a cold tone before tightening his grip on the baseball bat. "What's the use of a contract if you don't follow it?"And that was what Tristan, Nathan, and the rest of the gang felt. Everyone became more alert, especially Tristan, because there w
Beckett frowned upon hearing Vivianne mention the name. Suddenly, his body went stiff as images of Tristan beaten up and killed lingered in his mind.He had been trying to push those thoughts out of his mind earlier, but here was Vivianne, reminding him again."I don't know what you're talking about," Beckett said, his jaw tensing. "So, is that it? That's the reason why you're acting cranky all day? You're not thinking about the kiss?""No." Vivianne rolled her eyes before looking away. She could feel her cheeks flushing, so she quickly composed herself. "And why do you keep mentioning the kiss, huh? Can't you forget about it?""Nope." Beckett leaned forward, narrowing the distance between them. "Never."Nor did he have any plans to forget it."I-I don't know about you."Vivianne cleared her throat to divert Beckett's attention, but it was a wrong move. As she looked away, Beckett's gaze focused on her lips.His gaze grew darker as he licked his lower lip. It seemed like he wanted to
Lily was astounded for a second because of her friend's sudden request. "Huh? That's a weird thing you're asking. Don't tell me you still desire your ex-boyfriend even though he's dead?" "You crazy—Wait, how did you know?" Vivianne's voice was filled with surprise. She knew she hadn't discussed it with anyone except Manager Yu. "Who told you?" "Tristan! Obviously! He probably told you because he got caught cheating," Lily replied while looking around suspiciously. Lily had managed to sneakily take a picture of Tristan before the higher-ups arrived at the morgue. It was something she wasn't supposed to do, and if she got caught, she would surely be fired. "And he really told you that? That damn idiot." Vivianne sighed before gripping the steering wheel tightly. She felt her stress piling up, and she didn't like it. "Yeah! I told him to tell me everything he knew." Lily was proud of herself. Though she may have an innocent face, she was skilled at making people confess. "He got caug
Alfred raised his right hand, and all the members of the Allamino mafia emerged. Beckett did the same, and his men who were hiding in the trees and bushes earlier also came out.Seeing how the two leaders are determined to clash with each other, it only means one thing: this place will be in bloodshed soon.And indeed it happened. The people between Beckett and Alfred started fighting. Blood flowed, and many lives were lost. It was a long-time war between the two of them, and Beckett won.Now they are face to face. Alfred is sitting on the ground, his body full of wounds and bruises from Beckett's beating, while Beckett is standing. His gun is pointed at Alfred.“I know you want to kill me… But why can’t you fucking pull the trigger?” Alfred asked, grinning. “Has your fear of killing people returned?”“Hah.” Beckett clicked his tongue, annoyed.But he didn't answer the question. The reason he didn't shoot Alfred was because of Vivianne. She was still sitting in the grass, but the ropes
In Alfred's anger, he approached Vivianne with large strides before grabbing the collar of her clothes. "Take back what you said.""I'm not your father to obey you." Vivianne grinned, especially when she saw the rage intensifying in Alfred's eyes. "I never considered you a father because I don't have a demon for a father like you—"Vivianne didn't finish her sentence because Alfred suddenly let go of her collar and slapped her. Not just once, but three times.Vivianne smiled painfully. The happy family she had dreamed of... She would never have that. And she needed to accept the painful truth."You have no manners! After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me? By fighting me and insulting me?!" Alfred's anger and shouts echoed throughout the entire office.Vivianne chuckled sarcastically. "I have no manners? And everything you did, you did for me? Why, did you even ask if I wanted to be in this situation?""You're ungrateful!"Alfred slapped her again, harder than befo
After that, they discussed their next plan all night. They agreed on one thing: they would rescue Ella from the hospital and inject her with the new medicine that Beckett had developed to wake her up.“I will distract Alfred and his men,” Beckett said, pointing to the right side of the footprint. “We will go here since Ella’s room is on the left side of the hospital. While we’re here, use the opportunity to escape with your mother.”“But that’s dangerous.” Vivianne shook her head. “Alfred might have prepared for this and could have you killed in the hospital. He can easily do that. Believe me.”“I believe you, but it doesn’t matter. What’s important for me right now is to save your mother and fulfill my promise to you…” Beckett kissed his wife’s forehead again. “So let’s do this… and see the end together.”THE NEXT DAY, it was time to execute the plan. Beckett was already in the parking lot, along with the men who would pose as doctors, nurses, and janitors if anything went wrong.He
Alfred went to the hospital afterward to check on Ella's condition. He’s making sure Ella will be alive, but not enough to wake her up. He will only get her treated once Vivianne follows his demands. But it seems fate is not on his side now, because he was shocked to see Vivianne just coming out of Ella's room, holding a large suitcase. “What does this mean?” Alfred asked in a deep and angry tone. “You’re leaving your mother for that man?” “I just said goodbye to her earlier, and I’m sure she’ll understand me,” Vivianne replied. “How can she understand if she's already dead?” “She won’t die.” Vivianne gritted her teeth but forced herself to stay calm. This was not the time to argue with her father. She was already exhausted from everything that had happened. “I’m leaving.” Vivianne took a step forward, thinking her father would not speak again, but she was wrong. “I’m giving you one last chance to take back what you said. Go back to the mansion and break up with Beckett,” Alfre
“TWENTY million dollars.”“Twenty million? Dollars? Are you out of your mind?!” Vivianne suddenly shouted when she realized what her husband intended to do. “No! That’s too much money! Just leave me here!”“Shut up, lady,” Raul said in a deep voice, frowning as he seemed annoyed by Vivianne's yelling in a language he didn’t understand.“Non maledire con mia moglie, Raul.” [Don’t curse at my wife.]Beckett didn’t like the way Raul reprimanded his wife, especially the tone of his voice. He glared at Raul but quickly calmed himself.“So, is this enough for you to buy guns from their organization?” Beckett asked, raising the diamond card. “You have collateral, and remember how I saved your ass when we were in elementary school?”Unbeknownst to everyone, Raul and Beckett were not just acquaintances. They were classmates back in the day, and when someone tried to beat up Raul because he didn’t know how to fight, Beckett saved him. They became best friends somehow after that, until they dec
"Don't talk shit with me. I know you're the reason she's missing." Beckett approached Alfred, his eyes filled with rage. "Where did you take her?""I don't know. Which part of that don't you understand?" Alfred slammed the newspaper down beside him before meeting Beckett's angry gaze. "And don't forget that you're in my territory. I could blow your brains out right now."Beckett smirked. "If you really planned to do that, you should have done it already.""I'll do it later, once I have all your wealth."Hearing Alfred's words, Beckett couldn't help but laugh. His suspicions were correct—Alfred had ulterior motives for agreeing to his marriage with Vivianne and for pretending to be cordial with him."Keep dreaming," Beckett whispered, his jaw clenching. "I will find her, no matter how long it takes. Mark my words, Alfred Allamino."Beckett turned to leave the mansion, but stopped when Alfred spoke again."Even if you do find her, can you be sure she's still alive by then?"Beckett turn
Beckett immediately hit the wall when he thought of that. He didn’t waste any more time. He quickly searched for paper and a pen to write down his thoughts.Fortunately, he still memorized the ingredients and knew the drugs that could interfere with the chemicals.Due to his endless thinking, the three days passed quickly for Beckett. He didn’t even realize that he was eating only twice a day and spent almost the entire day sitting on the edge, thinking.He had filled almost an entire notebook with writings and drawings of various things. Everything was settled, so all he needed to do when he got out was go to the warehouse and test all his ideas.“If what I’m thinking is correct, it means that the other drink Ella had taken is the reason why she went into a coma. It was also the reason for her nosebleed,” Beckett muttered while staring at his notebook.He was bothered by the events, but it wasn’t just the chemical in Ella’s body that made him uneasy. It was because of another realiza
Vivianne entered her mother's room. She sat by her side, silently crying. She couldn’t stay still because just a while ago she was able to talk to her mother properly, but now, she looked like a withered vegetable. Her skin was flushed, and she was lying bedridden.“Mom… I’m sorry,” she whispered to her mother, gently squeezing her hand.Vivianne felt that everything that happened was her fault. She couldn’t blame anyone else for this, but earlier she had exploded from the many problems she was going through.Her trauma hasn’t healed yet. She has major trust issues. She also knew that she shouldn’t have treated Beckett the way she did earlier, especially since he just wanted to help. But because of what happened, her walls were up again.“I’m sorry, Beckett…” she said, and soon after, her tears flowed freely.But unbeknownst to Vivianne, Beckett had followed her. He had already opened the door and was ready to enter, but when he saw how sad Vivianne was while looking at Ella and heard
Not long after, Beckett and Vivianne began doing the things they had planned in Agrianthropos. They also informed Ella about what was going to happen so she wouldn't be surprised when she started to feel pain in her heart.Now, they were at the Allamino mansion. They were alone because Alfred was in the office reading documents. The mother and daughter were eating dinner, and Vivianne had already put medicine in her drink.They were chatting while eating. Vivianne was discreetly checking the time. She and Beckett had planned this specifically, so they had a schedule to follow. Vivianne was waiting for it.“Child, I think it's time for me to watch my favorite KDRAMA,” Ella said.It was a code. Ella was asking if it was time for her to drink the water on the table which contained the medicine.Vivianne looked at the clock before nodding. “Yes, it's time, mom. I’ll take you back to your room after we finish eating.”“Alright.” Ella finished eating and then drank the water.Ella did not i