C9 Chapter 9

"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 doorframe, putting both hands in his pockets. "She's skilled. Look at the photos I had for today, and you'll see."

'Lies,' Beckett thought in the back of his mind. That was one of the reasons... but not the main one.

Beckett included Vivianne in his hectic photoshoot schedule to see the extent of her capabilities and talent, and he succeeded.

Vivianne might have found the day tiring, but it yielded good results for Beckett. At least he had something to say to everyone who asked why he suddenly hired a dress stylist from an unknown company.

"I know she is. I had her background checked," Fiona replied. "She's so low-key, isn't she? She's that rich, yet she's here in the entertainment industry, working as hard as if she's feeding ten people."

Beckett chuckled lightly at Fiona's comment. He didn't deny it because he thought the same about Vivianne. He wondered why, though.

"But is she skilled enough to the point that you're personally taking care of her?" Fiona asked again, raising her eyebrow. "She's in your room. I saw you bring her there earlier."

Beckett remained silent. If Fiona did see that, there was no point in denying it.

"This isn't you, Beckett. I know her capabilities, but you always wanted the best... You always do." Beckett noticed the curiosity in Fiona's voice. "Is there another reason why you hired her?"

"I have." Beckett nodded. "I need her."

Not only for business-related matters... but for something else.

"Did I answer all your questions?" Beckett asked, and Fiona nodded. "Then you may leave. I'm going back inside."

"Yeah..." Fiona scratched her neck, clearly showing her impatience. "Rest well, Beckett," she said before leaving, and Beckett returned inside.

His gaze landed on Vivianne again as he locked the door. Unlike earlier, the blanket that he had wrapped around her had slipped off a bit, and she was close to falling off the bed as she slept on her back.

Beckett shook his head before approaching Vivianne. He gently lifted her and placed her in the middle of the bed. He covered her with the blanket, and as Vivianne seemed to feel cold, he took the remote control and lowered the air conditioning.

Beckett's gaze lingered on Vivianne afterward, accompanied by a slowly forming smile on his lips. Vivianne looked ethereal when she was awake, but she appeared like an innocent goddess in her sleep.

And with that thought, Beckett cursed himself. "What the fuck am I doing?" he questioned himself, furrowing his brow.

The original plan was to use Vivianne... but why were things turning around?

When Vivianne woke up the next day, she immediately felt a headache. The sunlight was hitting her face, and that was the last way she liked to wake up.

She preferred the noisy alarm clock over the scorching sun on her skin.

"Shit, am I late—Wow."

Vivianne couldn't finish her sentence as her gaze landed on the surroundings of the room. She realized that she wasn't in her own unit and remembered that she had passed out due to exhaustion.

Despite the surprise of being in a different place, she couldn't help but be amazed. The whole place screamed wealth and luxury, and Vivianne felt like she didn't belong there.

She felt it even more when she saw Beckett's portrait at the end of the room. It was black and white, and he was naked on his upper body. He faced away from the camera, his face turned to the side.

The pose was ordinary, but with Beckett, it looked dashing. Vivianne stared at it for a while, particularly at the handsome physique of the man, before snapping out of her daze.

'If this is Beckett's room... I need to leave!' Vivianne thought before quickly running out of the man's room.

But just as she opened the door, Beckett was already there, causing her to stumble.

"Ah!" Vivianne's hands landed on Beckett's firm and warm skin.

She even rested her head on his chest, while Beckett held her waist to steady her.

"Wait, shit." Vivianne quickly moved away from Beckett as if she had been burned by their closeness.

She heard his heart beating rapidly... and she wondered why. Vivianne looked up at Beckett, trying to act nonchalant, but she immediately stopped when she saw the kind of gaze he was giving her.

She could see the lust and desire in his eyes... and somehow, it reflected her own.

"Why are you running? You almost fell." The desire was evident in Beckett's voice too.

Vivianne couldn't immediately respond as the last words he said kept echoing in her mind.

'You almost fell.'

Vivianne didn't know which of those moments Beckett was referring to... Was it when she stumbled, or was it her heart?

Because she knew... it applied to both. And everything was happening so fast that she barely noticed it.

"I have work," Vivianne finally replied.

Vivianne tried to avert her gaze, not wanting to get distracted, but then she realized that Beckett wasn't wearing a shirt.

"I'm your client, so you don't need to rush." There was emphasis in Beckett's voice. "I have an urgent matter today, so you can use this day to get familiar with some work. My manager will guide you."

"O-Okay..." Vivianne softly responded.

'So, does that mean I won't see him today?' Vivianne didn't know why there was a tinge of disappointment in her tone as she thought about it. 'Goodness, Viv. You're getting out of control.'

Afterward, Beckett handed her a chicken sandwich before escorting her out of the penthouse. Vivianne didn't understand why Beckett was being kind to her, but she could feel the sincerity in his every action and movement.

Vivianne couldn't help but keep smiling until she arrived at the dress and style department, where her coworkers quickly shifted their gaze towards her.

"You didn't go home, sis?" Laurice asked—the companion she had during the photoshoot yesterday. "Looks like you slept here, huh?" she added teasingly.

But because of that, Vivianne almost choked on her own saliva. Would they start teasing her if they found out she slept in Beckett's penthouse last night?

And besides, she forgot to ask how she ended up there...

"Vivianne, come with me. I'll give you a tour of Syneverse and show you what you can do when Beckett doesn't have a schedule." She was saved by the bell when Fiona peeked through the door and called her name.

"Yes, Ma'am." Vivianne followed her.

Hours passed before Fiona finished teaching Vivianne the things she needed to know. Now, they were just sitting on a bench, drinking coffee. They needed it to boost their energy.

"Here." Fiona gave her a brown paper bag she had been holding earlier. "This is from Beckett. He said to change your clothes so you won't be gossiped about."

"Thank you," Vivianne expressed her gratitude and smiled.

She was about to take the paper bag, but Fiona moved it away from her again.

"I've been with Beckett ever since he started his career as a model. I don't want all the hard work to go to waste."

Fiona's earlier smile disappeared, replaced by a deadly gaze.

"I trust him, but I don't trust you. I don't know why he chose you, but while you're here in Syneverse, don't do anything foolish," Fiona said in a stern tone. "Like Beckett, I don't tolerate any stupidity... Regardless of who you are."