"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 turned back to him faster than a bolt of lightning. "What do you mean?"
"On the same day Ella was brought to the hospital, I asked Vivianne to take care of a potential client. It was an Italian mafia, and you know how brutal they are, don't you?" Alfred said, insinuating something.
Beckett was speechless, frozen in place. Alfred was right. He knew how brutal the Italian mafia could be, especially towards outsiders like Vivianne.
"I also told her not to return until she sold guns to that mafia." Alfred's grin widened. "So, for sure, she's either been killed by now or is imprisoned there for life. That would be a fitting punishment since she teamed up with someone like you."
Beckett's blood boiled at Alfred's words. He couldn't believe that the man standing before him was Vivianne's biological father, as he seemed more like a devil than any of her other enemies.
Beckett took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Where’s her location?”
“Here. I’m easy to deal with.” Alfred grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the table and wrote down the island where the Italian Mafia and Vivianne were located. “Good luck saving her, though.”
Beckett didn’t say another word. Instead, he snatched the paper from Alfred’s hand and left.
“He didn’t even say thank you,” Alfred remarked, visibly annoyed by Beckett's attitude. “But your death will be enough of a thank you, Beckett Clainfer.”
Unbeknownst to everyone, Alfred had planned all of this. He had heard about the fight between Vivianne and Beckett and seized the opportunity.
He didn't know what had happened to Ella that led to her coma, but he knew it was part of Beckett and Vivianne's plan. Everything still worked out in his favor, though, but it didn’t change the fact that he was annoyed at his daughter’s disobedience.
That’s why he sent her to the Italian Mafia. They were the hardest to convince, so the mission he gave Vivianne… was a suicide mission. But he didn’t care.
What mattered was that Beckett would die there while trying to save Vivianne: another suicide mission.
MEANWHILE, Beckett went to the island where Vivianne was. He looked calm, but inside, his heart was pounding with anxiety. He had no idea what those people had done to his wife.
“Vivianne, please be safe…” he whispered into the wind as he stared at the island he was heading to.
The journey would have taken a long time with an ordinary boat, so he used a motorboat. In just thirty minutes, he arrived at the island.
As soon as he got off the motorboat, he had only taken two steps when four men pointed guns at him.
“Mani in aria! [Hands in the air!]” they shouted in Italian.
Understanding the command, Beckett quickly raised both hands. The four men seemed surprised that he complied so readily, as they had initially planned to mess with him.
“Why are you all surprised? I’m half-Italian,” Beckett explained before grinning. “And I’m already expecting this from an Italian mafia.”
“You… Come with us!” shouted one of the men, pressing the gun against Beckett’s back, signaling him to follow.
Beckett clicked his tongue in annoyance but complied. His temper was already high, especially since Vivianne was here, but he didn’t know her exact location. He tried to mask his irritation with a grin, as shooting all the men around him would not be wise.
The four men brought Beckett inside a cave. He was immediately intimidated by the sight of the numerous people the Italian Mafia had inside. The place was dark, illuminated only by orange lights.
But he didn’t let fear overcome him. He scanned the area and noticed a large cage on the side. Many people were imprisoned there, all badly beaten.
‘Vivianne, please don’t be here,’ he prayed while looking around, but his prayer went unanswered.
He nearly went mad when he saw Vivianne staring at him, her body covered in wounds, and blood smeared on her lips.
Vivianne’s eyes widened in shock when she saw Beckett. He was the last person she expected to see in this place. ‘Why is he here? Did Alfred tell him where I am?’
She bit her lower lip but winced, remembering she had a cut there. She had been brutally beaten upon entering the island, but she couldn’t blame them. She’s an unauthorized person in this place, after all.
As Beckett walked forward toward the leader seated on his throne, guns remained pointed at him.
“Rude bastards. Drop your guns. Don’t you know who he is?” the man at the front said, and his men obeyed.
The man stood up and approached Beckett, and to everyone’s surprise, he suddenly hugged Beckett and patted his back. “Beckett, È passato molto tempo. Come stai?” [It’s been a long time. How are you?]
“Sto bene, Raul. Come puoi vedere, è ancora bello.” [I’m fine, Raul. As you can see, I’m still handsome.] Beckett laughed at his own joke. “Comunque allora ho visto Laurel al luna park e mi ha dato un avvertimento. fai di nuovo qualcosa oggi?” [Anyway, I saw Laurel at the carnival and gave me a warning. Are you doing something now?]
“Just some businesses,” Raul replied with a grin, his demeanor growing darker. “Anyway, why are you here? Is it true that you’re the husband of that beautiful woman?” He pointed to Vivianne on the side.
“Yes, and I’m going to take her home.”
Raul laughed heartily. “Sure, you can. She’s done receiving her punishment, by the way. And I hope you won’t get mad. You know the rules here.”
“I’m not,” Beckett responded.
It was a lie. His blood had been boiling, and his patience was at its limit. Fortunately, his extensive training in the modeling industry had taught him to maintain his composure regardless of his feelings.
“But let me tell you, she doesn’t want to leave,” Raul added.
Beckett frowned. “Why?”
“She said we need to buy guns from her organization first,” Raul answered, smirking. “But why would we do it? Their organization isn’t famous, and we don’t know whether their guns are of high quality.”
“If you need assurance, then I’ll vouch for it.” Beckett took out a diamond card from his wallet. “I’m not saying this as her husband, but their guns are of high quality. Buy from them, and I’ll give money as collateral.”
Raul’s grin widened. “You know how much I love money, man. Quanto?” [How much?]
Everyone’s jaw dropped when they heard Beckett’s answer.