Saved By The Coldhearted Billionaire

Los Angeles, California. 2014.

It was gloomy and quiet when Beckett arrived at their house with his brows furrowed. His parents, whom he expected to welcome him, were not there, despite informing them earlier that he would be coming home from Italy for their semester break.

"Ma? Pa?" Beckett called out in a slightly louder voice, but his voice only echoed throughout the place. "Rosie? Nicholas?" he called out to the workers, but no one answered him.

He grew more puzzled, but a smile crossed his face as he thought that maybe they wanted to surprise him.

"If you want to surprise me, I'm here. You can come out now," Beckett said, laughing lightly. He walked towards the stairs to go to his parent's room. "Ma—"

But he immediately stopped when he saw the drops of blood on the floor. When he looked at the stairs, he cursed as he saw traces of blood there as well, as if someone had dragged a body upstairs.

His entire body froze, and his heart started beating faster. He quickly ran up the stairs, and fearlessly opened the door to his parents' room.

He no longer cared if there was a dangerous person in that room or if they would kill him when they saw him.

His intuition told him that something bad happened... and he hated how his intuitions were mostly accurate.

"Ma!" Beckett called out again, and his jaw almost dropped at what he saw.

His parents were lying on the floor. Even from a distance, he could clearly see the stab wounds on their bodies, and the blood flowing towards him.

He didn't need to check whether they were dead or not—they were.

They weren't even breathing when he arrived. With the number of stab wounds his parents had, he was certain that whoever did this to them harbored a great deal of anger.

Beckett, as slowly as he could, walked forward until he reached his parents. He was sweating cold and trembling all over.

But he didn't let those emotions stop him. He still wanted to see his parents and hug them for the last time... despite them being lifeless.

As he got closer to his parents, tears began to stream down his face. Beckett wasn't accustomed to violence. It was his first time seeing blood and such a horrific murder, but he never uttered a single word.

He never shouted or stumbled again.

Beckett knelt beside his mother, not even minding the blood sticking to his skin. He gently brushed his hand over her lifeless eyes, closing them, as tears fell onto his hands.

"Whoever did this to you two, I'll make sure to find them," Beckett declared.

But in the midst of the silence, he heard a faint noise outside their house. It sounded like a whistle, so he quickly stood up and looked out the window.

There, he saw a shirtless man walking in their garden as if nothing had happened. He had a knife in his right hand, playing with it in his other hand as he walked.

Beckett could only clench his fists in response as his voice almost left his throat. He was catching his breath when the man suddenly stopped walking and looked in his direction.

"More... More..." Beckett muttered, waiting for the right moment to memorize the face of his parents' murderer and drag him into the depths of hell.

He was about to see him in just a moment. Just a little longer...

"Fuck!" he cursed as he hit his head against the window.

He opened his eyes and met the gaze of his manager, Fiona, who was looking at him with a furrowed brow. He avoided her gaze before looking out the window again.

"Damn it," he added before massaging his temples.

He didn't realize that he had dozed off in the van while they were on their way somewhere. He had just come back from France for a photoshoot, and now he had another scheduled event upon his return. That's why he hadn't fully recovered from the trip yet.

"Are you alright?" Fiona asked. There was concern in her tone. "Another bad dream?"

Beckett simply nodded and didn't say anything. His head was still hurting slightly. It wasn't the first time he had dreamt of that incident.

After that event, he never had a good sleep. He had been sleep-deprived for almost seven years. Beckett felt like he was just a dead man walking. If it weren't for his desire to catch his parents' killer, he probably would have followed them as well.

"This is why I don't like sleeping. Fuck," Beckett muttered and snapped his neck.

"I told you to consult a doctor. You're wealthy anyway, and if you tell the higher-ups, they might even cover the expenses for you," Fiona said, thinking that Beckett was just reluctant to see a doctor because of the costs.

That annoyed Beckett, but he let it slide.

"No need. I can handle this alone," Beckett answered, and the headache subsided after a few seconds. "My schedule is also full. Aren't I packed with engagements?"

Although hesitant, Fiona nodded. She knew Beckett was right. He was one of the highest-earning talents at Syneverse Entertainment, and his projects were lined up left and right.

After a while, the car stopped. Beckett was puzzled to see that they were in front of the Grand Arena and that there were many reporters outside.

"Wait, where are we?" Beckett asked, furrowing his forehead. "Aren't we going to another photoshoot?"

"It's an awards show. Hello? Earth to Beckett?" Fiona snapped her fingers at him. "You're receiving an award for your first movie. With Jerusalem McBride, remember?"

"Ah." Beckett grimaced.

He remembered everything. He was going to receive an award today, and it was supposed to be with Jeru, one of his newest friends in the modeling industry. However, Jeru had something else to take care of and couldn't attend.

If he had any other choice, he wouldn't go here either. But the management pushed him to attend, especially since it was his first acting award, and he wouldn't do it again. Heck, he preferred smiling for the camera rather than pretending to love someone when it wasn't the case.

He grabbed the bottled water on the side before speaking. "I'll go out now."

"Wait, just like that?" Fiona said, reaching out to hold his arm as if trying to stop him.

Beckett nodded. "Why?"

"Did you forget about your scandal? Wait a moment." Fiona pressed something on her tablet. "Everyone, secure the place. Beckett Clainfer will walk the red carpet in a few minutes."

Beckett raised an eyebrow and waited until Fiona received a call. It was evident on his face that he was getting impatient.

Fiona looked at him closely before speaking.

"About the rumors circulating about you and Yanna... You didn't do it, right?" Fiona asked hesitantly. Her headache was starting to worsen. "You weren't labeled as the Nation's Perfect Guy to get involved in this mess."

"Of course not. Why would I have sex with a married woman?" Beckett replied, raising an eyebrow. "Our relationship is purely business. We just want to promote our movie together. That's all."

"Okay then," Fiona sighed. "Wait for a few minutes. We're just preparing the guards for your entrance."

Beckett simply nodded, and his hand went to his lips. He played with his lower lip using his fingers as he remembered the term, Nation's Perfect Guy.

His fans and the reporters were the ones who gave him that title. There hadn't been any substantial evidence against him, no matter how heavy or light the accusations were.

However, the rumors are true.

Beckett really slept with his leading lady days ago, especially since Yanna was the one who initiated it.

He didn't care if she was married or anything. As long as she moans and shivers under him, he wouldn't care about the consequences. Besides, he had people ready to clean up all his mess.

He isn't the Nation's Perfect Guy. Beckett just conceals all his wrongdoings.

At Fiona's cue and with Beckett's approval, his bodyguards opened the door. Chaos erupted as all the reporters suddenly saw him walk out and step onto the red carpet.

The guards stood by his side, protecting the great Beckett Clainfer from anyone who could harm him. While walking, the reporters bombarded him with questions.

"What can you say about the rumors circulating about you and Yanna Methias?"

"Is it true that something is going on between you and Yanna despite her being married?"

Beckett wanted to smack their faces so badly, but he maintained his composure. "I already answered that days ago. We only have a casual relationship."

Yanna always gave the same reason too. She knew what would happen if she spoke up. It would surely ruin her career and her family.

The reporters continued to ask him, but he didn't answer any further. He smiled pretentiously and waved his hand at the cameras, but his movement came to a halt when he heard something.

A whistle. The same whistle he heard seven years ago.

"Where was that?" Beckett asked his bodyguard, surprising the latter. "The whistle. Where did it come from?"

The bodyguard’s brows furrowed, but he didn't answer. He didn't understand what Beckett was talking about because of the noise in the area; he hadn't heard any whistle.

But Beckett was certain of what he heard. It wasn't a part of his hallucination.

Beckett's gaze roamed around the area. The fake smile on his face disappeared. He desperately tried to find the person who made the whistle, but he found none.

'Why am I hearing it here?' Beckett asked himself. 'Does he know me?'

Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that he was in the middle of the red carpet. He continued walking as if nothing had happened, and only one thing was on his mind as he did so.

'I promise to find you wherever you are, so I can kill you with my own hands.'

The pain he felt gave him the pleasure of living afterward. He made the pain his fuel to continue surviving, ensuring that he would find his parent's killer.

But what he didn't know was that the person was right there, in the same place as him, silently watching him until Beckett entered the Grand Arena.

As the ceremony started, Beckett could feel that everyone's eyes were on him. He was positioned in the VIP seat because aside from receiving an award for his performance in an action movie, he and his team were also invited as special guests by the organizers of the awarding show.

Unfortunately, Jeru couldn't attend due to some prior commitments. So Beckett ended up being alone in his seat, while the one next to him remained vacant.

The ceremony continued, and Beckett was struggling to maintain his focus. He checked his phone from time to time, not just to see what other artists were doing on stage, but also to check if he had any messages from his staff.

Being a model and a part-time actor wasn't his only job. It wasn't even his main job since the income from that wouldn't be enough to sustain his luxuries and desires. When comparing his earnings from modeling and his company, his showbiz industry income would seem like spare change.

Nevertheless, Beckett didn't let go of this industry. He might feel suffocated at times, unable to show his true emotions because of the constant scrutiny, but he didn't care.

The main reason he entered this field was the connections he could establish as a model. That was the driving force behind his decision.

"Shit!" Beckett snapped out of his thoughts when someone suddenly sat on his lap.

It was a woman wearing a white polo shirt and black pants. Her long black hair was tied up, still the ends reaching her waist, and her hair brushed against Beckett as she moved.

"Sorry!" she shouted while still facing away from him, not even getting up from her seat on Beckett's lap.

Given their current position, Beckett could see how smooth and delicate the woman's neck was, how sweet her scent was, and how curvaceous her behind was.

'Goodness gracious,' Beckett thought to himself, trying to contain all the emotions rushing through his body.

"Enjoying sitting in my lap?" Beckett teasingly asked her, causing the woman to quickly stand up as if she had been burned.

Her mouth fell open when she saw that the woman was even more beautiful up close.

His suspicions earlier about her were correct. She had fair and smooth skin. Her nose was sharp, and her cheeks and lips had a rosy hue. At that moment, it wasn't just the woman who seemed dumbfounded standing in front of him.

His masculinity was also prominent. He crossed his legs on the other, especially since the attention of most reporters was on him. He didn't want rumors circulating that he was interested in a mere event organizer.

"I-I'm sorry, sir Beckett—Ah!"

The woman screamed when Beckett pulled her closer. This time, she sat on him with her body facing him. Vivianne gasped as she felt something against her thigh, but she couldn't speak to ask what it was.

Vivianne Allamino, one of the organizers of the awarding show, was too stunned to speak.

"Careful, lady," Beckett warned in a serious tone before shifting his gaze to the people walking in front of them.

Vivianne also looked in that direction and gasped when she saw that everyone's attention was on her and Beckett. She quickly moved away from him, her face turning as red as a tomato.

Little did she know, Beckett found her cute. He pursed his lips, trying to suppress his smile, but his gaze never left Vivianne. His attention was only diverted when he noticed the reporters approaching closer.

"Go," Beckett commanded before pointing at the reporters with his gaze.

"P-Pardon?" Unfortunately, Vivianne didn't understand what he meant. She furrowed her brow, trying to decipher Beckett's intentions.

"Pretty stupid," Beckett murmured under his breath. It was soft enough that Vivianne couldn't hear it. "The reporters would be here in less than a minute. Do you want them to ask you directly why you sat on my lap earlier?"

"N-No."

Vivianne shook her head repeatedly before quickly leaving. Beckett continued to gaze after her until she disappeared backstage. He wanted to keep looking at her because of her extraordinary beauty and the effect she had on him.

But he didn't tolerate stupidity. He disliked people who acted foolishly, and that was the characteristic of the woman he had spoken to earlier.

The reporters eventually approached him, and as he expected, they asked about the girl who sat on his lap. They wondered if she was one of his desperate fans trying to get his attention, but Beckett immediately denied it.

"It was accidental. She slipped as people started walking in front of us," Beckett answered. "I let her be since it wasn't intentional, and the girl looked nice. She didn't take advantage of me, and I appreciate her for that."

He wasn't sure if the girl had done it intentionally, but because she was attractive and sexy, he let it pass.

His answer received various reactions from the reporters. Some were thrilled, while others, especially the female reporters, felt jealous. Sitting on the lap of the great Beckett Clainfer was a privilege.

"I'll appreciate it if you don't publish what happened today to the press..." he said, grinning widely. He also licked his lower lip. "Hmmm, should I answer one question in exchange?"

The reporters immediately agreed. Beckett didn't expect that he would engage in this kind of conversation with the reporters for the sake of a stupid girl. Even though Fiona called out to the reporters to let him prepare for his speech later, the girl didn't leave his mind.

He didn't know what to think, whether he should pray to see her again or not. Until now, he was annoyed by her gentle and calm demeanor... But there was a part of him that wanted to see her.

"For the best rookie actor award... Beckett Clainfer!"

Beckett smiled pretentiously as he walked toward the stage. The audience greeted him with a round of applause. The sound was loud, but Beckett suddenly stopped when he heard the whistle again, the same one he heard outside earlier.

His smile faded as he froze in place. People wondered why he had suddenly changed his mood, while others were captivated by how handsome he was despite not doing anything.

Amidst the noise, he could hear the whistle.

It was subtle. If he hadn't focused on listening, he wouldn't have heard it over the noise. He couldn't understand why he was hearing it again now.

Beckett wasn't sure if he was still in his right mind or if his mind was playing tricks on him because he was determined to find that person. He felt lost, devastated, and frustrated…

"Hey, hey!"

Suddenly, someone snapped him out of his thoughts. That someone tapped the side of the stage and whispered as if she was waking Beckett from his imagination. He blinked twice and turned his head to the right.

There, he saw the woman who had sat on his lap earlier. Her face looked sour and worried, but when she saw that Beckett had snapped back to reality, she smiled.

Vivianne didn't receive any command from someone to distract Beckett from his thoughts. Before she knew it, she was tapping the stage frequently to wake Beckett up. Vivianne knew these actions well, as her mother would do the same when she had a panic attack.

In a flash, Beckett regained his usual charismatic expression and continued walking until he reached the stage. Vivianne smiled at him before returning backstage.

"Sorry for worrying you, everyone. I had a light headache as I just came back from France," he explained.

He could see the concern from the people as he said that. He smiled before delivering a memorized speech that he had said countless times before.

"First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who voted for me to get this award. I know I still have a lot to learn, but thank you for believing in me," Beckett said as one of the hosts handed him the trophy. "I wouldn't be here in front of the stage if not for my fans. I love you all."

It was a short, scripted speech, but Beckett's fans went wild upon hearing what he said. They almost worshiped him, especially the young fans who would do anything to buy his magazines.

Yet, they didn't know the secrets behind Beckett's flawless reputation.

After the awarding show, Beckett immediately went to the Dweller Cartel—A drug den that he owned.

"How's the newest invention?" Beckett asked when he arrived at the laboratory where the latest drugs he had invented were being made.

With his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, he knew how to create drugs. One of his friends also helped him with the drug formulation until he mastered it.

"Everything is going well, sir," Jeremy, the head of the drug processing team, replied. "We just need to test it, and then it can be distributed."

"Make sure to do it clean and clear. I don't tolerate stupidity, do you understand?" Beckett warned, and Jeremy nodded twice.

This was his main source of income—his drug dealing schemes. He owned one of the largest drug warehouses and was also one of the most well-known drug dealers in the country.

He had clients locally and internationally, and ironically, some of his top clients were actors and models. If someone recognized him, he would eliminate them and make it look like an accident or suicide.

The police were trying to find him under his alias "Mob," but they couldn't locate him.

And he wouldn't let them.

After realizing that everything was running smoothly at his warehouse, Beckett headed to a high-end bar. He wore a face mask and a black cap as a disguise. His main goal was not to drink until he passed out, but to find someone to have sex with.

"Damn it, I need good sex right now," Beckett muttered as he scanned the place, looking for the best woman whom he thought could please him for the night.

But his eyes stopped when he saw a woman sitting at the counter, casually drinking alcohol as if it were water.

"What is that woman doing here?" Beckett furrowed his brow as he realized that he knew that woman.