"Affair in the Levingston office? Now when did this happen." Lewis said as he read the magazine sector of the newspaper. "I never knew that you have hots for your assistant President Levingston."
He placed the paper on the desk in front of him and observed the man in front of him. The man was frowning as he stared at the picture on his table. The picture was of two people, a man and a woman, sharing a kiss in front of the ANDEZ company. Or so it looked like. In reality, it was a trick of angle.
Beckett and his assistant came out of the office after working overnight. Before he could enter his car, the assistant tripped and fall onto him. And as an instinct, he supported her as she fell on him. Somehow, it was caught on camera and was misinterpreted.
"When is the wedding? Make sure you make me your best man." And his friend can't seem to stop annoying him with is teasing.
"Stop messing around." Beckett grumbled.
Lewis gasped dramatically and said,
"That's right. How could I forget? You're already married."
Hearing that made Beckett twist his eyebrows.
"You have a wife waiting for you at home all alone, and you're disrespecting her by cheating on her with a no name girl. This is bad young man. Very bad. Maybe I should spank your *** for it as a punishment."
Beckett rolled his eyes as he got up from his chair and went to the glass wall. He stared at the busy street in front of the office.
"Enough with this. It's giving me more headache." He sighed.
"Seriously though, how are you going to explain this to your wife?" Lewis asked.
"Once again. I don't want her to be called my wife. It irritates me." Beckett frowned.
"Just because you don't like her don't change the fact that she is your wife, Beck."
"Only on papers and it will only last for 15 more months. Then she can no longer use that title for her gain." Beckett said.
"I just don't get why you're so against her."
"And I don't get what you found pleasant in her. She is just like her father. An opportunist ready to suck on others' blood at any chance they get."
"You really hate the Aynesworth, don't you?" Lewis asked. But as he saw the look Beckett was giving him, he quickly said, "Oh! Don't answer that. That's a stupid question.
"He is using his illegitimate daughter to gain the Tx-chip. Both father and daughter are scheming bastards." Beckett hissed.
"All's done now. We can't change it anymore. Let's think of what to do now. Your wife would do something harmful if she's provoked. Better do something to keep her on bay." Lewis said.
"Women are always troublesome." Beckett sighed.
At the moment, a knock came from the outside.
"Excuse me, President." A woman's voice came.
"Come in." Beckett replied.
The woman entered the office and nodded to Beckett and Lewis.
"Sorry to disturb you, Sir. But Director John want to have an audience with you." She said.
"Send him in."
"Yes, Sir." After the words of order came, the woman went out of the room and a man who looked like he was in his fifties came in.
"Greeting President." The man frowned but still greeted.
Beckett just nodded. Lewis got up from his seat and went to stand besides Beckett.
"What does Director John wish to discuss, to meet me like this?" Beckett asked making the older man clench his jaw in anger.
"I am hundred percent sure President Beckett knows what I want to discuss." The man hissed out.
"Unfortunately, Director Johns, I don't possess the ability to read a person's mind. So, you'd have to be more descriptive of what you want to say." Beckett acted innocent.
"President Beckett, I want to ask you. What decision do you have regarding what you did with my daughter?"
"Your daughter? I'm not aware you have a daughter Director Johns, let alone do something to her." Beckett observed the anger steaming out of the man's body.
"Tanya may not be my biological daughter. But she's still my step daughter and I love her as my own. And what you did, is ruining my daughter's reputation. She's being called a home wrecker, a mistress. I hope...No you should take up the responsibilities of defiling her name." The man stood up; all his patience went out the window.
"I'm aware that you're not pleased with what the media have 'exposed'. And I believe you should have a proper conversation with you step daughter regarding what happened. I would never commit such a mistake."
Beckett said emphasizing that to have an affair with the woman would be a mistake. This did not calm down the man. Instead, it angered him more.
"Mistake?" The older man hissed.
Seeing that the conversation would lead to something disastrous, Lewis decided to bug in between the two man.
"Director Johns. Please. You don't need to worry. What happed was a trick played by the media. President Beckett has already ceased the media and the news would not be spread anymore. And a solution would be carried out to clear Ms. Tanya's name. You don't have to worry."
His words seemed to have calm down the angry father. Director Johns glared at Beckett and threatened.
"President Beckett. I hope you compensate for the wrong you have done to my daughter. You may be the President of the Company, But the Board of Directors have the ability to hold against you."
With that, Mr Johns left the room, leaving an angry Beckett and a nervous Lewis to take care of the annoyed friend.
"ZESS! Why do you have to provoke the old man?" Lewis complained.
"I just hate his guts."
"Now. Let's keep this aside. How are you going to deal with Kayla?"
Beckett could only sigh is frustration. He remembered the first time he met his wife. It all began a year ago. It was the initial time of the formation of the company. His grandfather's Company was his main supporter. But it was blocked by his grandfather and would only release it if he got married to her. He suspected to be scheming bitch, just like his father. But he was proven wrong when they first met ten months ago.
"When's she coming?" Beckett was growing impatient and he had the right to. It had already been half an hour and there was still no sign of the woman.
"Mr. Ainsworth's assistant said that they would reach in a few minutes." Lewis said.
"They have been saying that for quite a while now."
Beckett was beyond annoyed. He had to shift an important meeting just to meet with this woman. And now he had wasted more than half an hour waiting for her. Whatever good thing he could have thought of her would be impossible now. Beckett hated irresponsible, scheming and irregular persons. And this lady seemed to have all these qualities.
Beckett didn't have to wait much longer. The person they'd been waiting for arrived. Beckett was annoyed to hell. But his annoyance didn't stop him from acknowledging the beauty of the lady. The way she carried herself, with grace and elegance. It was as if she was brought up in a royal family instead of a poor country side house. She stood in front of Beckett and stared at him for a few seconds, intensely.
"Pardon me for my unpunctuality. You must have waited for long." The lady said as she nodded to Beckett. "You must be President Beckett.... Hello Mr. Levingston. I hope we could cooperate well."
"Hello Ms. Kayla Bill." Beckett said.
"It's Aynesworth now. I've taken up my father's name." Kayla corrected.
"Okay Ms. Aynesworth. Let's order something, I'm sure you must be tired from your journey."
Despite his dislike of her unpunctuality, Beckett still tried his best to be a gentle man and not let the hatred for the lady's father get him to judge her. Everything well fine. Beckett seemed to like her calm and graceful personality. She talked of her journey from London to Dewsland. It turned out her flight was delayed and hence her reason for being late. Beckett thought she was a reasonable and understanding person, unlike her father, and would get what he would say. Well, he guessed wrong.
"Ms. Kayla. I have something I want to discuss with you, regarding this...marriage our elders have arranged." Beckett said.
"What of its Mr. Levingston?" Kayla place her drink down and gave her full attention to him.
"I believe it's a rush. I mean. We are adults now and we should have our own choice of partners. I'm sure you get what I'm saying."
"I'm glad you think the same. I hope you agree to not agree to this arrangement." Beckett said.
Kayla stared into Beckett's eyes as she said, "Is there something in me that you don't like Mr. Levingston?"
Her question place Beckett on a difficult spot. For a sec, he didn't know how to reply.
"It's.... I don't mean it that way. You're... You seem like a great person. It's just... I don't like this to be arranged by our elders." Beckett tried his best to explain.
"So, you mean you'll be ready to marry if it was not arranged by our elders?"
Beckett was speechless. Kayla was quite blunt and it contrast the way she carried herself.
"If we met in different circumstances, I would have courted you. And... I'm searching for something... someone... So, I can't be with you." Beckett stared into her eyes as he told her the main reason for his disagreement to their arrange marriage. He saw something change in her.
"So, you're rejecting me because you have someone in your mind?" She asked.
Beckett took a deep breath before answering. "Yes."
Hearing his reply, Kayla leaned back on her seat as she stared out of the window on her side. Beckett was growing nervous as he couldn't read her mind.
"Okay Mr. Levingston. Let's stop his marriage from happening..." She said.
Beckett was glad she agreed to his proposal and was about to thank her. But. Guess he judged her wrong.
"But I have a condition." She continued.
Beckett was taken aback but still asked her condition.
"I want the Tx-chip."
Her condition shocked Beckett. He could even guess hoe she even knew of the Tx-chip. He only knew of it from his brother who gave it to him saying he made it before the accident three years ago. The incident that took five years of his memories. How did she even know of the chip?
'Unless... she's involved with what happened that day...'
The bad feeling in Beckett's heart grew more as he asked,
"How do you even know of the Chip?"
"Well... I came to know of it from a person." She replied.
"Who's this person?" Beckett asked as he glared at the woman.
"That person is someone you don't need to know of. Now, if you don't this marriage to happen, give me the Tx-chip" She said taking a sip of the red wine.
"And if I say NO?"
"Then you have to treat this wife very well." She replied him with a meaningful smile.
"I'll never marry you." Beckett stated as he stood up.
"Then you better give me the chip."
"No." Beckett refused once again.
Kayla clicked her tongue. "Mr. Levingston. Don't be so selfish. It's not like you know what's inside the chip."
Beckett was stupefied again. This girl seemed to know everything. 'How did she even know that I don't know the password of the chip?'
"I will not give you anything." Beckett decided that there must be something in the Tx-chip that she seemed to be after. Even his brother urged him to find a way to unlock it.
"Then we should start preparing for our wedding... You don't have to worry much about us not getting along together. We may not be together for long. Once I found the Chip, I'll give you a divorce." Kayla explained her plans.
"You_" Beckett was beyond angry. He was infuriated.
"Aahh!" Kayla exclaimed before saying, "But, during our marriage, I hope we stay loyal to each other. You know being a result of dishonesty myself, I hate disloyal people."
Her words just left Beckett speechless.
"Okay then Mr. Levingston. I'll take my leave. Hope you have a nice day ahead." Saying that, she left Beckett alone in his own train of thoughts.
Beckett still remember it to the date. He was wrong. She was not a scheming bitch. She was a shameless scheming Bitch.
Beckett still remember it to the date. He was wrong. She was not a scheming bitch. She was a shameless scheming Bitch.
"I'll never accept her as my wife. She is just a piece on my board. I only need her to find out what happened that time. Then I'll no longer have any use of her." Beckett said in a cold tone which even scared Lewis.
"See man. I obviously don't know what happened before we met. But I don't think you should judge her. I mean... I hang out with her sometimes, and I don't think she's that bed." Lewis voiced out his opinion.
"She's a fucking bitch who acts really well. How do you think she made Grandpa like her so much that he's against me now?" Beckett argued back. "And nobody should trust your taste on woman. Your ex-girlfriend sold nude pictures of you two_"
"Ahh!" Lewis shouted, stopping him from finishing what he was about to say. "Please, don't remind me of it. I still have nightmares of that girl. Who knew a sweet looking girl like her would turn out to be psychotic girl?" He shivered as he remembered the terrifying memories of him being tied in a bed, nude, with the girl clicking pictures.
"Whatever." Beckett just scoffed at his friend. "Arrange a press conference at around 3. Also call Tanya. She should be present there." He ordered.
"Yes Boss." Putting up a fake salute, Lewis went out of the room.
Beckett was about to do some paper works when his phone rang. He picked up the phone from the table and checked the ID of the caller and instantly cursed as saw who called him.
"What?" He replied in an indifferent tone.
"Come here now." A woman's voice came.
A beeping sound came from the phone. Beckett glared at the phone as he grumbled, "She just hang up the phone after saying what she wants."
"It's her?"
"Yeah."
"What did she say?" Asked the curious Lewis. His eyes eager to listen what Kayla ha to say regarding he scandal. Too bad. Beckett had a different plan for him.
"Call up the Head of PR." [PRD_ Public Relation Department]
"B...but..." His protest came to its end even before it began when he saw the 'deathly' glare of his boss aka his best friend.
"Okay Boss." His fake enthusiasm running wild.
After discussing with the Head of PRD on what to do, Beckett ordered Lewis to arrange a press conference at 3 in the afternoon.
"Also contact Miss Tanya. She has to be present in the conference."
"Okay. Do you need anything?" Lewis was concerned for his friend who was having his first scandal. Well. It's the first after that happened to Beckett.
"..." Beckett didn't reply to his question.
"Beck?"
"Just send me a cup of coffee."
"Okay. I'll g_"
A knock came on the door. One of Beckett's Secretary came in.
"President. There's a... problem." She said unsure how to present the disturbance which was happening outside the office.
Beckett didn't say anything, just waited for her to say what the problem was.
"Its Mrs. Levingston...."
Beckett frowned showing his dislike as soon as she said that.
"There's a lot of media member outside. They're creating a lot of_"
Before she could finish what she wanted to say, they heard noises outside.
"Mam! Mam! Please stop!"
Suddenly the door of the room opened. There she was, with all her head held high. The proud wife of Beckett Levingston, Kayla Levingston. She looked straight at the person she was looking for, her eyes keeping locked on him as if she was staring at her prey. Beckett was the same. He didn't hide the aversion he felt when seeing her. This left the other people present in the room in an awkward position.
"Amm! Hey Kay!" Lewis tried to suspend the tense atmosphere but got ignored instead.
"I told to meet me two hours ago."
"I was busy."
"Busy getting into your_" Kayla stopped herself seeing there were other people there.
"Leave us." Beckett ordered. Lewis and the Secretary went out.
"Why did you come here?" Beckett asked her.
Kayla gave him a look before asking him, "Really? You're asking me why I came here? The whole nation is talking about how my husband is having an affair with one of his secretaries. I even called you. And you're asking me why I'm here. What do you think I am doing here?"
"You sound as if I cheated on you."
Beckett's statement gained a questioning look from his wife.
"Yes. You cheated on me by having an affair with your stupid secretary." Yelled Kayla.
"We were never a couple to begin with." Beckett argued. "So, me having an affair with someone should never be a bother to you."
"But other don't know that. In their eyes I am your wife. And I don't want my husband to be a cheater. You may be okay with staining your name with some bitch like her. But I'm not. I don't even want to be mentioned in a same sentence with that girl."
Kayla Ainsworth, now Kayla Levingston, is one prideful woman. From the day Beckett met her, he always doubted her being an illegitimate daughter who grew up in the dark side of the country as mentioned in her report.
'Why is an illegitimate child like yourself so prideful?' Beckett wanted to ask. But he assumed that she forgot her hard living and thought of herself as a princess of the Ainsworth family as she was the family head's only daughter.
Seeing Beckett chose to be silent, Kayla said what was in her mind. "And I'm sure Grandpa will think the same as I."
Beckett saw her threat. 'Is she really threatening me with my grandfather? Knowing him, he'll rather disowned me than seeing her for who she is?'
Beckett calmed himself down. He knew that if Kayla said anything about him to Grandpa, which he knew would-be no-good things, he would be in a deep mess. And he still remembered what his older brother told him.
"Beck, the Ainsworth may have a connection to what happened 13 years ago"
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