Chapter 38

[BECKETT CLAINFER'S Secret: Does he really own a drug business?]

"What the fuck?" Beckett raised an eyebrow when he saw a series of articles about himself. He opened them all, and he grimaced even more as he realized how tarnished his reputation had become. "Shit."

No one was cleaning up his mess at the moment, and even the higher-ups from Syneverse Entertainment were calling him nonstop. Fiona was in the same situation—She had been calling her for so many times now.

Beckett was even more puzzled because no one was defending him against the negative articles. Where were his trolls?

Beckett picked up his phone and called Nathan. "Where are you—"

"Boss, we have a big problem right now!" Nathan shouted. There was a mix of anxiety and panic in his voice. "Someone blew up the place where your reputation management team was working, and Jeremy is missing too! It's chaos inside the warehouse right now!"

Beckett's forehead furrowed as he bit his lower lip. "Do your best to minimize the damage. I'll call you again later."

"What about the trolls, boss?" Nathan asked. Despite the chaos in the warehouse, he still kept himself updated with the news. "I'm not sure if any of them survived, but if I find them, I'll take care of the articles against you—"

"Don't bother. I'll handle them all alone," Beckett interrupted, massaging his forehead. "You should prioritize the formulas and your safety. And... I'm sorry if I wasn't there while all the chaos was happening."

Nathan was astounded to hear their boss apologize to them. It wasn't necessary. As a token of gratitude for the kindness Beckett had shown him in the past, Nathan was willing to serve him wholeheartedly, but he couldn't help but feel emotional hearing Beckett's words.

What they might be doing was illegal, but all the emotions they had were real. The concern they showed their boss was genuine as well.

"Inform me once all of you find a safe place," Beckett said, interrupting Nathan's thoughts. "I'll come there as soon as possible, but for now... Fight back."

"Will do, boss," Nathan replied, and then Beckett ended the call.

"Shit. I'm fucked up." Beckett wiped his face with his hand while trying to think about his next steps. "How did things get so messed up like this?"

Everything happened in an instant. He was abandoned by Vivianne, shot, and now his modeling career and the Dweller Cartel were in turmoil. He tried to find the main source of the chaos and ended up with one name: Alfred Allamino.

Nevertheless, he felt like something was missing, as if there was a piece of the puzzle he needed to discover. He had to find out what it was, but how could he do that now that everything had fallen apart for him?

As Beckett was lost in his thoughts, Jeru suddenly held him on the shoulder. "In this case, why don't you consider joining the corporation I've mentioned before?"

"Foedus Corporation?" Beckett raised an eyebrow.

"The one and only," Jeru grinned before tightening his grip on Beckett's shoulder.

Beckett winced when he heard the mention of the Corporation. He knew about it because of Paige. Her brother, Trace Dimagiba, was one of the founders of Foedus. He had a very distinct appearance from Paige, so Beckett quickly remembered the man – handsome but with hair that looked like a bird's nest.

The other founders he knew were Lev, Jake, and, of course, his celebrity friend, Jeru. Beckett couldn't fathom how someone as clean-cut and kind as Jeru became a founder of that place.

"I told you, I'm not interested," Beckett replied with a shake of his head. "I can find other ways."

He was willing to do anything except join Foedus. The Foedus Corporation in Agrianthropos City was like an open book with hidden chapters. Many knew about the group, but not what they did on the inside. Beckett's knowledge was limited as well.

However, what he did know was enough to understand that Foedus Corporation was for criminals and other people on the run from the police. Yes, he knew he was a bad person, but he didn't want to compound his wrongdoing.

"Other ways? Do you think you have any other choice?" Jeru laughed and stepped closer to Beckett. His smile was playful, but his gaze was serious. "It's not like I'm asking you to surrender your billion-dollar net worth. I'm even trying to help you."

"I'm not a bad person," Beckett insisted.

"And neither are we," Jeru replied, but Beckett just gave him a skeptical look. Jeru quickly burst into laughter. "Well, that's a lie."

"Damn it, Jerusalem. You're not helping," Beckett muttered, rolling his eyes.

But instead of being intimidated, Jeru just laughed. "Are you getting angry?"

"Getting close.” Beckett closed his eyes, controlling his emotions.

Jeru chuckled even more, causing Beckett to clench his fists. Normally, he was the one who irritated people, but Jeru was a different case. His intimidating aura lurked beneath his falsely pleasant demeanor.

Both of them were in the showbiz industry, skilled at pretending. To top it all off, Jeru was also a founder of Foedus. His movements and demeanor showed signs of a leader.

"Don't act all high and mighty," Jeru said before fixing his gaze on Beckett. "You might fool others, but not me."

"What do you mean?" Beckett raised an eyebrow.

"Beckett Hernandez-Clainfer. Twenty-six years old. You graduated in Chemical Engineering but chose modeling, and now you're also acting in movies," Jeru explained without breaking eye contact. "Some might think you never used your degree, but they're wrong. Why?"

Jeru approached Beckett and whispered, "Because you used it to create various drugs. You’re even formulating them yourself.”

When he said that, Beckett wasn’t able to react immediately. He turned paler, and it seemed like he had lost his strength. "How did you know that?"

"It takes a villain to spot a villain," Jeru replied with a smug grin, but his tone was serious. "I know you're MOB, the owner of the Dweller Cartel. We're in the same industry, and you're aware of my connections. It's not impossible for me to know all of that. And all your hard work will go to waste if you don't find a way."

Beckett didn't respond. His gaze was fixed on the floor, and sudden memories flashed through his mind. He thought about the source of his vengeance – the death of his parents. And now, he had a new reason to fight.

It was Vivianne. He couldn't let her suffer the way he did when his parents died. He needed to save her from her father's grasp, as well as her mother. Beckett couldn't do that if he was powerless.

Someone was trying to take him down, and he couldn't allow that to happen.

"How can I join?" Beckett asked after a few moments of contemplation.

"You just need to pass the initiation. Once you do, then you're officially a member," Jeru replied. "Just think of it as my way of paying you back for being a good friend to Paige. I wouldn't help you if it weren't for her."

Beckett just grinned and nodded. Jeru was refreshingly honest, and he preferred such people over those who pretended to like someone when they didn't.

THE SCHEDULED initiation for those who wanted to join Foedus was in March 2023, which was still in 2022. So, Beckett had to wait for quite a while. While in hiding, he spent Christmas and New Year with Nathan.

Despite everything that happened to the Dweller Cartel and their drug business falling apart, Nathan never left Beckett's side. Beckett was grateful, but he also felt guilty. Both of them wanted to destroy the person who had ruined their lives, but Beckett had made a huge mess of things.

"I don't know if I can rebuild the Dweller Cartel after this," Beckett said as he swirled the glass of alcohol in his right hand. "The police and the media have been after us for months. It's difficult to figure out who orchestrated everything as well."

"I have faith in you, boss." Nathan smiled and raised his glass. "You're a bit of an idiot, but I know you have a plan."

"Fuck you," Beckett raised his middle finger and showed it to Nathan. He just called him an idiot.

Nathan just laughed and shook his head. "No, seriously, boss. I know you won't give up easily because of these problems. You'll bounce back, and we'll continue this fight—Much stronger this time.”

Nathan took a sip of his drink, and Beckett did the same. They drank more, not caring that they were in a dark and abandoned place, which is their temporary hideout while all their enemies were trying to catch them.

There, Beckett realized he wasn't alone in this fight. That's why he needed to keep fighting.