Chapter 42

In an instant, Beckett grabbed Jeremy by the hair before repeatedly slamming the man's head onto the floor. The sound of Jeremy's bones cracking echoed in the area, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

"You will fucking die in my own hands, and even in the afterlife, you will regret who you messed up with," Beckett gritted his teeth, continuously pounding Jeremy's head onto the floor.

"You're all talk... Do those... things you're saying..." Jeremy forced a laugh to taunt Beckett despite the difficulty he was experiencing. "You will be a killer... like your parents' murderer—"

Jeremy didn't finish what he was saying as Beckett suddenly punched him in the throat, causing him to cough up blood and struggle to breathe. Beckett panicked as he saw the blood, but his rage overwhelmed his fear.

Beckett proceeded to crack Jeremy's arms and legs, something he never thought he was capable of doing. He had never been brutal to others before, thinking he couldn't do it. He had a deep fear of blood, as it always brought back memories he had tried to suppress throughout his life.

But now, he felt that those memories were the same. The complicated events that happened to his parents served as his strength now.

"A-Ack!" Jeremy's eyes widened as Beckett placed both hands on his neck seconds after punching him in the throat. He pressed harder with each passing second, causing Jeremy to gasp in pain. In those moments, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It seemed like he was facing not a human but a demon.

And Jeremy was the one who unleashed the Devil in him.

"Die, bastard," Beckett muttered in a low tone before exerting more force on Jeremy's neck. His eyes widened further, and it seemed like he was losing breath. "And see you in hell."

Within a few seconds, Jeremy's body convulsed before life left him.

"Done," Beckett declared before checking the time. Seeing that there were a few seconds left, he quickly grabbed the gun from the side and shot Jeremy in the head.

Simultaneously, the sound of a clock ticking signaled that the remaining time to eliminate the assigned individuals had come to an end.

"Everyone hands up," Lev ordered authoritatively, and everyone quickly complied.

After that, some employees appeared. They cleaned the blood on the floor and also took the guns they used earlier. Meanwhile, the founders roamed around to inspect the corpses.

"Double dead!" Jeru exclaimed as he reached Beckett's location, where Jeremy lay in front of him. "You have so much anger, huh? You strangled him, killed him, and even shot him."

Beckett only closed his eyes and composed himself in response. No matter how much Jeru taunted him, he couldn't respond. They were on a different level. Beckett shouldn't fight back or treat Jeru like a friend. He's a founder, someone in a higher position than him. He understood all of that now.

"But nice. You gave him the punishment he deserves, and that's what makes you qualified to be a Foedus member," Jeru commented. Now, he was genuinely smiling, unlike before when he was just teasing. "You fought against your weaknesses, and you became one with them."

At first, Beckett didn't understand what the man was saying, but when he felt his body, he finally grasped Jeru's implication.

'I'm shivering, but at the same time, I feel liberated.'

His breathing was ragged, his body was trembling as if he was going to stumble at any time. Every second he looked at his hands covered in blood, he still remembered the horrifying fate of his parents.

But unlike before, he could now control his fear. He used his weakness to become a strength, and because of that, the man realized something.

'I can't bring back people who died, but I can still protect the living ones...' Beckett said to himself before clenching his fists. 'I can save who's still alive.'

And at that moment, there was only one person on his mind.

"Vivianne..."

It was always her.

After a few minutes, on the same day, the founders appointed the new members of the Foedus Corporation. Beckett seemed to breathe a sigh of relief because of that.

With all the sacrifices he made, including leaving Vivianne, he finally achieved what he desired. Somehow, the thorn in his throat was alleviated.

"Here, right?" the tattoo artist asked Beckett before touching his neck with their index finger.

"Yeah," Beckett nodded.

The tattoo artist began to ink Beckett's neck. It symbolized their membership in Foedus. Like that tattoo, their commitment to the Foedus Corporation should be the same.

Forever... Or life in exchange.

"All those I tattooed earlier have stories behind why they wanted their tattoos in those specific places," the tattoo artist commented while busy with their work. "How about yours?"

"It's nothing special," Beckett replied, his gaze cooling as he looked ahead. "It is just a reminder..."

"A reminder of what?"

Beckett didn't immediately respond. He looked at the men he had gone through initiation with since yesterday. He didn't know them at the beginning, but he knew that their bond would become even stronger now that they were together.

"That no matter how many enemies I'll make along the way, my co-members will always be with me, and I will do the same for them."

After getting their tattoos and declaring their names in the annual ceremony, the founders also gave them a ring. It was a black titanium ring that would grant them authority even outside of Agrianthropos City.

People, even in the government, know that they are off-limits, as long as they just show that ring.

"Welcome to the Foedus Corporation, Beckett Clainfer."

AND SINCE Beckett became a member of the Foedus Corporation, it only took him two months to fix the mess he was involved in. With the help of some fellow members, all the rumors against him quickly cleared up, and his popularity returned.

"Beckett Clainfer's popularity reached a new peak again, winning another award from America for his breathtaking photoshoot in California!"

"Recently, various issues were thrown at him due to his sudden disappearance, but now Beckett has proven that all of those were baseless."

"He also clarified in a few interviews his sudden break when he felt burned out from the numerous schedules he had to manage in the past years."

"Because of everything that happened, Beckett only further proved why he is one of the best and most famous models in the country! He truly lived up to the titles bestowed upon him as the 'Nation's Perfect Guy!'"

Beckett just grinned before turning off the television in his office. He is inside his newly built warehouse in Quezon, mainly for his drug formulations and other things. It's even better than before, with more organized equipment and more skilled personnel.

Because of that, his transactions became smoother, and his customer base grew. He stepped out of the room to check if everything was going well outside. Nathan led the way, still seemingly amazed by what was happening.

"Boss, it's incredible. I knew joining Foedus was a good move from all I've heard, but I didn't realize you could get this much from it!" Nathan exclaimed while observing the entire room. "Our business is not only thriving, but we're also beyond the reach of the police!"

Everyone knows he is MOB, but no one can touch him. It's true what they say in Agrianthopos City that just by showing that ring, they would be avoided even by those in higher positions.

Rumors spreading against him are no longer his concern either. Aside from the fact that very few dare to challenge Beckett now, the people in Agrianthropos are also skilled workers. His previous staff is incomparable to the current team.

"We may be thriving now, but we can't let our guard down. We'll continue to strengthen ourselves until we catch those bastards who ruined our lives," Beckett declared before clenching his fist. "Until I find them and drag them to hell, I won't stop."

Nathan simply nodded because that's his mission too. But for now, while they are in the midst of that mission...

"Boss, I found Miss Vivianne," Nathan said before handing Beckett the tablet he was holding. "Are you going to meet her now?"

"Yeah..." Beckett nodded before taking the tablet and checking the information on it. There, he saw Vivianne involved in various transactions for the Allamino Mafia. "Because it's time for me to take what's mine."