Chapter 164

Beckett shielded Madeleine with his body, his foot lashing out to kick Clinton in the stomach. "Are you asking for death? You dared to touch my person." "Beckett! Madeleine is mine!" Clinton wiped the blood at the corner of his eyes, looking at Beckett with simmering fury. "We've been together since we were sixteen. Ask her if she still has me in her heart!" "Sixteen?" Beckett had a deep, penetrating voice, holding Madeleine tightly in his arms. "You actually have the guts to bring that up? The time when children played house, what did they know about love?" He didn't need to ask Madeleine if Clinton was still in her heart, it didn't matter whether he was or not. All he had to do was to do what he should do. Whether Madeleine falls in love with him or not, it was up to her. "Madeleine, you tell him; tell him that I'm still in your heart, tell him that I'm the one you love!" Clinton's voice trembled as if he were a child trying his best to make a point, naively longing for acknowledgment and answer. With her entire body numb from trembling, anxiety kept Madeleine from saying anything or making any sound. "Beckett, her silence means she still has feelings for me." Clinton couldn't let go, provoking Beckett as if he had to beat him at Madeleine's front. "Madeleine, can we talk it out? I know that what happened six years ago wasn't your choice, it was Alex forcing you... I still carry feelings for you, I can't forget you. Let's talk..." Clinton nervously uttered his wish, hoping that Madeleine would grant him the chance to talk. "Heh…" Beckett sneered. Clinton kept claiming that he loved Madeleine, he couldn't forget her, yet he didn't even know that Madeleine was suffering from depression and was too shocked to speak. Covering Madeleine's ears with his hands, Beckett gently consoled, "Don't listen, lest his words disgust you." All these years, the man who harmed Madeleine in such a way now had the audacity to say that he couldn't forget her. His words were filthy. And he would not let such filth taint Madeleine's ears. Madeleine closed her eyes slowly, her stiff trembling body curled up in Beckett's arms. His heartbeat was strong, but it was the medicine that quickly calmed her down. "Beckett... You just want to destroy me. You hate my mother for taking your father away, afraid that I would take what should have belonged to you, so you want to get back at me, so that’s why you used Madeleine, even though you knew I could give up my life for Madeleine..." Clinton perceived that Beckett was deliberately intending to provoke him. Beckett was doing it on purpose. Beckett was using Madeleine, using Madeleine against him. "You're worthy?" Beckett shielded Madeleine and left. Using Madeleine against him? That was giving him too much face. Holding Madeleine's hand, Beckett brought her into the office. Madeleine's rigid fingers were clenched tightly. It was difficult even to open her hand. The feeling of her hand cramping was out of her control. Fortunately, there were no employees along the way, and no one saw the Boss holding the assistant’s hand... Otherwise, the staff chat group would explode again. "In the future, don't leave my sight." Beckett poured hot water for Madeleine, placing the cup in her icy hands. Holding the cup, Madeleine felt a bit warmer. It was only after she took a sip of the hot water that she realized, this was Beckett's cup. "Mr... Mr. Gu..." Madeleine anxiously looked at the cup, almost bursting into tears. How could she use Beckett's cup? Beckett has a cleanliness obsession. Madeleine did not prepare her cup, she always used disposable cups at the office. "I..." Seeing Madeleine, unable to articulate her words, her eyes rimmed red, and looking at him in panic and agitation, Beckett felt a sourness in his heart. He didn't dare let Carl investigate thoroughly, to find out exactly what Madeleine has been through all these years. Holding Madeleine's head, Beckett leaned down and kissed her. His kiss was gentle, as if silently comforting Madeleine, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm here." Madeleine's body stiffened for a moment, but then miraculously began to warm up. Unable to control her tears any longer, they started to flow. Madeleine cried in Beckett's arms for a long time. Beckett simply let her cry. "I..." Not knowing how long she cried, Madeleine tried to speak, her voice hoarse. "I…" Beckett patted Madeleine's back. "I don't love, I don't love Clinton..." Upon hearing Madeleine's explanation, Beckett lifted the corner of his mouth, feeling extremely delighted. "Mhm, I know." Only a fool would continue to love that kind of scum. Madeleine is not a fool, she's a clever little fox who can bite. "He...he's bad." "Mhm, he's not a good person," Beckett echoed Madeleine. Madeleine started crying again. "I'm sorry... I hit, I hit him..." It seems like she's knocked Clinton in the head. The Beach family is sure to make a fuss about this, giving Beckett trouble. "It's indeed your fault, you should have knocked him dead with a stick," Beckett ruffled Madeleine's hair. Madeleine looked up at Beckett, her eyes red yet bright. Beckett took a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes, they are probably the most beautiful ones he's ever seen... "Now, slowly open your fingers, okay?" Beckett coaxed Madeleine to unfurl her clenched hand, urging her not to hurt herself. She was agitated, frightened, always subconsciously clenching her fingers tightly, her nails digging into her palm. Madeleine lowered her head, desperately trying to open her fingers, yet they refused to obey. Beckett's large hand cradled Madeleine's hand. "Haven't I said this before? Even if you're scared, you can't hurt yourself." Madeleine bit the corner of her lip guiltily, opening her hands slowly. Only then did Beckett notice that there were several pieces of deformed White Rabbit Creamy Candies in her palm. Narrowing his eyes, he instantly grew alert. "Where did you get these?" "From... Brother Carl," Madeleine whispered. "It's not tasty." Beckett threw the candy into the garbage bin. Madeleine instinctively wanted to stop him, but it was already too late. "No, they are not." The candies that Beckett gave her last time were also White Rabbits. They were delicious. "They're fake. He likes to buy cheap stuff from some app. They're fake, I'll buy some for you." Beckett criticized Carl seriously. "He is a person who loves to take advantage of small benefits." "..." Madeleine just responded with an 'Oh'. Beckett took the first-aid box, wiped the blood marks pinched by himself from Madeleine's palm, and then magically produced a bright red apple out of thin air. Madeleine’s eyes lit up. "An...apple?" "Yes, it's tastier than what Carl gave you." Beckett’s voice was indistinct. "Where did he go? I asked him to look for you," he suddenly recalled, his voice full of resentment. Was this how Carl protected Madeleine when he asked him to? Outside the President's office, with the materials given by Clinton in hand, Carl shivered for no apparent reason. With two consecutive sneezes, Carl gathered the courage to knock on the door of the president's office. "Mr. Beach, about Clinton..." As soon as the door was opened, Carl was startled. Beckett was standing behind the door with a gloomy expression. "Mr. Beach... This is terrifying, why are you just standing behind the door?" Carl didn't believe that Beckett simply opened the door for him. "On the desert project, if Clinton doesn't go, you will." Beckett's smile was a little strained. Carl stared wide-eyed, he was just short of dropping on his knees before Beckett. What did he do wrong now? "Mr. Beach, you can't be so heartless. You can't be without me. No, I can't go..." If he goes, it would be for half a month. Would he still look human when he returns? He won't go. "Not going?" Beckett hummed. "Here's your second option, find a place without surveillance cameras, put a sack over Clinton and give him a good beating." "..." Carl gasped. "I think I'd rather go to the desert." He couldn't afford to offend the people of the Beach family. "Beckett." Just as Beckett's anger hadn't subsided, Jenny arrived. She was holding a file bag from a paternity testing center.