After hanging up, Oscar grabbed his keys and descended the stairs two steps at a time, not waiting for the elevator. Kiara wasn't going to get away. He needed her, and she was coming with him one way or another.
As Oscar reached the lobby, he was met with a chaotic scene. Kiara was surrounded by three security guards, one of whom was down on the ground clutching his ear, blood seeping through his fingers. Another guard lay unconscious on the ground, arm twisted awkwardly. In Kiara's hand glinted a knife, her movements cautious as she spun in circles, watching each guard fiercely.
Kiara's voice rang out firmly as she claimed her innocence, "I didn't steal anything! I came to see my father, Dwayne Jackson!"
Oscar's heart raced as he noticed several people in the lobby had their phones out, recording the incident. If any of those videos surfaced, Dwayne would know he had a daughter and she was in town, foiling his plans to ensure Alessia's release. He needed to act swiftly to regain control before matters spiraled further out of hand.
Two more guards stepped into the lobby. "Take every phone out there!" he ordered, "And make sure those videos are deleted before any harm is done!"
The grumbling from the onlookers grew louder as their phones were snatched away, adding to the already charged atmosphere. With an air of authority, and a blank expression on his face, Oscar approached her.
"Ms. Tanner, you're in a very serious situation here. If those guards press charges, you'll end up in jail," Oscar warned.
She spun to face him, her eyes flashing with defiance before she erupted in a frenzy. "Mr. Bertarelli, I've made it abundantly clear that I won't sleep with you for money! Why are you resorting to this?"
Her words drew gasps and whispers from those nearby.
"My aunt just passed away, and all I wanted was to find my father, Dwayne Jackson, who works as a lawyer in your firm. He's all the family I have left."
Mr. Beratelli felt a flush of embarrassment burn his cheeks at Kiara's accusations.
"Kiara, let's find a quiet place to talk."
He was losing control of the situation and fast. He knew he needed to get her away to a private setting.
But Kiara's voice grew louder. "I'm not going anywhere with you! I'll wait for the police to arrive and tell them how you tried to assault me in your office!" she declared, her voice rising an octave.
Oscar, you're a seasoned lawyer letting a teenage girl outwit you?
Taking a deep breath, he addressed the onlookers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I understand this situation may seem alarming," Oscar began, his voice projecting genuine worry. "But what you don't know is that Ms. Tanner here has been struggling. Her mother reached out to me in desperation, fearing that she had broken out of rehab. She's worried sick about her daughter's well-being."
Turning his gaze back to her, Oscar's expression softened with feigned sympathy. "Your mother is beside herself with worry. Please, come with me so we can sort this out and put her mind at ease."
Ms. Tanner's laughter echoed with cynicism. "Rehab? That's the best you can come up with?" she scoffed. "I'm leaving here in handcuffs or dead. Your move, Mr. Bertarelli."
Shit!
How the hell was he going to get her to Matteo's office?
As Oscar scanned the scene, his eyes landed on a guard stealthily approaching her from behind, taser gun ready. A plan began to form in his mind; he needed to keep her engaged while the guard orchestrated her capture.
"Ms. Tanner," Oscar began, "I can help you. I'll plead with the judge to waive your sentence if you agree to go back to rehab. You don't have to follow in your father's path, you don't need to die of an overdose like he did."
Oscar pressed on, desperation seeping into his words. "Please, let me help you. It's not too late to turn things around. You have a chance to make a different choice."
As he spoke, the guard drew closer, his grip tightening on the taser gun.
With a silent exchange of nods, the security guard and Oscar formed an unspoken alliance, their intentions concealed from her notice. Suddenly, commotion erupted as a group of men dressed in tactical gear stormed into the lobby, faces covered.
"Secure the girl!" a man barked. His team quickly obeyed, surrounding Ms. Tanner and the security guards.
Watching her being surrounded, Oscar couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. Despite his efforts to control things, he had failed, and she was about to slip away from him.
"Stand down," one of the men ordered firmly to the guard standing behind her with his taser gun.
The guard stepped back, his posture tense.
"Drop the knife, now!" the man commanded.
Her eyes darted between the men surrounding her. With a smirk in Oscar's direction, she lowered the knife to the ground.
As soon as the knife was out of her hands, one of the men swiftly handcuffed her.
She cried out."Someone tell my father, Dwayne Jackson that I was taken!"
They dragged her outside, her cries fading into the distance.
Oscar! You can't let them take her!
He dashed out of the building and sprinted to his car. His sole objective: to tail the men and discover their destination. Once he had the crucial information, he would contact Dwayne, he was his daughter's best hope for getting out of this situation.
But once she was safe, Oscar faced the daunting task of figuring out how to separate Dwayne from his daughter and getting her to Matteo's office.
As Oscar sped out of the parking lot, his grip tightened around the wheel. He would do whatever it took to get Ms. Tanner to Matteo, Alessia's life depended on it.