Ch-21
As soon as the door opened, Luciana felt a surge of relief, hoping someone had come to help them.
A smile of relief spread across her face, though she could see that Oscar seemed unhinged, almost inhuman. From what she'd seen before, he was a man of composure, at least outwardly. But the person standing before her now looked possessed.
She knew he thought of her as just another gold-digging woman, but he hadn't been this venomous when they'd encountered each other previously.
She glanced at the doorway, where several hotel staff stood. But something felt off. Their faces were obscured by masks, revealing only their eyes.
Alarm bells began ringing in her head. She needed to get out of here immediately.
Luciana pushed Oscar away with all her strength. This time, she didn't care about her dress—she kicked him hard in the groin. Oscar howled in pain and suddenly lost consciousness.
*What?* she thought, surprised. She hadn't realized that a kick like that could knock someone out. But there was no time to ponder it.
She tried to push past him and run, but the masked men quickly grabbed her. How foolish she'd been to think she could escape.
In desperation, she struggled, but their grip was too strong. One of the men grabbed her wrist so tightly that her bracelet snapped, the sound making her wince as they cursed at her.
"Let me go!" she shouted.
"Spray her with chloroform too!" ordered the leader of the group.
"And bring him along," he added, glancing at Oscar. "Didn't expect the drugs to have aphrodisiac effects as well. He nearly got what he wanted," he muttered, making Luciana's eyes widen.
Her broken bracelet slipped from her hand as she absorbed his words.
*Does this mean he was drugged too?*
Even if he'd been a victim, she couldn't ignore the anger, helplessness, and frustration she felt toward him. If he'd taken better care of himself, this situation wouldn't have escalated.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the man tightened his grip on her wrist. She flinched in pain.
They pressed a chloroform-soaked cloth to her face, and she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.
As they dragged her, her dress caught on something, pulling up slightly. One of the men, dressed as a waiter, draped a shawl over her to avoid drawing attention to her disheveled appearance.
After confirming that both she and Oscar were unconscious, the leader nodded at the team.
The operation continued seamlessly. The guards outside the room were replaced by different guards, and everything was carefully staged as if nothing had happened.
---
Meanwhile…
A "waiter" appeared to help Oscar, who looked heavily intoxicated. A few women offered to assist, but the "waiter" waved them off and called over some guards to keep them away until he reached the elevator.
"Do you need us to accompany you to the floor?" one of the guards asked.
"No need. I have a Master's key card; it'll take us directly to his room," the "waiter" replied. They nodded, watching the elevator ascend to the designated floor.
As the "waiter" was about to press the down button, instructions came through his earpiece.
"Take him to the penthouse," his leader ordered.
Without question, the "waiter" changed course.
Upon reaching the penthouse, he noticed another staff member cleaning the corridor. As they approached, they made way for the "waiter" and his burden.
"Change his clothes," he heard his boss instruct. The "waiter" poured a bit of wine over himself and stepped outside.
He approached the cleaner, asking, "Hey, could I borrow some spare clothes? Master spilled wine on me."
"You can get some from the staff room," the cleaner replied.
"Nah… Lady instructed me not to leave the penthouse until she returns from greeting the guests. I don't dare take the risk," the "waiter" said with a nervous expression.
Feeling sorry for him, the cleaner handed over a set of clean clothes, which the "waiter" accepted gratefully.
Returning to the penthouse, he swapped Oscar's branded clothes for the plain ones. After confirming the hallway was clear, he prepared to leave but noticed a guard approaching.
"Could you ask the staff to bring some hangover pills for Master?" the "waiter" asked, seeing the guard's alarmed expression.
"He's been vomiting from drinking too much. Lady specifically instructed that no one but her or the guards should enter. Can you help just this once?" he added, feigning concern.
The guard nodded.
"Thank you. I'll be in Master's hall, waiting," the "waiter" said, maintaining a cautious expression.
Satisfied, the guard left. With this chance, the "waiter" quickly carried Oscar into the common elevator.
Meanwhile, his leader monitored everything on his phone, ensuring the elevator was tampered with so no one could enter until it reached the basement. When it did, the "waiter" swiftly moved Oscar to an awaiting car, joining his leader before they sped off.
After driving a short distance, they switched vehicles and continued to their final destination.