"What's happened?!" Nick raised his voice at Aidan when he rushed into the bistro saying something was wrong with Carla.
"Just come now. She's in a right state and Robert's there" Aidan said as Nick hurried after him.
Nick rushed into the factory and barged into the office. He saw a broken and terrified looking Carla standing in Johnny's arms.
"Carla, sweetheart.." He said as he held his arms open and she rushed from Johnny's into Nick's.
"What happened?" Nick asked her quietly, stroking her hair, as she burst into tears again.
"Hey, it's okay.." Nick soothed her. He hated seeing Carla like this.
"Where's Robert?!" Aidan asked with a hint of anger in his voice and Nick felt Carla tense her whole body at the mention of Robert's name.
"He.. He left." Johnny said, as he looked at his daughter while he still couldn't get his head around what he walked in on.
"Johnny, Aidan, could you give us a few minutes please?" Nick asked as they both left.
Nick held Carla at arms length. "What happened?" He asked her gently, wiping the tears falling down Carla's face away.
Carla looked up at Nick, with fear in her eyes. "He.. He tried to rape me." she said in barely a whisper and she started to cry again.
Nick pulled Carla back into his arms. "I've got you now darlin'. I'll keep you safe." he said, as Carla cried
Aidan looked at Johnny in complete shock after hearing Carla tell Nick as they were sat outside the office in silence.
"He did what to her?!" He said, angrily.
Johnny nodded. "If I hadn't come here..." he trailed off.
Aidan had anger in his eyes.
"It was horrible. I walked in and the door to the office was locked so thankfully I had my spare key. I walked in on it happening and he had her pressed up against the filing cabinet and was forcing himself on her" Johnny told his son.
"Carla honey, we have to call the police" Nick said, as he sat down with Carla.
Carla looked up at him in horror. "No... Not again."
Nick's heart broke into two.
"Carla, it needs to be done."
"He'll get away. Nobody will believe me."
Nick shook his head as he took her hand, holding back his tears as he noticed her bruised wrist.
"They will, Carla. We need to phone them." he said, pulling out his phone, as Carla leaned into his body.
Hours had passed, and everything with the police was finally finished. Nick drove Carla back to the street afterwards. As they pulled onto the street, there was a police car outside the bistro.
Minutes later, Robert was taken out of the building and into the police car.
"No.." Carla whispered. "Everyone in there's going to know now" She said, worried. Johnny walked down the street and past the car.
"Let's get you inside.." Nick said as Johnny stopped outside the car.
"Listen, are you ok staying with Johnny for a few minutes? I'll go and see what happened at the bistro." Nick asked Carla. "I'm sure nobody will know. He'll have been in the kitchen so nobody will have heard" he said, trying to put Carla's mind at ease, whilst she nodded.
Nick handed Johnny the keys to the flat. "Look after her please, I'll be 10 minutes tops" he said, as he kissed the top of Carla's head, and headed for the bistro.
Johnny was sat in silence with Carla in the flat. The only sound that could be heard was the clock ticking.
Eventually, she looked at the man who was her dad.
"Thank you." She said.
"Carla, I'm just glad I came when I did. You don't need to thank me."
Carla sniffled again. "You'd think I wouldn't have any more tears left in me."
"Hey, you can let it all out with me if you like.." Johnny said and to his surprise, Carla leaned into him for a hug.
"This has happened before." She said afterwards.
"What?" Johnny was confused.
"I've been raped before."
Johnny was speechless.
"I was supposed to marry the guy.." Carla trailed off, deciding Johnny needed to know.
"I'm sorry" was all Johnny could say.
"He got let off.. What if the same happens with.. him?" Carla asked Johnny.
"It won't. I promise you. I'm your dad and it's my job to look after you and I'm going to do just that" Johnny promised.
Meanwhile, Nick had just walked into the bistro. Leanne was behind the bar with Steph and Andy and their faces were filled with shock when Nick walked in.
"Nick.. I don't know what to say. Is she ok?" Leanne asked, concerned.
Nick's face fell as he feared everyone in his restaurant knew.
"Did the whole place hear?"
Steph shook her head. "He was in the kitchen. The police went through and Leanne followed them in. Nobody knows but us" Steph said.
Nick breathed a sigh of relief. "Can it stay that way please?"
Leanne nodded. "Of course. We can handle this place too" she offered as Nick smiled gratefully.
Nick returned to the flat and he was pleased to see Carla sitting with Johnny's arm around her. He hoped that she could give him a chance at being her dad.
"Carla, honey, nobody knows apart from Leanne, Steph and Andy and they aren't going to tell a soul. He was in the kitchen so no customers heard." Nick said, as Carla gave him a small smile.
"Nick?" Carla whispered at her fiancée as Nick nodded.
"He touched me on my stomach."
Johnny was sat in the chair across the room from Carla and Nick, who were on the sofa.
"He touched our baby.." Carla said.
Johnny couldn't believe what he was hearing but said nothing. He couldn't believe he was going to be a grandad but he also couldn't believe how vile Robert was.
"He's never going to touch or hurt you or the baby ever again, I promise." Nick said, hugging Carla, as he wondered how he was going to fix her again.