-----FLASHBACK (continuation) ----
Vince reversed his car and stopped it directly in front of her. As he got off the car, his frustration from what the girl just did surfaced and asked,
"What do you think you're doing jumping out of the car like that?!"
Then the girl fell on the street on her knees and started crying.
"You're going to sell me to another mafia groups as well. They'll take advantage of me and kill me if I'm deemed useless." The girl voiced out her thoughts while crying clearly.
Vince wiped her tears to calm her down and said,
"I'm not going to sell you out. I already have a lot of money."
"Then why do we need to go to another city for clothes and food?"
"One of my mom's dress shops is located there. I also thought you would be more comfortable to have meals in a restaurant than in our base." Vince explained his plans and intentions clearly.
"How will I know that you��re not lying?"
Vince hands out a pocket knife to her and said,
"I'll give it to you. I know you're quite skilled on this. So stab me at any time you'll fill that I'm about to do something bad against you."
"Are you sure about that? I might…
"You won't be able to kill me. I'll be able to deflect and dodge it. In that way, I'll have an idea that I'm crossing a line."
The girl finally wiped her tears and accepted Vince's knife and looked at his eyes as if trying to gauge his intentions.
"Don't blame me if I hurt you in the process." The girl admitted the possibility.
"I won't. But it would be better if I at least know your name, so instead of touching you, I could call you by name." Vince shows his smile again.
"Clara. You can call me Clara."
"Is that you're real name?" Vince asked her and received a nod as an answer.
"Let's get inside the car now and head to the next city." Vince opened the door for her but the latter stopped him from moving.
"I told you my name. You said, give and take… I told you my name so could you at least answer why that man called you Primo yet you said your name's Vince."
"Vince is my real name. Primo is the name they call me as the mafia group leader." Clara felt shock from what she just learned.
"Now can we get inside the car? It'll be late for lunch soon."
"Hmm…"
The trip to the next city was silent as Clara started to calm down and observed Vince as he drove the car. In just a few minutes, they have arrived in a chic boutique.
"Young Master!" The receptionist instantly greets them upon seeing Vince get off the car.
"I need a casual pair and some more clothes for her." Vince instructed the staff and called on Clara as the group of ladies does their respective tasks.
At the guest area, Vince is busy reading some papers when Clara finally came out wearing more decent clothes.
"Young Master we have also finished packing new clothes for her."
"Have the amount charged into my account and put the bags in the trunk of my car." Vince instructed them yet as the staff left, two women approached him and Clara who was about to open the curtain of the dressing room decided to listen first.
"Son, I heard you came here with a girl? The staff also told me she's too young…" A woman in long sleeved polo tucked in a pencil cut skirt asked Vince in a loud voice almost like a shout.
"Miss Maddie, relax first let Young Master explain…" A woman in a blouse and pants carrying folders walking just behind the woman she just called Maddie said.
"I will, Rose." Maddie sighed.
"Mom, relax. I just found her on the street looking so cold while wearing worn out clothes. I just couldn't leave her behind so I brought her here to get some." Vince explained it to her.
"Where did you find her?" Maddie asked.
"En route here. I was thinking of feeding her lunch afterwards."
"Then?"
"What do you mean then?" Vince got confused.
"After giving her clothes and feeding her, what will you do? Are you going to support her or leave her in an orphanage or look for her family?"
At that point both Clara and Vince couldn't believe what they just heard. Vince didn't plan that long enough since it was even tough to bring her along. It finally sank in to Clara that Vince really had no ulterior motives and that he was just doing things instinctively.
"See? You haven't thought of it when you picked her up. You should think carefully whether you'll take responsibility or run away and leave her in an orphanage. " Maddie just gave him an advice.
"I will think about it, Mom. Thanks."
"Clara? Are you finished? We need to eat lunch now or else the restaurant will be too crowded and difficult to get a table." Vince asked her with a curtain still separating them.
"I'm already finished." Clara opened the window and walked out of the dressing room.
But as Clara faced herself to meet Vince's mother, she found no one aside from Vince and her. She debated whether to ask Vince but was afraid to hear his decision so she just stayed quiet. Soon, Clara and Vince are on their way to eat in one of the famous restaurants in the city.
"Vince, does your mother know that you're a mafia leader?" She curiously asked as they took their seats inside the restaurant.
"You know my policy of give and take. I can answer that but you also have to tell me what happened to you." Vince uttered another tempting offer to the girl but this time around, he saw that she was starting to trust him.
As he thought, the girl nodded just as their lunch arrived.
"I'll tell you after eating. You looked so hungry so enjoy the food first."