Rosa rubbed the top of her head, confusion evident as she processed Jade's revelation about being kidnapped. Her gaze, still slightly unfocused, landed on Jade. "Such beautiful white eyes you have," Rosa commented, a disoriented chuckle escaping her. "I bet Ty will love them. But, where's Vittorini?"
Jade, concern and determination in her stance, wrapped her arms around Rosa's shoulders. "Focus, Rosa. He's okay, just knocked out in the alley. We need to get you out of here; it seems you were targeted by some kind of mafia group."
Rosa's mind, still trying to piece together the chaotic snippets of the night, nodded slowly. "Ah, I see. That makes sense, I guess. Vitt did mention something about having a dad who's in the mafia, but he also said they get too focused on his life."
Jade shook her head, baffled by the sudden depth of their conversation amidst the chaos. "How do you even end up talking about someone's father after stepping outside for just a second?"
Moments after their conversation, a small window at the center of the car rolled down, revealing a man donning a black top hat. He curiously inquired, "Hey, who are you talking to back there?"
Jade, her voice firm, responded, "Sorry, we need to step out. We didn't agree to any ride." She caught the driver reaching for a firearm. Reacting instinctively, her eyes softly flared white as she leaped forward from her seat.
She forcefully pressed his hand down, preventing him from grabbing the gun. Then, channeling her energy through his hand and onto the gun, she caused it to slowly lose its form. The man, taken aback, exclaimed, "What the hell?" before Jade delivered an elbow to the side of his head, rendering him unconscious.
To Jade's own surprise, she mused, "I didn't know I could affect things through objects. Thank goodness I didn't melt his hand."
Rosa, finding humor in the situation despite the danger, laughed. "Why do you care about his hand? He was trying to hurt you?" Her laughter lightened the tense atmosphere, even as they navigated the perilous situation they found themselves in.
Before Jade could offer a reply to Rosa's dismissive concern for the driver's hand, Rosa declared, "Let's get out of here," her determination clear. Planting her feet firmly against the door, she clapped her hands together, causing fire to line the edges of the door, effectively slicing through it.
With a powerful kick, Rosa forced the door out, revealing they were still deep within the labyrinth of alleyways.
As Rosa climbed out of the car, Jade couldn't help but question her dramatic exit. "Couldn't you just have opened the door?"
Rosa, flashing a cheeky smile at Jade, retorted, "Yeah, but when they see a door literally melted, you think they'll be willing to mess with us again?"
Jade allowed a brief smile in response, appreciating Rosa's bravado, but her expression quickly turned serious. The third man they had encountered earlier appeared, a dark shadow looming around him, his tie loosened and an annoyed expression etched across his face.
Vincent, still reeling from the encounter, managed a slight bow, his demeanor respectful despite the circumstances. "Sorry, Young Master, but your father was very clear. Any female you are intimate with must meet him first," he explained, his voice carrying a mix of regret and duty.
Vincent, clearly annoyed, retorted, "We only kissed!"
Jade, both confused and frustrated, shot back, "So, you knocked him out and Rosa because?! Why would you knock out the kid anyway?!"
Vincent elaborated, "If he is to ever lead the GH one day, he can't allow his guard to fall so easily. Besides, it was nothing fatal."
Jade, exasperated, pressed a hand to her face. "Just one normal f---ing day, please! Is that too much to ask? I'm dealing with so much bullshit, and the one day I get to relax, you try to kidnap my friend because she kissed some oversized meathead!"
"And on top of that, you completely shook my understanding of the world by having some weird black fist when I was under the impression of only one way—" Rosa placed a comforting hand on Jade's shoulder, cutting off her rant with a soothing, "It's okay, just breathe, Jade. Let's just restart from scratch. How does that sound, Mr. Panther hand?" attempting to lighten the mood.
Vincent, his expression still marked by annoyance, replied tersely, "I don't care who gets upset; I'm just following orders at the end of the day."
Vittorio interjected as Jade was attempting to steady her breathing with a deep breath.
"Let's just take them back to the bar, or wherever they want to go. I'm sure she wants nothing to do with me now that you've gone and tried to kidnap her!"
Vincent began, "The rules are any girl you are—"
But Vittorio cut him off, asserting, "She's nothing more than a friend. Just because I kissed her does not make her anything else right now."
Vincent turned his gaze to Rosa, seeking confirmation. "Is this true?"
Rosa, a bit hesitant at first, admitted, "Uhh, yeah, I guess. We were just exchanging numbers to get to know each other better."
Understanding the situation, Vincent conceded, "I see, then we don't need to force you to meet his father."
Rosa, with a mix of frustration and relief, responded, "Well... you know... you could have just asked me to come visit him. Kidnapping me was a bit much, and I would have hurt you much more had Vittorio not shown up when he did." She crossed her arms, her statement carrying a blend of indignation and a hint of threat.