The safe house was quiet, save for the faint clatter of utensils as Thiago moved around the kitchen. The tension that had gripped everyone since Jade and Mia’s disappearance had loosened slightly, but it wasn’t gone. They had brought the women back, safe but shaken, and now the real work of mending the emotional scars began.
Jade sat on the couch, wrapped in a thick blanket, her hands trembling as she held a cup of warm tea that Milan had handed her. Her face was pale, her eyes red and puffy from the tears she had been trying to hold back. Mia sat beside her, equally shaken but quiet, nursing a mug of her own.
Enzo leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on Jade. His usual confident demeanor was replaced by a quiet intensity, a flicker of guilt in his dark eyes. Milan sat on the coffee table in front of Jade, close but careful not to overwhelm her.
Thiago entered the room, carrying a tray with two steaming bowls of soup. He placed one in front of Jade and the other in front of Mia, his movements unusually gentle. “It’s chicken noodle,” he said softly, crouching beside the couch. “Good for the soul.”
Mia gave him a faint smile, murmuring a quiet thank you. Jade, however, didn’t move. She stared down at the soup, her chest heaving as tears welled up again.
“I’m so sorry,” Jade finally whispered, her voice cracking. She set the tea down and buried her face in her hands, the weight of everything crashing down on her. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t—if I didn’t leave, none of this would’ve happened.”
Milan reached out, gently placing a hand on her knee. “Jade, stop,” he said firmly, but his tone was soft. “This isn’t your fault.”
Jade shook her head, her sobs growing louder. “But it is! I didn’t listen to you. I left. I should’ve stayed. I put Mia in danger. I—”
“Jade,” Enzo interrupted, stepping forward. His voice was calm, but his words carried weight. “You weren’t supposed to be in this position to begin with. This isn’t on you. It’s on us.”
Her tear-streaked face lifted, confusion clouding her expression. “What?”
Milan sighed, his icy-blue eyes softening as he sat back slightly. “You didn’t drag yourself into this mess. We did. We’re the ones who brought you into our world, and we didn’t do enough to protect you from it.”
Thiago nodded, his gaze steady as he added, “We underestimated Vivienne. We thought we could shield you from the fallout, but we were wrong. You shouldn’t have to live like this, looking over your shoulder, worrying about things you can’t control.”
Jade’s lips quivered as she looked at each of them, her heart aching at the guilt and regret etched into their faces. “But you’ve done so much for me. You’ve protected me, cared for me, even when I didn’t deserve it.”
“You deserved better,” Enzo said, his voice low but resolute. “Better than being caught in the middle of a fight that has nothing to do with you.”
“Enzo’s right,” Milan said, leaning forward again. “None of this should’ve touched you, but it did. That’s on us. Not you.”
Jade sniffled, wiping her eyes with the corner of the blanket. “But I put myself in danger. I shouldn’t have left.”
“You’re human, Jade,” Thiago said with a faint smile. “You were frustrated, and you needed space. That’s not a crime. It’s on us for not handling things differently.”
Jade let out a shaky breath, her tears slowing as their words began to sink in. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll eat the soup,” Thiago teased gently, nudging the bowl toward her. “I made it for you, after all.”
A small, grateful smile tugged at her lips as she picked up the spoon. “Thank you, Thiago.”
“Anytime,” he said, standing up and stretching. “Just don’t make a habit of getting kidnapped. My soup repertoire is limited.”
Mia let out a soft laugh, and even Jade chuckled, though her heart still felt heavy. The sound of their laughter seemed to ease some of the tension in the room, a reminder that they had made it through the worst.
Milan stood, his gaze turning serious as he glanced at Enzo and Thiago. “Vivienne escaped.”
Jade froze, her spoon hovering over the bowl. “What?”
Enzo nodded, his expression dark. “She slipped away before the raid. We didn’t have time to go after her—we had to get you and Mia out first.”
“She’s still out there,” Milan said, his voice calm but firm. “But she’s not our priority right now. You and Mia are.”
Jade swallowed hard, her appetite fading. “She’s not going to stop, is she?”
“No,” Milan admitted, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “But neither will we.”
Jade nodded, her resolve strengthening despite her fear. “Thank you. For everything.”