The cotton swab was still pressed precisely on the needle hole. He gritted his teeth and cruelly smiled. "You really deserve the title of the most promiscuous rich young lady of the year—constantly caring about men! Whether they live or die, whether they're doing well or not, what does it have to do with you? If you still have the energy, you'd be better off serving me first. I can give you anything you want!"
Sophia thought she had long since died inside, but hearing him say this, the slight, sharp pain on her hand seemed to spread to her heart, and tears filled her eyes. "Capone, you're shameless! The biggest regret of my life, the thing I most shouldn't have done, was ever caring for you, ever thinking I loved you!"
Capone stood against the light, and Sophia couldn't clearly see his expression. If she could, she would never have missed the deep, bone-chilling pain that flashed through his eyes.
His whole life had been spent learning to hide his true feelings, but sometimes, when the pain was too much, there was no way to hide it.
He was standing with his back to the windowsill. If it weren't for the bright glass, he felt that with just one stumble backward, he would fall from this tall building, and the abyss below would never have a bottom.
"You think I care?" He tightened his grip on her wrist, as if trying to crush her bones, though only he knew this was his only support at that moment.
"I already told you, give up the engagement, leave Roger and come back to me. I'd still treat you the way I used to. But if you insist on going your own way, and he no longer wants you, then coming back to me would be nothing but you being a puppet, a tool for relieving desires! I have no interest in secondhand goods that have been used by others!"
"Roger hasn't abandoned me! Everything was orchestrated by you!"
"You're so naive!" Capone leaned in closer to her face. "Do you think that now, with your fallen status, Roger's family will still want you, the poor rich girl? Marrying you would be a huge joke—they aren't that stupid! Now, the whole world knows that you are Capone's woman. The only one willing to accept you is me. If you don't want your precious Diaz family to be further humiliated, just stay here quietly! If I'm happy, I won't make things too hard on you."
Family... The metaphor of a snake striking its vulnerable spot made Sophia realize that her family was perhaps her fatal weakness. They were the ones she couldn't help but care about, and no matter what, blood would always be thicker than water.
"My brothers won't let you get away with this!"
"That's not necessarily true!" Capone said smugly. "This time, you're not my hostage, just my woman. When I'm with my woman, what right do they have to come and snatch you away? Besides... you know, when a favor is owed, it must be repaid. Your Diaz family owes me, and you're the one who has to repay it."
Sophia didn't understand the hidden meaning behind his words and couldn't guess what her family might need to repay him for.
He didn't mention the old grudge between the Diaz families, whether he had truly let go of it, or if capturing her again was just another step in his revenge.
The more Sophia thought about it, the more her head hurt. Her chest felt tight, too. At some point, Capone had let go of her and walked away. His posture was straight, but there was an added loneliness to him, more than before.
Sophia's body was fine, and after two days in the hospital, she felt much better. But her state of mind remained unsettled, and her spirits still weren't great, though she was now well enough to be discharged.
The surroundings were eerily calm. Capone's subordinates were all well-trained and didn't show any surprise at her return to this place, nor did they speak much to her.
There didn't seem to be any news from her family. She didn't know if there had been any moves made. When she was on Mesha Island, information was cut off, but this time, her hospital room had a TV. She didn't see any news reports about the engagement ceremony.
If there was any difference, perhaps it was just that—there was a difference. At least this time, Capone didn't seem to want to cut her off completely from the outside world. She was sick and went directly to the hospital instead of, like before, only letting Cronus come and give her a diagnosis.
Thinking about Cronus, Sophia felt a little unsettled, wondering how he was doing. Diana hadn't had a chance to mention anything that day, and Diana hadn't appeared at the hospital these past two days. Whenever Capone showed up, the atmosphere became strange, and Sophia didn't want to talk to him much. He just lazily stayed by her bedside.
On the day she was discharged, Capone personally came to pick her up. The two of them didn't speak during the ride. The car drove straight from the hospital to the dock, where a boat was already waiting for them.
He spoke so casually, as if she had only been out for a brief trip and it was now time to return home.
She didn't even need to ask where the boat was heading—it was undoubtedly to Mesha Island.
Sophia didn't resist, knowing it would be futile. As she walked forward, the spot where she was supposed to board the boat was a bit slippery from the seawater. Her feet slipped slightly, and she almost fell, but Capone was quick, catching her in time. His hand clutched her arm with such force that it hurt.
Sophia felt a bit embarrassed, unable to say thank you. But before she could think further, her feet suddenly left the ground. Capone had already lifted her off the ground and swiftly carried her onto the boat.
"Clumsy," he said in an unfriendly tone. "Why aren't you paying attention? What are you thinking about?"
Capone had been like this these past few days—whenever they were face to face, she seemed to drift off in thought, and he assumed she was thinking about Roger and the unfinished engagement ceremony.
She didn't bother explaining, because she couldn't honestly say she wasn't thinking about it. The situation had been so awkward and shocking, and she didn't know how Roger's family or hers would handle the aftermath.
The world was small. Even though Capone and his people had managed to suppress media reports, it was inevitable that the Diaz and Luo families would become fodder for gossip among the upper class—something to laugh about over afternoon tea or a plate of Italian pasta.
It was her fault that they were now humiliated.
She vaguely remembered the look in Roger's eyes when the photos from the engagement ceremony were projected. There had been shock, yes, but more than that, there was concern and sympathy, as though he was afraid she wouldn't be able to bear the blow.
Some people are like that. What stays in your heart may be just a fleeting glance full of tenderness at a moment in time. But because of that, whenever you think of them, you also recall the scene that caused you pain, and realize that the two of you can never be together again.
She only felt regret. Roger, such a good man, not only had she let him down, but she had also made him a laughingstock.
She truly felt sorry.
Sophia remained silent with Capone all the way. When they disembarked, before Sophia could take a step, Capone once again lifted her, carrying her onto the shore as if she weighed no more than air.
She lay quietly in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, surrounded by his familiar, masculine scent, but she could no longer feel the warmth that once enveloped her.
She didn't want to speak. She listened to his heartbeat until he gently placed her in the backseat of the car, as if handling a fragile, precious porcelain.
It was such a short distance to walk; he seemed to be making a bigger deal of it than necessary.
Standing in front of the newly renovated building, Sophia realized it was the villa that had been rebuilt. The original had been burned to the ground during Capone and Cronus's struggle.
The house was still in the same location and resembled the old one, but it was much larger. The previous property had two connected villas in one yard, but now, behind it, there was an additional annex—half a building designed with elegance. The interior and exterior had been entirely redone, making the house seem far grander than before.
Sophia's heart sank slightly as she thought of Capone's despair and his attempt to hold onto her during the fire, and how she had been determined to face death alongside him.