This despicable man—delirious from his fever—was clutching her hand and calling out another woman's name. One of them she couldn't quite catch, but the other was clear: Sophia.
Right now, only Sophia could save him.
His deepest obsessions were still with his sister and his family, and he hadn't let go of his hatred. In any case, there was no room for her in his heart.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't hurt, but the priority now was to get him medical attention and then find a way to escape Capone's control.
"How is he now? I'll go with you to see him!" Sophia grabbed Diana and started walking.
Lucy was in the living room. She nodded at them, sighed, and shook her head helplessly.
"Miss Sophia, the boss gave strict orders not to let you go to the back courtyard. Please, go back!"
Sure enough, at the wrought iron gate, burly men were stationed to block Sophia's path. She raised her chin defiantly, clutching Diana's hand tightly. "I'm going with Diana. If there's a problem, I'll take full responsibility!"
"Miss Sophia, please don't make this difficult for us!"
"I'm not trying to make it difficult! You say Capone ordered you to stand guard here. Fine, then call him right now and let him know I've entered the small building. Cronus is so sick he's about to die, and I must see him. If Capone isn't happy about it, he's welcome to come over himself!"
Diana gave Sophia's hand a grateful squeeze and glanced at the guards. Although Diana wasn't feeling well, her cold, piercing gaze carried a sharpness that made others uneasy.
Besides, her status alone granted her unrestricted access to the small building. If she was determined to go in with Sophia, no one could stop them.
Faced with no other choice, the guards reluctantly stepped aside, deciding to report the situation to Capone and his team afterward.
Sophia and Diana hurried into Cronus's room. He was still lying on the bed, the IV by his side with a third of the fluid left, dripping slowly through the tube into his body as if it were the only thing keeping him alive.
"How did he get so sick?"
Sophia murmured as she approached the bed. Cronus's pale, gray complexion and his rapid, shallow breathing were not something one could fake. His illness had indeed come fast and struck hard.
It was her first time stepping into the small building where he lived, and she noticed that it was as bare as the room upstairs with the terrace. The furnishings were as minimal as they could be: just a bed and a set of table and chairs. There wasn't even a closet. His clothes and books were scattered across the floor, cluttered and chaotic.
Considering that he had no freedom and couldn't leave the courtyard, this kind of life was no different from imprisonment.
Diana adjusted the IV drip to slow it down slightly, fetched some hot water, and used a towel to wipe Cronus's face. As she worked, she spoke to Sophia, "I bought the medicine from a pharmacy outside, and the IV fluids were prescribed by the hospital. But they don't seem to be helping much. There's noise in his lungs—probably a lung infection—but it doesn't seem like typical pneumonia. He needs an X-ray and diagnosis from a specialist. Otherwise, if this keeps up, he'll likely need a ventilator by tomorrow!"
Of course, there was no ventilator in this place. If it came to that, he would only be left to die.
"Water… I want water…" Cronus's cracked, feverish lips barely formed the words. Sophia quickly poured him a glass of water, and together with Diana, she helped him sit up and brought the cup to his lips.
"Cough, cough…"
Cronus drank too quickly and began to choke, coughing violently. Both Sophia and Diana frowned and patted his back nervously.
"Feeling better? Drink slowly!"
Cronus opened his eyes slightly and saw Sophia sitting beside him. His gaze was hazy, as if he couldn't quite discern where or when he was. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he grasped her hand and murmured, "Xiaoxuan… Xiaoxuan, it's my fault. I failed to protect you! Where are you living now? And Mom… where is she?"
Sophia knew he had mistaken her for someone else, but her heart still ached. She glanced at Diana, who shook her head silently.
This was the first time they clearly heard him call out this name. It must be the name of his long-lost sister.
"Lie down first… You're sick. Rest and we'll talk later!"
Cronus collapsed back onto the bed, closing his eyes as warm tears silently slipped from the corners of his eyes, tracing faint trails into his hairline before vanishing with a bitter finality.
"Diana… forgive me… forgive your brother…" he murmured weakly.
Diana clenched his IV hand hard, her expression cold, even vicious. "If you don't get your act together and recover quickly, don't you dare expect anyone to forgive you!"
Cronus was too delirious to know if her words registered, but Sophia knew Diana was right. He couldn't afford any further delays in treatment.
The sudden bang of the door being kicked open startled her. Capone stormed in, his imposing presence filling the room.
Having received a call from his men, he had rushed back from the city with Mandy, Joey, and Winter in tow. Anticipating conflict, he left them waiting outside and entered the building alone.
At that moment, Diana was in the kitchen boiling water to prepare medicine, leaving Sophia alone in the room. She sat by the bed, lifting the corner of Cronus's blanket slightly to retrieve the thermometer she had just used to measure his temperature.
Capone's barely contained anger erupted as he marched toward her. Without warning, he grabbed her wrist, the thermometer still in her hand. The sight of the red mercury column stung his eyes, and he slapped the fragile glass object to the ground, where it shattered with a sharp crack, scattering into shards.
"What are you doing?" Sophia snapped, her fury blazing in her eyes as she glared at him.
He said nothing, his lips pressed into a tight line. His gaze flicked to Cronus lying on the bed before his grip on her wrist tightened, threatening to crush her bones.
"Let me go! What's wrong with you? Can't you see there's a patient here?" Sophia hissed, keeping her voice low but filled with rage.
"I should be asking you what you're doing here. Do you think this is a place you can just walk into? How many times have I told you not to meddle in others' affairs? My words mean nothing to you, do they?" Capone shot back, his tone heavy with authority and irritation.
Sophia had anticipated this confrontation when she and Diana decided to come here, knowing Cronus's condition couldn't wait any longer. But she hadn't expected Capone's overbearing and tyrannical attitude, completely disregarding the gravity of the situation and the life that was on the verge of slipping away in front of them.
She let out a bitter laugh. "And what about the things I've said? Have you ever taken them seriously? I begged you to let go of your revenge, to stop tormenting Dr. Cronus. But look at him now—he's on the brink of death, unable to get proper medical treatment. He's just lying here, waiting to die! Is that your plan? To keep him imprisoned until one day he quietly passes away? That way, you don't have to dirty your hands?
"Have you ever thought about his feelings? He's a living, breathing person! And what about Diana? How do you plan to face her after this? Don't tell me you don't know how she feels about Dr. Cronus!"
"Just like I love you!"
Sophia held back the words, unwilling to voice her feelings for him when all she could see in his eyes were cruelty and anger.
Capone let out a cold laugh. "Of course I know Diana likes him—and she's liked him for years! But it's her own fault for having poor judgment. Of all people, she had to fall for a scheming traitor, a man as cold-hearted as he is. That could never lead to a happy ending!"
"How can you say that? There's nothing wrong with genuinely loving someone! Diana may be the girl you treat like a little sister, but first and foremost, she's her own person. She has her own feelings and the freedom to choose who she loves. Their fate is theirs to decide, not yours!"
"Loving someone you shouldn't is absolutely wrong! It's fine if she's foolish, but she can't expect everyone else to bury themselves with her! I've already been merciful by not killing Cronus outright and giving them a chance to be together. Do you really expect me to let them get married? Diana can marry any man she wants. I'll make sure she has a better match. If Cronus dies, so be it. What's there to grieve about?"
"You—!" Sophia was so furious she couldn't find the words. She struggled to wrench her arm free from his grip, her frustration mounting.
Capone refused to let go, and their movements knocked over an empty IV bottle on the table, sending it crashing to the floor with a loud shatter. Startled, Sophia looked up—and there, standing at the door, was Diana.
"Diana..."
Capone turned as well, his expression shifting briefly to something akin to regret when he saw Diana's distraught face. Her cheeks flushed red, then turned pale, her haggard appearance making it clear she wasn't well.
Diana was rarely seen in such a simple outfit, wearing a light-colored cotton dress. The way she lowered her head and tried to suppress her emotions gave her an unexpectedly delicate charm.
"Capone... I'm sorry. I know it's my fault..."
Her voice broke off, choked with emotion. Unable to bear the awkwardness for another second, she turned and ran out of the room.