Diana's voice broke as if she were about to cry. Standing there another second felt unbearable, so she turned and ran out the door.
Sophia stomped her foot in frustration, glaring fiercely at Capone. "This is all your fault! How could you say that to her? You claim to treat her like a sister, but you're not even a tenth as good as Dr. Cronus. You're a terrible brother!"
Capone's face darkened, his anger simmering, as if he might rip her to pieces right then and there. But before he could react, Sophia had already dashed out after Diana. Fearing something might happen to the two girls, Capone followed them out.
The sky was overcast, and the sea breeze was fierce, making Diana's frail figure look even more unsteady against the wind.
She was wearing a dress and wasn't running fast, yet neither Sophia nor Capone dared to catch up with her—perhaps because they didn't know what they could possibly say to her face-to-face.
Suddenly, Diana stumbled over something and fell. The rough gravel seemed to have hurt her badly, but by the time Sophia caught up, she was already lying motionless on the ground.
"Diana! Diana, are you okay? What's wrong? Say something!"
Sophia knelt down, lifting Diana so she could lean against her. Seeing her pale face and tightly closed eyes, Sophia's tears began to fall uncontrollably.
"What's wrong with Diana?"
Capone arrived to find Sophia crying, which only added to his inner turmoil.
"I don't know! She fainted... She seemed unwell earlier today. We can't wait any longer—we have to get her to the hospital right now!"
Tearfully, Sophia pleaded with Capone. She no longer had the energy to argue about who was right or wrong; all she cared about was that Diana—and Cronus—be okay and receive proper medical care.
"Move aside. I'll do it."
Without waiting for a response, Capone pushed Sophia out of the way and scooped Diana up in his arms. She weighed barely anything, as if she'd been skipping meals entirely.
As he carried her, Capone couldn't help but think about Sophia's earlier words. Was he truly too harsh on this girl he called his sister?
He wasn't a good brother. He wasn't a good son. And, perhaps, he wasn't capable of being a good lover either.
"If you're coming along, wipe those tears. I promise you—none of them are dying today."
The remark had its intended effect on Sophia, who quickly brushed away her tears and followed Capone.
"He said 'them.' Does that mean Cronus can be treated as well?"
Sophia wasn't the only one relieved. Diana, who appeared unconscious in Capone's arms, secretly let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She didn't want to deceive them like this, but for Cronus's sake, she had no other choice…
After an exhausting trip to a private hospital near the port district, it was already deep into the night by the time they returned.
Capone had unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, yet the stifling heat and irritation refused to abate.
It was barely early summer—why was it already so unbearably hot?
Sophia had witnessed Cronus being wheeled in for X-rays. The respiratory specialist that Capone had summoned on short notice reviewed the scans, gave a diagnosis, and arranged for an IV drip and oxygen therapy. Thankfully, Cronus's condition had stabilized without worsening further. Diana, housed in the room next to him, had already regained consciousness. The doctor said she was simply fatigued and had a minor cold—nothing serious.
Sophia wanted to stay a little longer, but Capone refused outright. His face was dark with anger, and he even threatened that if she didn't return to Mesha Island immediately, he would have Cronus thrown out of the hospital. He assured her that no other hospital in the port district would dare admit him, and that Cronus might not survive the night without care.
Left with no choice, Sophia reluctantly followed him back. The speedboat ride was nerve-wracking. Capone drove so fast that she clung to the railings with a death grip, terrified that she might fall into the sea at any moment.
Now back in the house, Sophia still felt dizzy and disoriented. Exhaustion weighed her down, and all she wanted was to sleep. Ignoring Capone's grim expression, she headed straight for her room.
"Stop!"
Capone's voice, low and cold, halted her in her tracks.
"I'm exhausted. Whatever it is, can't it wait until tomorrow?"
Sophia ignored the brewing storm behind her and walked into the room. Capone quickly followed, locking the door behind them, trapping them both inside.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"Say what?" Sophia didn't even have the energy to look up at him. Was he expecting her to be grateful for everything that had happened today?
Capone grabbed her shoulders tightly, shaking her roughly, seemingly trying to snap her out of her fatigue. "Why were you at Cronus's place today? Did Diana ask you to go, or did you already know he was trapped there, and today just happened to be when he fell ill?"
Sophia let out a bitter laugh. "Does it even matter now? Yes, I knew! I've seen him a few times, and I've seen Winter torturing him! But why did you try to hide that from me? You just didn't want me to see your cruel side, didn't you? But now, looking at the sick Dr. Cronus and Diana, who you treat like a sister, can you honestly say you haven't done anything wrong?"
"You're questioning me now?" Capone chuckled coldly. "If I really wanted his life, I wouldn't go through all this trouble of sending him to the hospital! I'd have shot him in the head and thrown him into the sea to end up just like his father! Diana's been deceived by him for years, but what about you? What's so special about him that you care so much?"
"I just don't want to see him die. I don't want Diana to be heartbroken, and I don't want to see you lose another sibling!"
"Whether he lives or dies is none of your business. I like revenge. I like torturing him! Stop using those noble reasons to defend him! My patience with you has limits. If I run out of it, I can't promise you won't end up with the same fate as him!"
Sophia's chest heaved with emotion. "Fate? You mean house arrest? What's the difference between me and him now? Neither of us has freedom. Neither of us can control our own actions! You've never seen me as an equal; you just want me to be your subordinate, your mistress!"
The thought of his engagement pierced her heart, and what hurt even more was that it seemed like he had never considered giving her true freedom. Even if he married, he wouldn't let her go.
"So now you regret it? You regret not leaving with him when I got hurt by Cronus, don't you?"
When Capone heard her admit that she had met with Cronus already, it felt like a heavy weight had settled on his chest.
So she had known all along. That was why she had talked about letting Cronus go, even using it as a condition to stay by his side and have children.
Bitterness spread through his heart, and he wanted to laugh but couldn't bring himself to.
The only person he had ever wanted to keep was her. She resisted, she refused, and all he had done was try to use a child as a bond to tie her to him. Whether they married or not didn't matter—he had done wrong by her before, and he was willing to spend his life making up for it.
But she had used another man's freedom in exchange, and she didn't even seem to want his child…
Seeing that Sophia had fallen silent, Capone's blood seemed to freeze and solidify. He slowly said, "Fine. If it weren't for Cronus being sick, I wouldn't have known you two had been secretly in contact all along. Once he's better, I'll send him somewhere far away. After that… you probably won't ever see him again."
"No!" Sophia grabbed at Capone's sleeve, her voice urgent. "You can't do that! Either let him go, or let him stay on Mesha Island. At least…"
"At least you can still see him often, and you won't be afraid that I'll suddenly kill him or make him a cripple, right?" Capone's voice was dark and cold, jealousy raging inside him, and even he couldn't stand the bitterness he felt.
He wasn't afraid to admit it—he didn't like her getting too close to other men, especially men who clearly had feelings for her.
"No! I don't have any romantic feelings for Dr. Cronus! I think of him like an older brother! I want him to stay on Mesha Island because Diana is here, at least she can take care of him!"
"Oh?" Capone teased, pinching her chin. "You really don't feel anything for him? All this talk, all these actions, none of it is for yourself?"
Sophia slapped his hand away. "I told you, I see him as an older brother. It's you who's thinking dirty!"
Capone tightened his grip on her chin, this time with more force, causing Sophia to wince in pain. "Is that so? Then prove it to me."
Sophia's gaze became slightly hazy. "Prove what?"
"Prove that the only person you love is me, and that you belong to me alone." He leaned closer, his breath warm and teasing against her sensitive neck.