Diana nodded. "He's fine, no big deal. Just needs to rest and take his medicine on time for the next few days, and he'll be better soon. By then, I won't need to come back every day. Anyway, he gets annoyed just by looking at me! I'll just come back on the weekend to make sure he hasn't been dismembered and thrown into the sea to feed the fish!"
Diana spoke so casually that Sophia nearly choked. So, every weekend, Diana came back just to check if that was the case?
The brand-new, beautiful antique car was lent out just like that. Sophia watched as Diana drove it, thinking she was too modest. Her driving skills were on par with a professional's—she exuded the sharp, efficient demeanor of a legal professional. Diana even said she wasn't driving well!
That meant she, on the other hand, was a total waste of space and shouldn't even be on the road, right?
Capone quickly discovered that Sophia had lent the car to Diana. On a lazy weekend morning, he got up late and saw that Diana, who had worked overtime the previous day, had just parked the car in the yard. He immediately understood what had happened.
Lucy called him downstairs for some breakfast pasta, but he grumpily refused. "I don't want to go downstairs to eat. Tell that girl to bring my food up here!"
"That girl" naturally referred to Sophia. However, to his surprise, Sophia woke up later than her. She dawdled, took forever to get dressed and washed up, and by the time she brought the meal upstairs, it was almost 11 a.m. He couldn't tell whether it was lunch pasta or breakfast pasta at this point!
"What were you doing last night? Why are you still in bed this late?" Capone had a bit of a morning grump, especially with an empty stomach, which made his tone even worse.
Then he looked at Sophia, who seemed like she hadn't fully woken up, as if someone had dragged her out of bed. He had come home late the previous night, hadn't drunk or smoked, just taken a sip from a drink at a social gathering, but still smelled of cigarettes and alcohol. Since it was late, he'd wanted to go to her room and hold her, but he was afraid she'd be upset, so he decided to sleep in his own room instead.
Little did he know, when he woke up in the morning, she hadn't gotten up yet, looking even more exhausted than he was!
"I was't doing anything. I just read a book for a bit and fell asleep."
"What book was so captivating that you lost track of time? Do you even know what time it is?"
What book? Sophia thought for a moment, realizing it was the latest bestseller Diana had bought for her. It was really good and engaging, but she had only read for a short while before falling asleep. Now, in the morning, it seemed like she couldn't remember any of the plot details.
It seemed like Long Feili had someone else in mind, but what was he thinking by keeping Winter around? Did he really love her…?
Capone saw the distant look in Sophia's eyes, her gaze clouded with confusion. It only made the frustration building in his chest even worse. He grabbed the plate from her hands and slammed it on the table, causing the freshly squeezed juice to spill out, startling Sophia awake.
"I asked you a question! What are you daydreaming about again? Every time Cronus comes back, you lose your mind. Do you want me to—"
Before Capone could finish his sentence, he saw the mist in Sophia's eyes quickly form into tears, large drops spilling out. Only then did he realize that the loud *thud* earlier had really startled her, and that the hand he had placed on her shoulder had been too forceful.
"Sophy, I..." I didn't mean to!
Before he could finish, Sophia brushed his hand away and ran towards the door, but he quickly pulled her back. She struggled to break free, but he held her tight. As she fought to get away, Capone kissed her lips with such force and heat that it trapped her between his arms and the wall.
His lips were fierce and burning, sucking on hers until her lips ached. After a while, he tangled his tongue with hers, savoring the sweetness of her mouth. Only when his breath was in disarray did he reluctantly release her, wiping the tears from her face with his finger before pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.
"I didn't mean to be harsh with you. It's just... you weren't paying attention. What were you thinking about?"
His words still sounded harsh, but the tone was unexpectedly gentle. Sophia, dazed from the intensity of his kiss, could barely breathe as he held her tightly, her chest heaving. She had no choice but to punch him lightly on the back with her hands.
"Let me go... it's too stuffy!"
"I'll let you go, but don't make trouble, okay?"
"I'm not making trouble! I didn't even eat breakfast, I'm starving! How can I have the energy to mess with you?"
Sophia felt so aggrieved. He could throw a tantrum as soon as he woke up and demand breakfast be brought to him, but she, who hadn't slept well, wasn't even allowed to space out for a bit?
Lately, she had been having trouble focusing and felt easily fatigued, probably because of the hot weather, though she hadn't really paid much attention to it.
But he didn't care, and on top of that, he shouted at her—why should she have to put up with it?
"Ah... I haven't eaten either, so let's eat together. Come here!"
Without giving her a chance to resist, Capone dragged her to the table. The breakfast Lucy had placed in the bowl was clearly enough for two people.
Seeing the flush on her cheeks, Capone felt a sudden itch in his heart. He purposely put on a stern face and handed her a spoon. "If you're feeling guilty, then serve me by finishing the meal."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "You have hands too! I told you I wasn't full and wanted to get something else, but you wouldn't let me. What do I have to feel guilty about?"
Capone squinted his eyes, resting both elbows on the table and leaning toward her. "You gave something I gave you to someone else, and you're not guilty? You've shown a complete lack of basic respect!"
Sophia, who had been annoyed, softened when she heard this. She stirred the spoon in her bowl of porridge. "I didn't give it to her, I just lent it to her for a while. She'll return it in a few days!"
"Well, you admit it pretty easily! Did I ever say you could lend the car to her?"
"Why can't I? It was given to me, so it's mine. I can do whatever I want with it!"
"When I said I'd give you the car, you didn't say that! I thought you were rejecting the car, but now you're openly saying it's yours?"
"You!" Sophia was speechless, unable to come up with a retort. She could only eat in silence, as if to vent her frustration.
"I want to eat too!" Capone persisted, not letting up. "Feed me a couple of bites, and then the car will be yours!"
Sophia raised her eyes and glared at him, as if considering the feasibility of his offer.
"Though, even if I give the car to Diana, she can only borrow it for a while. If she wants a car, I'll buy her one!"
There was even a supplemental clause to this agreement?
"Stingy..." Sophia muttered under her breath, and Capone, hearing it, raised his voice, "What did you say? Say it again."
Of course, Sophia wouldn't repeat herself. Instead, she took the spoon from in front of him, filled it with porridge, and held it up to his lips.
"It's hot!"
Capone recoiled, and Sophia helplessly blew on the spoon before holding it back up to him. Capone finally showed a satisfied expression and swallowed the porridge.
However, sitting across from him was getting tiring, so Capone grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap.
"Don't do this!"
Sophia shifted uncomfortably on his lap, and Capone pressed his hand on her waist, deliberately leaning toward her neck with a hint of playfulness. "We're eating pasta, not doing anything else. But doesn't it get tiring to stretch out your hand to feed me like that? This way is much more comfortable."
Sophia pursed her lips. No matter how comfortable it was, it was still him enjoying himself. She was always the one being bossed around.
"Is it your period?" Capone felt the small wings behind her, asking with a slight sense of disappointment.
Had the seed he planted not yet sprouted inside her?
Sophia shifted uncomfortably and answered with a low, muffled voice, "Mm."
Capone held her tighter, resting his head on her chest. "It's fine. Maybe I was too anxious and eager. They say the more you want something, the less you get it. But if you take a relaxed approach, you might be surprised. I'll wait for you to give me that surprise!"
"Sometimes when you try to plant flowers, they don't bloom, but when you don't care, willows grow," Sophia replied gloomily, unknowingly echoing a tinge of disappointment.
"Mm, that's why we both need to keep trying. We're still young, and our bodies are healthy. Within a few months, we'll definitely have a baby. You need to relax, stop overthinking, and don't worry about people or things that aren't your concern!"
Sophia got angry when she heard this. "A lot of things aren't just things I'm overthinking. You're getting married, and that news is solid, right? When you really have a wife, how am I supposed to explain to the child in my belly what his existence is, and the relationship with his parents? And when he grows up, how will he face society's gossip and his peers' judgment?... I don't want to have a child, and I won't be the third party ruining someone's marriage!"
She couldn't accept what he said, that in the world of relationships, the one who isn't loved is the third party. If that were the case, then what meaning did the institution of marriage have? What about traditional morals?
Anyone could claim they were in true love, claiming innocence, but who would the hurt, neglected, or even used party turn to for comfort?
She had seen too many children from broken families, and her own upbringing had seen plenty of the bitter fruits born from such arranged marriages. No matter how successful these children became as adults, who didn't carry the shadow of being discriminated against and bullied?
She didn't want her child to face that, even if his parents truly loved each other.