Sophia couldn't help but laugh. She had never imagined she would see Capone singing "Drop the Handkerchief." His voice was deep and gruff, yet he still tried to keep a serious face, looking anything but cute, and he was off-key.
"I've never sung before, is it really that funny? I just heard others sing it!" Capone's face had a suspicious red hue as he awkwardly explained.
Sophia thought about his unique childhood and, though she had originally planned to remain aloof, her resolve softened.
She quickly became defensive, pulling the thin blanket over her head to signal that she was tired and wanted to sleep.
Capone felt a bit disappointed but was soon replaced by joy.
At least she was willing to "talk" to him now, no longer avoiding or ignoring him.
With Candy and Karl, the two food lovers, around, Sophia never felt bored. They would surround her daily with a cookbook on desserts, asking whether this cake was delicious, whether that mousse was tasty, which pastries were suited for summer, and which ones were savory…
Sophia couldn't speak, so she would write her answers on a magnetic board or paper until her hand ached. Finally, she decided to wear an apron and make the pastries herself.
Nobody is perfect, and not every one of Capone's brothers warmed up to Sophia right away. However, when it came to the pastries she made, they all fell in love at first bite. Even Mandy and Winter, the tough guys who didn't like sweets, found a savory pastry that suited their tastes, let alone the young and lively Karl and Candy.
Following the principle of eating well and drinking well but not letting Sophia overexert herself, they chose simple pastries that weren't too complicated to make, and one batch could be eaten as snacks without filling them up too quickly.
They didn't let Sophia do the heavy work like beating eggs or whipping cream; instead, they'd bring a bowl over and let her use the electric whisk.
In the beginning, Candy had trouble separating the egg yolks, making a mess with sticky bits everywhere and often mixing large chunks of egg whites in.
Karl couldn't stand it anymore and, using the skills he had developed in the U.S. National Lab, quickly separated the egg yolks and egg whites into two bowls. The yolks were even perfectly round.
He proudly looked over at Sophia, expecting praise. Sophia gave him a thumbs up.
"What's so impressive about it? I separate explosives with my hands..." Candy was not having it. She intentionally set him up, not telling him about the electric egg beater and handed him a multi-pronged metal whisk.
"Here, use this, and whip the egg yolks and cream into a semi-solid, foamy texture! Hurry up, we're waiting!"
Karl took half an hour to get everything done, his arms sore and barely able to move, and finally, Candy pretended to realize, "Oh, so there's an electric egg beater! Looks like this could be much faster! Karl, you're so slow!"
Karl was so annoyed he could have breathed fire through his nose. He was already planning to make Candy massage him all over that night, not just his hands, but also his shoulders and back—totally naked—and in all kinds of positions…
Sophia watched the two bickering and felt her mood lighten. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw Candy draw two little mustaches on Karl's lips with cream. She wanted to tease him, saying he looked like Santa Claus, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.
Her mood darkened again, and memories of when she made tiramisu and Capone had been circling around her came rushing back, as if it had happened just yesterday.
But now, their relationship had become so cold and distant.
Karl seemed to notice Sophia's downcast mood and quickly nudged Candy with his elbow.
He had no clue how to handle women other than Candy, unlike the other brothers who always had endless romantic entanglements.
Convincing women was not his thing—he'd rather defuse bombs, especially when it came to soothing the boss's woman.
Candy got the hint and quickly jumped in. Looking at the apples next to Sophia, she asked, "Hey, what are these apples for? Are you going to use them as decoration on the cake? Why are there so many?"
Sophia smiled and gestured to her, and Candy quickly understood. She was going to slice the apples thinly, bake them at a low temperature, and after they cooled, they would turn into sweet and crispy apple chips.
Since this process took a long time, Sophia used the opportunity to make two other desserts perfect for summer: Italian fresh cream cheese and chocolate mousse.
The chocolate mousse included the egg yolks and fresh cream Karl had spent so much effort whipping. She portioned it into several small, elegant glass cups, and after chilling them for a while in the fridge, she brought them out for everyone to try.
Karl, having contributed his labor, thought the mousse was so delicious he almost shed a tear.
Sophia wrote on the magnetic board: "Thank you, Twelve, for your help. It was a great success, thank you!"
Karl cleared his throat, his face reddening with embarrassment. Sophia then pulled out two small packets of cookies, heart-shaped ones in black and white. She handed one to Karl and one to Candy, tying them with ribbons, blue for Karl and pink for Candy.
Candy knew without tasting that the cookies would be delicious, but more than that, it was the thought behind them.
"Sophia, you're just so talented! You're beautiful and everything you make tastes amazing!"
Karl chimed in, "Yeah, now I get why the boss likes you so much!"
"What are you talking about me for?" Capone just walked in from outside and heard this, responding nonchalantly.
Candy stuck out her tongue and gave Karl a playful slap on the backside, whispering, "Told you not to talk nonsense!"
"I didn't say anything wrong! Boss, you should try the treats Sophia made, they're all super delicious! With such a talented wife, you're really lucky!"
Capone turned to look at Sophia. She seemed to have gotten used to Karl calling her "big sister," but when she saw Capone's gaze, she deliberately looked away.
Candy, sensing the atmosphere, knew it wasn't the right time to play the third wheel. She quickly dragged Karl out, promising to come back for the apple chips later.
"Didn't I say not to overwork yourself? Why are you making so many sweets?"
Sophia rolled her eyes at him, ignoring his question. Capone reached out, trying to take her hand, but saw her instinctively recoil, as if afraid of him.
That movement hurt Capone. It felt like they were back to when they first met, when she was full of hostility and wariness toward him. When he reached out to her, it no longer felt like protection or an embrace, but only harm.
All the feelings they'd built together over the past year—the days and nights spent together, the struggles they shared—seemed to be wiped away by that one move.
But he couldn't stand his woman fearing him like this, and he wouldn't give her a chance to resist. With one swift motion, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to her room.
Sophia struggled silently, and he spoke in a low voice, "Stop, be careful with the baby in your belly!"
The words "be careful with the baby" were indeed very effective. Sophia immediately calmed down, carefully cradling her stomach, as if afraid that someone might harm the baby.
Capone gently placed her on the sofa, half-knelt beside her, and pulled a shell bracelet from his pocket, draping it onto Sophia's wrist. It was the same bracelet he had given her before.
"Last time I saw you pick it up, the clasp was broken. I had someone replace it. Try it on again."
Before Sophia could react, he had already fastened it for her. As her hand moved, the small purple shells made a crisp sound.
Only then did Sophia realize that not only had he replaced the clasp, but he had also swapped out the thread that ran through the shells for a delicate platinum chain, making it sturdier and less likely to break.
"Don't like it? I just thought this way it wouldn't break so easily, and you wouldn't have to go searching for it all over again," he said.
That evening, Capone found the repaired shell bracelet on a small stuffed animal. Sophia hadn't worn it constantly like before.
On the large magnetic board where she had previously listed pregnancy precautions, there was a new sticky note with Sophia's handwriting:
"No matter how good, it's not the same one anymore."
A pang of sorrow flooded Capone's heart. It seemed like this had become their only way of communicating.
He wrote another note and stuck it next to hers:
"It's okay. We can save it for the baby later."
Sophia didn't respond.