Harris's gaze remained carefully fixed on Sophia. There was no malice in it, but it strangely made Sophia feel uneasy.
"Everyone's almost here, and we're about to start the spaghetti! Do you want to go change into something else, hmm?"
Capone seemed to sense Sophia's unease. He gave Harris a look, signaling for him to go talk with Terry and the others for now, and they could discuss things later.
Sophia took the magnetic board and wrote, *"What does Harris do?"*
Capone smiled, "He's a lawyer, handling the legal affairs for our group company. When he first started, he even went head-to-head with your cousin, Henry Diaz, in court. Neither of them got the upper hand, both equally skilled!"
Sophia was a little surprised. To be able to hold his own with Henry Diaz at such a young age meant that Harris really was capable.
"He spends most of his time in Hokkaido City. Now that the group is expanding, and with the economy being tough on small and medium-sized businesses, we've done a lot of mergers and acquisitions, consolidating. Hokkaido City has the best law firms in this field, and as the group's in-house lawyer, Harris works with them. He also helps me gather some data and intelligence. He works over 40 hours a week just on billable hours, so busy he doesn't even have time to chase women. That's why he rarely comes to the port!"
Sophia nodded and looked at Capone with intense eyes. He rarely talked about IDGM Capital with her and was usually very secretive about the specific responsibilities of their brothers. He avoided mentioning them unless absolutely necessary. But today, he made an exception and told her so much, making her feel less like an outsider.
But what exactly did he mean by Harris helping him collect data and intelligence?
Was it related to the Diaz family?
Was it connected to the probing look Harris had given her earlier?
Sophia continued writing on the magnetic board, "What about Dr. Cronus? Has his dinner been sent over yet?"
Capone's smile faded, and a hint of displeasure showed, "Why are you still thinking about him? Although he's in the back building, I won't mistreat him. Diana will bring him his food soon. He's in for a treat today, enjoying the feast with us."
Sophia grabbed a bottle of wine nearby and wrote, "Take this to him too! The last bottle of cherry brandy, as a thank you for everything he did to save me!"
Capone couldn't refuse. After all, Cronus had indeed helped during Sophia's unconsciousness.
"Alright, I'll have Diana take it over to him later! Come, you take a seat first, and I'll have the others join us!"
Harris, who seemed like a typical urban elite, immediately started joking around with Joey, Terry, and the others, laughing and joking, which quickly made the atmosphere even livelier.
Sophia tried to find a less conspicuous seat, but no matter where she sat, Capone always ended up sitting next to her, and wherever Capone sat naturally became the main seat.
The others gathered around the round table, leaving a seat for Lucy, who was still finishing up the last two dishes, and for Diana, who was delivering the spaghetti to the small building.
Aside from KK, who couldn't make it, this was the most complete gathering of Capone and his brothers.
"Our last gathering was this complete, I think, was when Zhendian had that incident!" Capone said with emotion, raising his glass. "The first toast goes to Zhendian. I hope he's drinking up there in heaven too. Cheers!"
Everyone's expression became serious, especially Joey, who raised his glass as if it were filled with memories, heavy and full. Terry patted him on the shoulder, and only then did Joey raise his glass and drink.
Capone continued pouring drinks. "We're gathered here today to celebrate my birthday. Before I knew it, I'm almost thirty! You're all still young, so make sure to support me more in the future and don't slack off!"
"Boss, you're still very young, the prime age of a flower!" Karl shouted, and everyone burst into laughter.
"Alright, then, let's toast to the prime age of a flower!"
Everyone drank up again, without hesitation.
Before Sophia could even take a bite, Capone drank two glasses in one go. As he was pouring a third, Sophia tugged at his sleeve.
Capone looked at her and smiled, then raised his glass and said, "Actually, the happiest thing today isn't my birthday, but that I'm going to be a dad! Sophia is already about four months pregnant, and by this time next year, we'll be celebrating the baby's arrival!"
"Congratulations, boss! May you have a son soon!" Joey, true to his promise, took the lead in cheering.
"Congratulations!"
"Boss, you're quick with your moves!"
The teasing blessings were filled with sincere joy, but Sophia lowered her head, feeling shy. She reached under the table and pinched Capone hard.
He didn't mind, drinking the wine in his glass and then refilling it for himself.
"Sophia is young, and being a mother at such an age isn't easy. It was my fault before, and now she can't speak for herself, it's still my fault! In the future, all of you should learn from me and treat your women better, trust them more. Sometimes, what your eyes see and ears hear isn't the whole truth!" He paused, his gaze soft as he looked at Sophia by his side. "So I'll punish myself with three more drinks and sincerely apologize. Sorry, Sophia, and sorry to all of you for causing trouble."
Capone drank the wine in one go, and Mandy beside him grabbed his arm, saying, "Boss, you've had quite a bit to drink. Let me drink it for you!"
Capone shook his head, "You can't drink this for me!"
Sophia looked up at him as he drank three glasses in one go. Suddenly, her eyes started to sting, as if the alcohol had seeped into her vision, and tears involuntarily started to well up.
The spaghetti dinner was very enjoyable. Capone drank a lot, probably because he had been abstaining for a while in preparation for trying to conceive. It was rare for all the brothers to gather together, and the atmosphere was so good, so he ended up drinking a few extra glasses.
But his mind remained clear, and he kept serving Sophia food and pouring her soup.
He liked the way she looked at him, with eyes full of unsaid words—big and wide, showing concern for him but not knowing where to start, like an innocent little rabbit.
"Eat up, the little one will be hungry soon!" He wasn't confident in her appetite, but he was sure the baby would eat well. Seeing her not eating, he urged her to finish her meal.
She shot him a look:
You only care about the baby!
Capone smiled, then reached under the table to hold her hand, whispering, "I've got something for you later. Come to my room to find me, okay?"
Sophia was puzzled. It was his birthday, and she hadn't prepared any gift for him, except for the cake. Yet, he was the one with something to give her?
Diana came back only after Capone had finished his self-punishment with three more drinks. She wasn't holding a food box, which meant she hadn't stayed to finish the meal with Cronus.
Seeing that her expression was normal, neither Sophia nor Capone paid it much attention.
After dinner, they had some tea, and then the cake was brought out.
"Why are there two cakes? Are they identical?"
"Let me guess, the one with the heart-shaped design must be the one Sophia made for the boss!"
"Boss, when did you learn to make these things?"
Everyone was talking at once, and Capone could barely hear over the buzzing in his ears. He waved his hand and said, "The cakes were made by me and Sophy. They're both strawberry cream cakes. I just made two because I was worried this group of guys wouldn't have enough." He turned to Lucy, "Could you please grab some knives and plates to cut the cake?"
"Boss, you haven't made a wish yet! You still need to blow out the candles and sing the birthday song!" Candy quickly stopped Capone. It was rare to celebrate a birthday, and of course, the traditional rituals couldn't be missed.
"Right, go ahead, boss, make a wish. It'll come true!"
"Alright, I'll light the candles."
Capone couldn't refuse their kind intentions, so he sat down in front of the cake and made a wish under the candlelight.
Sophia watched him with his eyes closed and his lips slightly curled, wishing time could just stop at that moment.
What did he wish for? Was she part of his wish? Was the little baby, who had just started to take form, included?
The birthday song was sung horribly by several big men, off-key and out of tune. Capone almost wanted to give them each a knock on the head, but he couldn't stop the smile from curling on his lips.
Sophia's smile reflected in the warm candlelight, and Capone never imagined this would be the last peaceful moment he would share with her…
Capone took a knife and sliced into the cake, then handed the task of serving the cake to Diana.
"Are you tired? Want to go rest?" Capone asked as he sat beside Sophia. Her condition was special, and she got tired easily, especially after waking up so early to make the cake. He didn't want her to overexert herself.
Sophia shook her head. She wasn't tired at all.
Maybe the baby enjoyed the lively atmosphere too, because she felt perfectly fine with so many people gathered together.
"Alright, then, stay here a little longer. But don't eat too many sweet things, okay?"
Sophia nodded.