Diana wanted to explain, but Capone interrupted her, pinching Sophia's cheek. "Whatever the case may be, do you really think I would harm Diana? You're so naive. I already told you she's our little sister. Out of the twelve of us who live and die together, she's the only girl. How could I ever bring myself to kill her?"
Sophia was stunned. "Diana, you're also..."
"That's right. Didn't she tell you?" Capone cut in again, answering for her. "She's also one of us, considered the eleventh child of my father."
He was stating the facts, but with a hint of sarcasm, leaving Sophia unsure whether it was directed at their backgrounds or her own foolishness.
Diana had never lied to her; from the start, she had told her that she couldn't betray Capone to help her.
He was right. She had been too naive.
Diana sighed silently. It was pointless to try to explain now. Capone's tactic to sow discord had worked.
What was supposed to be a clarification of misunderstandings had been turned into something sharp and painful, ensuring the two of them would continue to struggle.
"I'll go out first," Diana said, casting a glance at Sophia before opening the door and leaving.
Sophia also wanted to leave, but Capone pulled her into his arms. "Aren't you going to ask me where I've been the past two days?"
"I couldn't care less!"
"What about Diana? Weren't you very concerned about her?"
"As long as she's okay! Didn't you say you wouldn't hurt her? I just hope... you'll keep your word!"
Could she ask? He had promised... but were Roger and the others really safe?
Capone seemed to see right through her thoughts, his expression darkening. "Aren't you even a little worried that I might sleep with Diana?"
Sophia sneered. "Why should I worry? Besides, it's not like you haven't slept with other women before!"
Capone looked at her silently, then lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers.
Their lips and teeth brushed against each other, his tongue slipping into her mouth, cutting off her breath. Capone kissed her with both force and tenderness, holding the kiss for a long time before finally releasing her. Both of them were slightly out of breath. Sophia's lips were flushed, slightly pursed, with a shiny layer of moisture.
Capone couldn't help but think of that day when her small mouth had brought him such intoxicating pleasure. A slight shiver ran down his spine, and he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her again.
In his memory, he had never kissed anyone with such intensity and depth before. With his eyes closed, he cupped her cheeks, as if he couldn't bear to let her go.
"There are no other women!" he murmured between kisses as he gently nibbled at her lips. "I only want you. These past two days... I've been thinking about you constantly!"
Bastard! Sophia thought, trying to push him away in embarrassment, but then she heard him continue, "I couldn't stop thinking about you because your brother came to negotiate for your release!"
Sophia was stunned, then became so emotional that she could barely contain herself. "Really? Was it my boss... or Matthew? What did you say to them?"
Her eagerness slightly cooled his ardor. He brushed her hand aside and said, "Are you still worried about that Roger? If he hadn't gone back and provided the Diaz family with solid information, your boss, Alexander Diaz, wouldn't have been so sure you were with me, and he wouldn't have set terms for negotiations!"
Knowing that Roger and the others were safe, Sophia Diaz felt a small sense of relief, but her voice tensed again as she asked, "What terms did you propose to my brother? What will it take for you to let me go?"
Capone smiled, a touch of malice in his expression. "That depends on what your Diaz family can offer me! You think your family is so clean, don't you? If they hadn't tried to snatch profits from me first, I wouldn't have 'invited' you here in the first place! Blame your cousin, the prosecutor, for not being able to forget his old flame. As soon as his first love returned, he couldn't wait to get close to her. Your Matthew Diaz is eyeing the IDGM capital she holds, conspiring with her to secure your father's inheritance while also trying to seize her IDGM shares to control the company for their own benefit! Hmph, they really think they can pull it off!"
"You mean Catherine? She's…"
"That's right, she's my stepmother and your cousin's first love!"
Sophia was stunned. She knew of Catherine, and one of the main reasons her cousin had treated his wife so poorly in the past was because he couldn't forget this woman. She even suspected that Catherine had orchestrated the tragic marriage between her cousin and his wife.
Sophia instinctively disliked Catherine. She had coincidentally encountered her on the plane back from studying in France, but at the time, she didn't realize that Catherine was already a widow, returning to fight her stepson for the inheritance. Not only that, she had teamed up with the Diaz family to take on Capone, dragging Sophia into the storm's center.
"You want to use me to exchange for the inheritance and shares in her hands? You clearly have a thousand other ways to get what you want, so why... why do you have to be so extreme and cruel?" Sophia's eyes glistened with tears. Were material possessions really worth so much hatred?
"Sophy, you're very smart, not stupid at all! What I want isn't just those things. My grudge against the Diaz family goes far deeper than that, so you'll have to stay by my side to help the Diaz family pay off their debts!"
Sophia shook her head in pain. "What does the Diaz family still owe you? If we've taken something we shouldn't have, we'll return it to you. What more do you want?"
Capone smiled meaningfully. "You underestimate yourself. Your parents and brother are willing to trade the entire Diaz family for you, so of course, I have to take full advantage of that! Do you know why Diana was crying earlier?"
Sophia was startled. She really didn't know, and she hadn't had the chance to ask.
"Her parents' graves are on the west side of this island, on a piece of land that's about to be developed into a tourist resort. Her parents' and other residents' ancestral graves will be destroyed. The day after tomorrow is her father's death anniversary, and she feels this might be her last chance to visit them, so she's very upset."
So that's what it was. But what did it have to do with her? How could she possibly help?
Seeing her confusion, Capone continued, "The situation with IDGM Capital isn't completely under my control yet, so I was a step too late in securing that land. Getting it back now will cost me more, and that's not a good deal! But if the Diaz family gets involved, it's a different story. Since they're the ones who created this mess, they should cover the extra cost!"
"You're despicable! All's fair in war, but how can you push all the blame onto the Diaz family? That's not honorable at all!"
"I don't need to be honorable. Didn't you always say I'm the head of a black society? When necessary, I have to use extreme measures to achieve my goals!"
"You!" Sophia was both angry and anxious, but when it came to playing dirty, how could she ever match up to Capone?
"The one who secured that land is Lucas, right?" She remembered hearing that name during his conversation with Mandy. They had already planned to use the Diaz family against Lucas.
He seemed to be a difficult opponent, and Capone and his group were very reluctant to lose to him.
Capone's expression subtly changed as he pulled her into his arms and whispered close to her ear, "Sophy, has anyone ever told you that being too smart can be a crime for a woman?"
His hand slipped under the loose hem of her clothing, moving up to her back, caressing the elegant curve of her lower spine. It felt like he was touching fine porcelain—so smooth and delicate.
Having endured a few days without her by his side, he no longer held back, carrying her over to the chaise longue in the study. This place seemed to have become his favorite spot for making love to her outside of the bedroom.
Sophia struggled, though she knew it wouldn't change anything.
After their initial passion subsided, Capone held her close, both of them breathing heavily.
He couldn't tell her how incredible it felt to be inside her, so much so that he didn't even know what words to use to describe the sensation at its peak.
He didn't dare admit to himself that his desire for her felt like an intoxicating, addictive poison.
"The day after tomorrow, I'm going to accompany Diana to the western hills to visit her father's grave. You'll come with us."
Sophia, her body weak and sore, was lying against his chest. Hearing his words, she sat up, forgetting to pull her disheveled clothes back up to cover her bare shoulders.
"I can go too?"
"Sure, it's good to get some fresh air instead of being cooped up here every day. But don't even think about running away—you know I won't allow that to happen."
Capone's lazy voice had a slight rasp to it, with an almost unintended hint of tenderness.