Capone, true to his word, brought Sophia and Diana to the western hills to pay their respects.
Sophia had never known that the island had such steep mountains. The car could only take them halfway up, and then they had to hike the rest of the way to reach the graves.
Joey was driving, still in a Cadillac Escalade, the same model as the one they used when Sophia was kidnapped, but now it was a brand new, creamy white color with no bullet holes, no bloodstains, as if the attack that day had never happened.
Sophia sat in the back seat, occasionally sneaking glances at Capone beside her. His eyes were closed as he rested against the seat.
"Why are you looking at me?" he asked, without opening his eyes, yet still sensing her gaze.
Sophia's heart skipped a beat, and she turned away in frustration. She should have known—when this man seemed at rest, he was usually still fully aware.
Trying to escape right under his nose was nearly impossible.
After getting out of the car, he took her hand and led her up the path. It wasn't a tight, intimate grip, but rather his palm clasped around her wrist, where he could feel her pulse, as if her fragile lifeline was entirely in his control.
Everyone was rather silent, especially Diana. In the past few days, it seemed she had noticed Sophia's growing distance and wariness towards her, and she hadn't offered much explanation. The two of them had barely spoken.
Today, perhaps because visiting her parents' graves had made her more emotional, Diana remained silent throughout the journey.
This place was indeed where the town's residents buried their loved ones. It wasn't a luxurious cemetery, but it was orderly.
Diana and Capone placed the flowers and offerings they had brought in front of the gravestones, bowed, and then Capone whispered something to Diana before stepping back to give her some space.
Sophia and Joey stood a short distance away, observing. She noticed that Diana's parents were buried together. Her mother's tombstone appeared more weathered, indicating she had passed away earlier, and when her father died, his tombstone was placed beside hers.
Diana still wore her large, black-framed glasses, but Sophia could still see the sorrow and sadness etched on her profile.
Diana was about the same age as her, but both her parents were gone.
She must have been so strong to overcome the immense loneliness and the harsh realities of the world.
Sophia never considered the warmth of her family and her luxurious lifestyle to be something to boast about, but neither did she think of it as a fault. However, at this moment, she felt that compared to Diana, she already had too much.
She no longer blamed her; even if it was indeed a test or betrayal, she did not want to hold it against her any longer.
It was always difficult to escape from Capone's side, and besides, the one who made the mistakes was not Diana, but Capone himself.
Joey lit a cigarette, exhaled a ring of smoke, and glanced around grumbling, "Hey, where's the boss?"
Only then did Sophia notice that Capone was missing. A thought crossed her mind that today might actually be a good opportunity; it would be perfect if she could escape while he was not paying attention.
"He's probably gone to the back. Hey, stay close and don't run off!" Joey was straightforward but quite alert, and Sophia had no choice but to heed him.
Capone was indeed on the other side of the hill, quietly kneeling in front of a tombstone. One long leg was bent, and one hand rested on his knee. He looked casual, but his expression was very serious.
The inscription on the tombstone was somewhat weathered and unclear, but Sophia could sense that the person buried here had a very close relationship with Capone.
He had removed the weeds around the tombstone and brushed off the dust before sitting there quietly, as if both confiding and listening.
Sophia couldn't bring herself to interrupt him.
After the visit, Capone's expression was even more troubled. Though his face remained emotionless, Sophia could sense that he was anything but calm inside.
Joey answered a phone call and then told Capone, "Boss, it seems the locals know that this land has been sold. They're very agitated. Today, the developer sent someone to negotiate, but the locals have surrounded them on the mountain and won't let them leave. They're blocking all the roads down the mountain, not allowing any vehicles through!"
Capone raised an eyebrow. "You're saying Lucas sent someone?"
"Yeah, it seems they're not here to stir up trouble but to negotiate with the residents. But it looks like they're not reaching an agreement."
"Alright, I understand. You and Diana head back first. I'll go see the situation."
"Boss! You shouldn't go; those are Lucas's people—it's too dangerous!" Joey grabbed him and nodded towards Sophia. "And what about her? Are you taking her along?"
Capone gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. You said it yourself—they're not here to cause trouble. If the negotiation fails, maybe I can lend a hand. After all, this land is closely related to us!"
"But…"
"Stop hesitating. You two head down the mountain first, or you might end up really being trapped up here!" The sky looked like it was about to rain, and the escalating situation would only waste everyone's time.
Joey couldn't argue with him, so he took Diana and left. Capone pulled Sophia towards the other side of the mountain. Sophia didn't resist; she still saw this as a good opportunity to escape.
With no helpers around Capone and just the two of them alone in the wild, if she seized the chance to flee, he would likely have a hard time finding her.
Her determination and hope reignited; she was determined to seize this opportunity.
After walking a short distance, Sophia saw the crowd gathered around. In the center were three or four men in sharp suits, their expressions indifferent and their demeanor businesslike, but they were visibly flustered by the crowd's angry outburst.
Their arrogance was uncomfortable to Sophia, causing her to frown involuntarily.
"Do you find their attitudes repugnant, thinking that wealth and power give them the right to do whatever they want?" Capone suddenly asked her. "What do you think should be done? The residents who've lived here their whole lives rely on the mountains and seas for their livelihood, and even have their ancestors buried on this mountain. Now, a big corporation comes in and tells them to move. Isn't that inhumane?"
Sophia nodded; that was indeed the case.
Capone scoffed. "But what can be done? Lucas spent a fortune acquiring this land. It's entirely reasonable and legal for him to develop it. Shouldn't their rights be protected?"
Sophia couldn't respond. The logic was there, but why couldn't a compromise be found?
Capone crushed his cigarette and looked at her with mixed emotions. "Now you understand? The world's right and wrong are complicated. It's not just black and white. Just because you think your father and brother are embodiments of justice doesn't mean they've never done anything wrong!"
"What does this have to do with them? Why are you bringing them into this?" Sophia was displeased. She had instinctively put Lucas in the opposing camp, believing he wasn't a good person. Why were her family being equated with such a person?
Capone didn't answer, pulling her into the crowd. Before Sophia could ask what he was up to, she realized that everyone's attention was focused on the two of them.
The two representatives from the town were middle-aged men, both a bit older. They clearly knew Capone, and some in the crowd murmured that members of the Franklin family had come forward.
"Capone, you arrived just in time! These people bought this piece of land, saying they want to invest in a tourism resort. As you know, our ancestors are all buried here. They can't just move them like this; it would destroy the zen!"
Capone nodded slightly, ignoring their pleading looks, and directly addressed the suited men, "Lucas sent you? What are the terms? Let me hear them."
The men were not blind; having worked around Lucas, they had heard of Capone's name and were familiar with his reputation. Meeting him in person today, his distinguished demeanor and calm presence made them uncomfortably nervous.
"Compensation of $2,000 per tombstone for relocation. There's barren land on the north side of the island where the cemetery can be concentrated. They won't have to do the work themselves; Mr. Ding will arrange for specialized personnel to handle it. They just need to wait to collect the money!"
The lead man, initially somewhat timid, seemed to think these terms were exceptionally generous. The residents were foolish for rejecting such a great offer, and he unconsciously adopted a more condescending attitude.
Capone remained silent, only smiling faintly. His gaze shifted to the direction from which he had just come, and then he said coolly, "So in Lucas's eyes, the loved ones buried underground are worth only this much. They're not even worth as much as one of his Italian dinners or a bottle of wine. No wonder he's so heartless!"
Sophia felt a twinge of sadness. It was rare for him to show such melancholic emotion. Was the tombstone he had visited earlier the resting place of someone very important to him?