Lucas's subordinates, feeling somewhat embarrassed, were at a loss for what to do under Capone's imposing and aloof demeanor, apart from feeling humiliated.
The residents' morale was rising again. One of them stepped forward and shouted at the men, "Go back and tell your boss to give up on this idea. If he wants to touch our ancestors' graves, he'll have to step over our dead bodies first!"
The men were still unwilling to retreat just like that. If they returned without completing their task, they would face Lucas's wrath. Lucas was known to be ruthless, and with Capone being his arch-enemy, if this job wasn't done right, he might even end up losing his Italian dinner!
The confrontation between the two sides grew more intense. The residents pushed forward, and Sophia, who had originally been holding Capone's hand, found herself separated from him as the crowd surged.
This was indeed a perfect opportunity to escape. It wouldn't be easy for him to catch her now, but they were still too close; she was still within his line of sight.
However, an unexpected situation occurred. The desperate men pulled out ASP expandable batons from their pockets, using them to intimidate the agitated residents and keep them at bay.
Capone narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the weapons in their hands.
Indeed, these were Lucas's subordinates, carrying the same type of gear as him.
It was ironic that Henry, who once taught Lucas to use such things, was now facing the same weapon in return!
Capone seemed to forget that he still needed to keep an eye on Sophia. He stepped forward with bare hands, pushed through the crowd, and stood in front of the men, commanding firmly, "Put those sticks away!"
"You... don't come any closer. We didn't come here to cause trouble. If they agree to the terms, we..."
Before the man could finish, Capone swiftly grabbed one of their expandable batons with a clean and precise motion, so quick that everyone, including Sophia, couldn't see how he had done it.
Holding the black baton, Capone waved it lightly at the men. "What will you do if they don't agree to your terms?"
He didn't raise his voice, but his indifferent gaze alone exuded a formidable presence, making the men holding batons look noticeably diminished.
However, Lucas's men were not pushovers. While they couldn't handle Capone, they still tried to intimidate the simple townsfolk, which only inflamed the crowd's anger further, eventually leading to injuries.
Sophia watched in horror as Capone took a few blows to his back and legs while trying to protect the elderly and children. He quickly seized the opportunity to fight back, not inflicting severe injuries but taking down two of them, which dampened their aggressive attitude.
Sweat pooled in Sophia's palms. The situation was too dangerous. Her first instinct was to check if anyone was hurt, including Capone—whether he needed medical attention.
But with the crowd still enraged and the scene becoming chaotic, this was the best time for her to escape.
She hesitated for a moment, glanced at Capone who was nearly swallowed by the crowd, and then turned to run down the mountain.
It was still not dark, so she had time to reach the base of the mountain. Once there, she could find a place with people to call home or head directly to the dock to catch a boat off the island. This should help her escape from this nightmare.
Sophia didn't dare to return to the direction from which they had come, fearing that Capone might catch up with her or that she might encounter Joey's men. Joey had mentioned it would rain today, and with the sky now covered in dark clouds, he might send someone or come himself to retrieve Capone after dropping off Diana. If she ran into them, she'd be captured and brought back.
So, Sophia ran in a completely unfamiliar direction, gradually distancing herself from the noisy crowd. She didn't dare to relax her vigilance, fearing that Capone might appear in front of her at any moment.
Her heart raced, and her steps became erratic. Although no one was pursuing her, it started to rain.
The rain came down in heavy, relentless drops, drenching Sophia's body, face, hair, and clothes. She couldn't afford to stop.
Unfortunately, there was no place to seek shelter.
To make matters worse, she realized she seemed to be lost.
The mountain's terrain features were not very distinct, and without a sense of direction and feeling extremely anxious, it was easy to get lost.
The rain intensified, turning into a torrential downpour. Sophia wiped the water from her face, but visibility was poor, and the ground was muddy and slippery. She slipped down a small slope, and though a small tree broke her fall, she still sustained a hard impact.
Sitting against the tree, Sophia noticed that her ankle seemed twisted and her whole body ached. She couldn't continue running in the heavy rain.
She hoped the rain would stop, but instead, it grew even heavier, accompanied by lightning and thunder, and the light faded as nightfall approached.
Sophia broke down in tears, her sobs mingling with the rainwater streaming down her face, feeling both helpless and defeated.
With the heavens against her, she might escape Capone today, but she might end up dying on this island's mountains instead.
She was cold and in pain, hugging her knees and crying sorrowfully, until a cold voice, panting, spoke from above, "Why are you crying? Didn't you want to run? Why have you stopped?"
Startled, she looked up from the man's feet, meeting Capone's deep, dark eyes.
Today, he wore a brown lightweight jacket made of waterproof material, with the hood pulled up over his head. He stood in front of her against the light, tall and imposing, like a grim reaper.
What was meant to happen had happened. Sophia felt a deep sense of despair and exhaustion, not wanting to say another word to him.
She wanted to stand up and run, but her twisted ankle made it impossible for her to even stand.
Capone didn't bother with her pleas. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her up, ignoring her pain as he dragged her along.
"Let go of me! I can't walk, let me go!" Sophia cried and shouted. With every step, her injured ankle felt as though it was being sawn with a steel saw.
But Capone showed no mercy, dragging her forward. "Let go of you? If I let you go for even a second, you'll run away. I'd better put you in a cage!"
"No! You're a monster! I'm not your prisoner! Let me go home!"
Sophia had no idea where Capone was taking her and feared he might actually find a cage somewhere in the mountains and lock her in it. She'd rather die than face that!
Unable to break free from his grip, Sophia resorted to her old tactic and tried to bite him.
In the torrential rain, Capone had even less patience than she did. Feeling a sharp pain in his hand, he slapped her hard, causing Sophia to fall to the ground. The mix of frustration and pain surged through her. Seeing some sharp stones nearby, she reached for one almost instinctively, ready to slash at her neck.
Capone kicked her wrist away. "Are you crazy?"
The stone slipped from her grasp, and she was left feeling even more helpless.
She wasn't crazy; she just didn't want to live a life of imprisonment, violence, and abuse anymore.
Why did she once think this man could provide her with security?
Why had she worried about him being injured just before she tried to escape?
It was useless, hopeless…
If there was no hope of escape, then she might as well die!
Capone pressed his lips tightly together, pulling her up from the ground and dragging her forward with no regard for her condition. Sophia, like a lifeless puppet, followed his steps until they reached a simple cabin. He pushed her inside.
The cabin had a bed, a table and chairs, and even a stove with gas, but it seemed to have been unused for a while, with a thin layer of dust covering the table.
Sophia was utterly exhausted. She managed to stumble to the bed and was about to sit down when Capone pulled her back.
"Take off your clothes!"
Sophia's large, beautiful eyes looked at him, but her focus was elsewhere. She bitterly smiled inside, thinking that even now, this demon wouldn't let her off.
Her movements were slow as she fumbled with her buttons, but Capone, growing impatient, tore off her thin, soaked clothes and tossed them aside. He then undid the drawstring of her pants and removed all her wet clothing before picking her up and laying her on the bed.
Sophia closed her eyes, feeling as though she had almost forgotten what the word "shame" meant in front of him, her smooth, pale body exposed to him.
But he didn't assault her. Instead, he removed his jacket and wrapped it around her naked form.