"Do you think I'm like you, raised in luxury? The hardships I've endured, the things I've encountered, you could never imagine!"
"Uh-huh..." Sophia's hand touched a swollen area on his back. "You're injured?"
She had noticed it when he took off his clothes earlier; it must have been from being beaten by those people with batons.
Capone didn't respond. He listened as her breathing gradually steadied, the person in his arms had already fallen asleep.
As dawn broke and the clouds dispersed, the morning in the mountains was quiet, with the clear sound of birds chirping.
Sophia Diaz had a dream. In a fog-shrouded forest, she was a little rabbit who had lost her way, unable to find the path home.
She couldn't understand the chirping of birds or the hum of insects, and in her anxiety, she could only wander in circles. Until she was enveloped in an embrace—a warm and firm embrace, unlike those of her mother or brothers.
She could hear a heartbeat, thunderous and strong, merging with her own in the same rhythm.
Then her ears and cheeks felt like they were being gently caressed by feathers, tickling her, mingled with a hint of moisture.
She was so comfortable that she let out a small hum, and the feathers tickled her even more, the sensation seeping deep into her bones.
She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the familiar tattoo of a white wolf. The wolf seemed to come to life, moving slightly, and then she saw the man's tanned chest and knotted muscles...
Capone gritted his teeth. He had woken up a while ago, but the girl in his arms refused to wake from her dream. Holding her soft, warm body so early in the morning, his desire surged more intensely than usual. Overcome with emotion, he lowered his head to kiss her cheek. The swelling from where he accidentally struck her yesterday hadn't subsided, and he felt a twinge of reluctance, gently brushing his lips over her face. Gradually losing control, he kissed her lips and then began to tease her ear.
Tracing the outline of her adorable earlobe, he felt his entire body temperature rise. The girl seemed to sense something and let out a soft moan in her sleep, snuggling closer to him. The sound was tender and pleading, like melted butter, spreading over the fire in his heart, which then blazed through his entire body. He could only bury his face in the crook of her neck, breathing heavily.
She finally woke up, but his arousal was already as taut as an arrow on the string. Taking advantage of the dampness from their earlier intimacy, he maliciously slid into her.
"Ah! You... you bastard, scoundrel! Let me go!" Sophia was instantly wide awake. The sudden and intense sensation filling her body was too overwhelming, and she couldn't take it. She clenched her fist and began to hit Capone.
"Don't move!" he commanded in a hoarse voice. "If you keep moving and I hurt you, don't start crying again!"
Sophia refused to submit, but her body was too weak to muster any strength. Her ankle was injured, so she couldn't even run away. All she could do was watch helplessly as he held her waist and did as he pleased.
Last night, they had cuddled warmly, and she had thought this devil had changed his ways. She never expected him to revert to his true nature so quickly. Just a moment ago, he was so fierce, hitting and shouting, and now he was being intimate. What did this even mean?
She felt both embarrassed and furious, overwhelmed with a sense of injustice. Somehow, he managed to adjust her into a position where she was facing him, and at the peak of their intimacy, all she could do was bury her head against his shoulder, gritting her teeth and enduring it.
Afterward, Capone looked refreshed, putting on his dried clothes and tossing hers to her. "Put on your clothes. We need to head back!"
Sophia glared at him and glanced at her own foot. The place where she twisted her ankle yesterday was already swollen. If she had to be dragged back like yesterday, she would rather stay here!
Seeing her not moving, Capone leaned in and said, "What's wrong? Don't want to leave? Do you like the atmosphere here, or are you unsatisfied with what just happened, hmm?"
To be honest, he liked it here too. There was something wild and exhilarating about it.
"You're shameless!" Sophia almost spat at him. "My ankle is twisted, I can't walk! If you want to go back, go by yourself!"
Oh, so that's the problem. Capone glanced down at her foot; he had almost forgotten she twisted it yesterday.
He crouched down with his back to the bed, waving his hand. "Get on!"
Sophia stared at his broad back, not sure how to react.
Capone didn't waste any words with her. He grabbed one of her arms, and with a pull and a lift, he hoisted her onto his back.
"You... you put me down!" It was only then that Sophia realized he intended to carry her on his back. She stiffened, refusing to let him carry her.
In the struggle, her knee accidentally bumped him, and she heard him let out a muffled grunt, which reminded her that he seemed to be injured. She had touched the scars on his back last night.
"If you move one more time, I'll throw you right off this hillside!" He turned his head and shot her a fierce glare.
Sophia stopped moving. She wasn't feeling well either, so it was best for two injured people to cooperate with each other.
Although Capone was injured, his steps were steady, as if the person on his back weighed nothing at all.
Being carried like this reminded her of the times when her two older brothers would take turns carrying her around when she was little. Her family had always spoiled her, but Capone was the man who hurt and destroyed her. Why would she even compare him to them?
Sophia rested her head on his shoulder, and the gentle bouncing made her feel drowsy again. Her breathing grew heavier, which caught Capone's attention.
"Are you running a fever?"
"I don't know, maybe! I feel dizzy…"
"Don't worry, once we get back, you can rest and take some medicine. You'll be fine," Capone said, quickening his pace.
"Hey, don't walk so fast. Aren't you injured?"
Capone sneered. "You actually care about others now? What's a little injury? If you hadn't distracted me, even if those guys came at me twice as hard, they wouldn't have touched me!"
"I'll leave sooner or later. You can't keep me imprisoned forever!"
Capone snorted coldly. "We'll see about that!"
Sophia wanted to keep arguing, but her head grew heavier, and she felt exhausted. Her entire body relaxed, slumping against his back.
Halfway down the mountain, Capone met up with Joey, who had been sent to find them. By then, Sophia had already fallen asleep on his back.
After this incident, Joey's discontent with Sophia deepened even further. He knew Capone's temperament and capabilities well; the only reason he would spend the night on the mountain was because of that Diaz girl.
Just by looking at her disheveled state, it was clear she had tried to escape again but failed.
She had no idea what kind of situation they were in now. Lucas's men were already on the island, and yet she had put Capone in such danger.
Joey felt a growing unease. Even if Sophia Diaz wasn't the mole among them, she couldn't stay around the boss for too long.
Sophia had a bit of a fever. After being given an IV drip, the last thing she saw before falling asleep was Capone's cold face. But when she woke up, Cronus was sitting by her bedside.
Unlike his usual playful demeanor, this time his face was anything but cheerful.
"A fall, a sprain, catching a cold and a fever—you tell me, how do you manage to turn a grave visit into all this? Did you encounter a ghost?"
Sophia glared at him. "You know perfectly well what happened, and you're still asking!" To her, Capone was harder to shake off than any ghost.
"Why won't you listen to me? In the end, who's the one who suffers, hmm? Who?"
"So, do I deserve to be imprisoned here and used by you all? What's wrong with wanting to escape? If I get the chance, I'll still try to run away. I don't want to spend my whole life as a captive plaything!"
Her tear-filled eyes, yet determined expression, touched the softest part of his heart.
Cronus softened his expression, reaching out to gently touch the redness on her face. "Did he hit you again?"
Sophia was slightly taken aback. Did she hear him wrong? Was there a hint of concern in his words?
Realizing that their closeness and posture were too intimate, Sophia awkwardly pulled back and pushed his hand away. "Isn't this just the daily special? I might as well get used to it!"
"I'll talk to him, tell him to treat you better in the future. I don't want to keep coming here to patch you up! But you need to be more cautious, too. Learn to protect yourself, understand?"
His unusually gentle tone made Sophia uneasy, and it also made the figure outside the door freeze, the hand poised to push the door stopping mid-action.
When Cronus walked out of the room and saw Diana standing outside, he wasn't surprised and let her follow behind him.
"What do you want to say?" he asked directly.
"I suggest you not mention anything about Sophia to Capone. Doing so might end up hurting her even more," Diana replied calmly.
Cronus crossed his arms over his chest. "Do I need you to teach me how to do things? Worry about yourself. Lucas has his eyes on us now, and there could be unexpected danger at any moment. Don't try to stir up trouble with that girl!"
With that, he let out a snort and walked away, leaving Diana staring after him, feeling a bit wistful.