"What are you doing here?" His somewhat lazy voice startled Sophia, causing her to nearly knock over the bowl of soup next to her.
"Nothing… Nothing, Lucy asked me to bring you some soup!"
Capone looked at her with interest, then at the computer. With a snap, he shut the laptop and pulled her onto his lap. "Is that so? You know I only like meat and don't care for soup!"
"I've taken all the meat out of the soup. If you want to eat it, I can go get you some more!" Sophia tried to wriggle free from his embrace but was bitten on the neck by him.
It was a real bite, like a wolf catching a lamb, causing her to gasp in pain.
"No need for that. I'll just eat what's here!" he mumbled against her neck. "I've been so busy these days that I've neglected you. If you hadn't brought me soup, I might have thought you were trying to run away!"
Though it was said in jest, there was a hint of truth to it. Sophia's heart raced quickly. She had indeed thought about finding an opportunity to escape while their guard was down.
If he found out about her intentions, would he try to confine her again or make her suffer?
"Aren't you supposed to be feeding me soup? I'm too tired; if you feed me, I might manage to drink a bit!" Capone wrapped his arms around her waist, his breath brushing against her face.
Sophia hesitated for a second, then lifted the bowl of soup, carefully spooned some of the rich broth, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to Capone.
He didn't make things difficult for her, drinking the soup obediently, like a child with a cherished toy.
Perhaps being compliant with him for a few days and letting him relax his guard while he dealt with Lucas might be more beneficial for her escape!
Opportunities always come when least expected.
When Sophia woke up in the morning, she found herself on Capone's bed, alone. The bed was cold, indicating that Capone had been gone for some time.
Last night, after Capone had finished the soup and regained his energy, he had been relentless with her, overpowering her on the bed. They reached their peaks several times, but he still wouldn't let her go, holding her delicate waist and pushing into her from behind, pressing her soft body against his broad chest.
"Don't even think about escaping, understand? At least for the next couple of days… Be good, okay? It's too dangerous… Don't betray me, I won't allow it, do you hear me?" His hair, damp with sweat, clung seductively to his forehead, his voice hoarse and breathless, revealing his pleasure and enjoyment, making her blush and her heart race.
Sophia's body was faintly flushed with embarrassment, but every word he had said was etched clearly in her mind.
He was indeed afraid she might escape in these days because he wouldn't have the energy to chase her. But whether he allowed it or not, she had no choice but to escape.
He had said that he could play the chase game with her as long as needed, but wasn't it up to him alone to set the rules?
If she won, he would have nothing to say!
With Capone gone, the courtyard was unusually quiet. When she asked Lucy, she learned that Capone had gone to the port area early in the morning with Joey and a few others.
The usual guards around the villa had all followed them. The house only needed so many people when Capone and Mandy were around; the extra staff had been added purely because of Sophia. Now, with a more urgent situation, only Mandy's two subordinates were left behind, mainly to guard against any unforeseen circumstances due to Capone's still-healing leg injury.
Lucy wouldn't arrive until noon, and Diana, who had just found an internship at the port hospital, was reporting for her first day today. Besides the two of them, Capone's group probably hadn't noticed their absence.
So, for the entire morning, Sophia was effectively unmonitored.
She had been worried that Mandy might hinder her escape plan, so she decided to check on the situation at the neighboring villa.
After a few days of not paying attention, she noticed that Mandy looked worn out and was even more silent and distant than before.
Cronus was probably busy dealing with Lucas along with Capone and hadn't had time to visit him. The only visitors were the physical therapists helping Mandy with his rehabilitation—the same middle-aged man Sophia had seen talking to them when she was drying salted fish.
Sophia quietly listened to most of their conversation and finally understood the source of Mandy's exhaustion and silence.
The gunshot wound had damaged his nerves and might have left one of his legs permanently unable to regain its function.
She felt a pang of sympathy and sadness; such a tall and strong man was facing the prospect of becoming a cripple!
No wonder he couldn't accept it. Despite the therapist's attempts to encourage him, he refused to cooperate with the treatment.
In recent days, Sophia's only enemy seemed to be Capone. The others, who she spent time with daily, had gradually become ordinary people—some like neighbors, and others, like Diana, even friends.
She still remembered how Mandy had stopped Capone from beating her and recalled the cold yet straightforward side of the young man. Diana had said his combat skills were the strongest among everyone, and he had rarely encountered a match.
It was truly cruel to condemn such a person to a life of disability.
Recalling how Mandy had praised the pudding she made, Sophia decided to prepare another batch for him.
Desserts have a way of bringing joy, which was also why she had initially learned to become a pastry chef.
Lucy wouldn't arrive until noon, and Diana, who had just found an internship at the port hospital, was reporting for her first day today. Besides the two of them, Capone's group probably hadn't noticed their absence.
So, for the entire morning, Sophia was effectively unmonitored.
She had been worried that Mandy might hinder her escape plan, so she decided to check on the situation at the neighboring villa.
After a few days of not paying attention, she noticed that Mandy looked worn out and was even more silent and distant than before.
Cronus was probably busy dealing with Lucas along with Capone and hadn't had time to visit him. The only visitors were the physical therapists helping Mandy with his rehabilitation—the same middle-aged man Sophia had seen talking to them when she was drying salted fish.
Sophia quietly listened to most of their conversation and finally understood the source of Mandy's exhaustion and silence.
The gunshot wound had damaged his nerves and might have left one of his legs permanently unable to regain its function.
She felt a pang of sympathy and sadness; such a tall and strong man was facing the prospect of becoming a cripple!
No wonder he couldn't accept it. Despite the therapist's attempts to encourage him, he refused to cooperate with the treatment.
In recent days, Sophia's only enemy seemed to be Capone. The others, who she spent time with daily, had gradually become ordinary people—some like neighbors, and others, like Diana, even friends.
She still remembered how Mandy had stopped Capone from beating her and recalled the cold yet straightforward side of the young man. Diana had said his combat skills were the strongest among everyone, and he had rarely encountered a match.
It was truly cruel to condemn such a person to a life of disability.
Recalling how Mandy had praised the pudding she made, Sophia decided to prepare another batch for him.
Desserts have a way of bringing joy, which was also why she had initially learned to become a pastry chef.
As Sophia was leaving, she passed by the physical therapist's car parked in the driveway. Through the car window, she noticed a doctor's bag on the front passenger seat. Cronus had a similar bag containing commonly used medicines and medical instruments.
A sudden thought struck Sophia. She pulled on the car door handle and, to her surprise, the door opened.
She realized that Joey and Cronus often didn't lock their car doors when they drove here, perhaps because they felt very secure in this area. It seemed the same applied to this physical therapist.
She took a chance and the door was indeed unlocked.
Sophia rummaged through the bag. It was a typical therapist's bag, with no sleeping pills or laxatives, but she did find scopolamine—a type of neuro suppressant.
Scopolamine is a nerve suppressant that has medicinal uses in small doses but can cause hallucinations, vomiting, and even control over one's mind in larger doses. Sophia had heard of it being used in the past by foreign students who were into zombie culture, where it was sometimes referred to as "zombie drug."
Her palms began to sweat slightly, but in order to make her escape, she took the bottle of pills.
While making the caramel pudding, she mixed a small amount of the powder into the mixture. She used only a small quantity, just enough to cause discomfort, as she didn't want to harm anyone's health.
Once the pudding was done, she took it over to Mandy and the others.