"What are you doing here?" Mandy's mood didn't fluctuate much upon seeing her, but his voice remained cold.
"I made some pudding, and I made a bit more this time. I thought everyone could try it! It's said that sweets can lift your mood, so come on, give it a try!"
Sophia also invited the two guards stationed at the gate inside.
Despite her efforts, Mandy still refused to cooperate with the treatment, and the physical therapist, who was about to leave, reluctantly took a cup of pudding out of politeness.
Sophia watched them eat with increasing anxiety, her heart pounding in her throat. Mandy ate very little, which made her even more worried, so she kept talking to him, "Mandy, you look so much more haggard lately. Don't be so down; even if you refuse therapy, you should at least eat something! Try to get some nutrients; maybe you'll feel better soon!"
Her intentions were genuine; she hoped his leg injury would heal.
Soon, the pudding began to have an effect, and the group started feeling unwell. Mandy was the first to react, reaching out to grab her. "What did you put in the pudding?"
"I'm sorry!" Sophia dodged him. With Mandy's limited mobility in a wheelchair and the effects of the drug, he couldn't stop her.
She didn't want to harm anyone, but she had to escape.
Sophia found the car keys on the physical therapist and drove out of the courtyard.
Her hands were trembling on the steering wheel, as this was the closest she had ever been to freedom. She had to seize this opportunity!
Mandy gritted his teeth and called Capone. "Boss, that Diaz girl… she's escaped! She drugged us… Yes, Lucas must have sent someone to the island for reconnaissance. If she heads to the port, she's likely to run into them. You need to come back quickly!"
Sophia had been on this small island for some time, but due to her constant confinement, the outside environment still felt unfamiliar.
Fortunately, the area was not large, and she quickly found the location of the public dock. Once she boarded the speedboat and reached the port area, she would be safe.
However, she had left in such a hurry that she had no money or communication tools like a phone, making it impossible to buy a ticket or make a call.
Before leaving the island, she even hesitated to call the police. Given Capone's influence and connections with local government departments, he might have ties that would ensure she ended up back with him if she went to the police station.
Sophia parked the car by the roadside, pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt to cover her face, and lingered around the ticket counter at the dock.
With no money, even getting the 10 bucks for a boat ticket was a problem.
Although Capone's men hadn't caught up with her yet, she couldn't afford to delay any longer. Determined, Sophia decided that even if she faced embarrassment or disdain, she had to get a ticket first.
But when the staff realized she had no money, they barely glanced at her and shooed her away with impatience, as if swatting away a fly.
"Excuse me…" Sophia tried to plead further when someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind.
"Miss, don't you have money for the ticket? I'll help you out!"
The speaker was a refined young man, dressed like an ordinary office worker. Sophia bit her lip and accepted the money from him, saying, "Thank you so much. I'll pay you back!"
The man just smiled.
The island wasn't a tourist destination, and the number of residents was small. During non-peak times, there were very few travelers. The boats didn't run, only the speedboats did. They operated every fifteen minutes, but each second Sophia waited for the boat felt like torture.
She was terrified that Capone would catch up with her.
Finally, when the boat was ready to depart, there were fewer than ten passengers. The man who had lent her money was seated next to her, accompanied by an older man. The two of them smiled at her but didn't say anything more.
When the bell for departure rang, Sophia let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She had finally, finally managed to leave the island.
But clearly, she was celebrating too soon.
Halfway through the speedboat ride, another speedboat came directly towards them. Sophia didn't think much of it, but the two men sitting beside her became alert, their eyes fixed on the approaching boat.
Sophia followed their gaze and nearly gasped aloud.
Capone!
He had arrived so quickly, and they happened to meet on the open sea!
But it was okay, she reassured herself. She was on public transportation; he shouldn't be able to tell she was on this boat!
Even if… even if he did recognize her, he wouldn't be able to get on the boat. As long as her boat reached the shore first, she still had a chance to escape.
She pulled her hat down tighter, her heart racing, and buried her head, praying that Capone's boat would pass quickly.
"Sophia Diaz! Sophia Diaz!"
Capone's voice rang out, calling her name across the boats. Sophia hadn't expected him to shout her name so suddenly, and she was terrified, gripping the edge of her hat tightly and holding her breath.
Capone sneered. He wasn't certain she was on this boat, but by shouting her name, everyone on the boat turned to look at him out of curiosity. The woman who was desperately trying to hide was, in fact, immediately spotted by him.
Not only her but also the two of Lucas's subordinates sitting beside her!
"Turn around! Follow them!" Capone ordered.
He had rushed back after receiving Mandy's call, not expecting that the girl would be so quick, already on a boat heading towards the port.
The game was thrilling, and her moves were becoming increasingly swift. It seemed like her chances of winning were growing, but she could never outpace him!
Capone clenched his fists tightly. She had completely ignored his warnings and chose to escape at such a critical time!
As the two boats drew closer, Joey grabbed him.
"Boss, there are Lucas's people on that boat. Don't make any reckless moves!"
"I know what I'm doing!"
Capone pushed him aside decisively, his eyes fixed intently on the small figure in the corner of the boat.
"Get closer!"
They needed to be close enough for him to board the other boat.
"Capone, don't come any closer! Mr. Ding has invited this young lady as a guest and will personally see her back. We won't harm her!"
The man who had lent Sophia money suddenly shouted at Capone. Sophia, who had been keeping her head down, was startled—so they were Lucas's people?
Had their lending her money for the boat ride been part of a premeditated plan? Did they already know she was escaping from Capone?
Sophia felt a sense of dread. She couldn't be controlled by these people; the consequences would be dire!
Lucas was likely as ruthless as Capone. If she fell into his hands, she might not be treated any better. Moreover, she would probably be used as a bargaining chip to extort demands from the Diaz family!
From one danger to another, how could she be so unlucky?
As Sophia stood up, the middle-aged man beside her grabbed her arm and said in a deep voice, "If you don't want to be caught by Capone, don't move. Come with us!"
Sophia was unwilling to listen and struggled to shake off his hand, but she had no idea where to run.
They were on the open sea, and the endless expanse of water made her anxious. Even if the boat stopped, there was nowhere to hide.
Capone seemed to ignore the man's warning and fixed his grim gaze on Sophia, who was being restrained. When the boats were close enough, he seized the opportunity and jumped over.
Lucas's two subordinates were startled by his sudden arrival and instinctively attacked him.
The other passengers on the boat screamed and shrank into corners, creating space for Capone to quickly take down the two attackers. Not wanting to linger in the fight, he grabbed Sophia and jumped into the sea with her.
Sophia was caught off guard and swallowed a large gulp of water, watching helplessly as the public speedboat sailed away. Lucas's men didn't pursue them further.
But she had fallen back into Capone's hands. He held her tightly and swam towards a small boat anchored nearby, where Joey and the others reached out to help them aboard.
Sophia was severely choked by the seawater, coughing painfully, her clothes soaked through. With her body drenched in seawater, she felt like a heavy, saltwater-filled sack, unable to move properly.
She expected Capone to lash out at her, but instead, he merely pressed his lips together, saying nothing.
It was clear to anyone that his anger was seething, though he wasn't exploding just yet.
The speedboat quickly returned to the island. As soon as they reached the shore, Capone's patience ran out.
He dragged Sophia back to his room in the villa, threw her to the floor, and crouched down, gripping her jaw tightly. "Still not giving up? Don't understand how to obey or even how to be afraid, huh? Would rather throw yourself to Lucas? Fine, I'll grant your wish!"