Sophia remained motionless with her eyes closed, as if she had already fallen into a deep sleep. But upon hearing his words, she still sat up and got out of bed.
She was not wearing any clothes and walked barefoot on the carpet. Her youthful body, with its slender waist and narrow hips, was perfectly alluring, with flawless lines and skin. However, her pale skin was marred with red marks, all left by Capone.
As she moved, white fluid slid down her inner thighs, making Capone's body heat up again.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. He stared at the frosted glass door in a daze when his phone rang. It was Lucas calling.
"Hello?" He walked to the balcony to answer, subconsciously not wanting Sophia to be exposed to anything related to the other person.
"... Yeah, okay! Then we'll meet at the Royal Club in three days! ... Of course, how could I not welcome you! We need to have a good talk!"
He ended the call, his dark eyes growing darker.
When he returned to the room, Sophia had finished her shower and was drying her hair with a towel. He threw the towel she was holding aside, reached out to pull away the towel wrapped around her chest, and drew her into his arms. He licked the red marks on her chest with his tongue, his hand caressing the redness left by his earlier grip, as lightly as a feather brushing against her skin.
His kisses gradually moved up, reaching her ear. While kissing her most sensitive earlobe, he guided her hand to his aroused state, which was already burning with heat.
"Have you cleaned yourself well, hmm?" His hot breath enveloped her ear, his voice carrying a seductive tone. "You're still not wet enough. Touch me first, and when I'm comfortable, I'll make sure you are too!"
He hoped she would be a bit more obedient, that the training was only to make her understand how to submit. Was her current silent demeanor a sign that she had grasped his intention?
"Just like this, very good... mmm…" He guided her small hand, unable to suppress a groan of pleasure. He opened his eyes to look at her, his gaze tinged with desire, his breathing rapid as he leaned down to capture her lips.
"Say you're mine, say you won't run away again! Sophy, say it quickly…" His voice was husky, coaxing her to make a promise.
To his surprise, instead of speaking, Sophia tightened her grip and squeezed hard, causing Capone to cry out in pain, his eyes filled with fury.
"Have you gone mad?" He shoved her hand away and forcefully pushed her backward. Sophia fell onto the bed and was then yanked by her hair, pulling her down to the floor.
She looked at him with a cold smile, reverting to her earlier defiant and disdainful demeanor.
If he wanted her to please him, he was dreaming! She was trapped anyway, destined to be handed over to someone else, so why should she obediently play the puppet? She might as well resist to the end; if no one was satisfied, so be it!
The most rigid part of a man is often the most vulnerable. If he delivered it to her, she would not let him escape without feeling pain. How could she face herself otherwise?
Whether he chose to beat or scold her, she was used to it by now.
Capone took a long while to recover from the pain, his previous hesitation and compassion completely vanished.
How he continued to demand her in his fury, changing positions and tormenting her, and how it all ended in anger and exhaustion, neither he nor she could remember.
It was always like this: his body was thoroughly relieved, but his heart remained unsatisfied. As for Sophia, she endured the excruciating pleasure and pain unwillingly, her only recollection being his words that he was tired of her and intended to give her away.
She cried even in her dreams, seeing her parents and brother in front of her, wanting to speak but unable to utter a single word.
Was there no one who could save her?
The next morning, Sophia dressed and went downstairs. Capone was already waiting in the yard, Joey stood beside the car, and Mandy was talking to Capone while sitting in a wheelchair. Upon seeing her, they all turned their gaze toward her.
"Let's go once you're ready!" Capone walked over and grabbed Sophia's hand, pulling her so that she stumbled, but her feet didn't move.
"Hey, where are we actually going? Little White Wolf, where are you taking Sophia? It was my fault yesterday for not keeping an eye on her. If you're unhappy, punish me; why take it out on her?" Lucy came out, raising her voice and shouting at Capone.
"Lucy, please don't. Jingheng said your blood pressure has been unstable recently; you shouldn't get too agitated! Please go inside first; Boss knows what he's doing!" Mandy came over to pull Lucy away, her gaze sweeping over Sophia with a similarly indifferent tone.
Lucy looked at Capone with disappointment, as if she was frustrated with him. Before going inside, she said to Capone, "Don't become like your father, unable to understand what's truly important! You deserve to be lonely for the rest of your life!"
Capone stiffened, gripping Sophia's wrist even tighter, causing her to flinch in pain. "You're hurting me!"
Capone finally released her hand and walked toward the gate of the yard.
Sophia had no choice but to follow him. Before leaving, she noticed Mandy still sitting there watching her. She gave Mandy a slightly apologetic smile and said, "I'm sorry about yesterday. Are you all right?"
"We're fine!"
"Good! I meant what I said yesterday. I hope you recover quickly! Your legs will surely get back to normal walking!"
Mandy was stunned, unable to respond before she had already walked away.
Capone took her to the harbor district. After getting off the boat, a car was waiting as usual. Joey was in the front passenger seat, and the group rode in silence.
Although she had only been here twice, Sophia recognized the route; it was going to ROYAL.
The billboards and trees along the roadside sped past the car window, and Sophia's anxiety grew, her hands twisting together in her lap.
"Beg me now. Say you won't dare to run away again. I might still change my mind."
Sophia turned to glance at him. His attractive profile was expressionless, but his demeanor was one of arrogance.
His plan was clearly to hand her over to someone else, because he was tired of her and because she could be exchanged for various benefits.
Would begging him this time mean there would be no next time?
"I won't beg you!" she said firmly. "Even if you take me back, I will still run away. I won't give up!"
"Very well, then try."
The car stopped in ROYAL's underground parking lot. Capone pulled her out of the car and walked down a private passage with an exclusive elevator that went directly to various floors.
The last two times she had been here, they had always exited the car at the main entrance of ROYAL, like other wealthy patrons who came to indulge in the nightlife without a care.
Moreover, Capone was the owner of ROYAL, and even though the woman he brought with him was sensitive and mysterious, no one dared to question him.
But today was different. His concerns included not only Lucas, who had also come to the harbor, but also Sophia's persistent intention to escape.
He knew well that she meticulously observed everything each time—the escape routes, transportation options, and the entrances and exits of ROYAL from the annex to the main building. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that all of it was in vain.
This private passage used a biometric access system—not fingerprints but retinal recognition. Unless someone with the proper clearance guided her, she would be unable to escape from here no matter what. The elevator stopped at the forty-third floor; ROYAL had forty-five floors, with the top floor being the lounge. Sophia had been there before. In the building's design, floors ending in four were designated as fire separation levels and thus weren't shown in the elevator display. Therefore, the forty-third floor was effectively the penultimate floor.
As usual, the long corridor was decorated in a simple and bright manner, unlike the opulent decor she had imagined. When Sophia saw the room numbers on the doors, she realized that this was their office area.
Capone pushed open the largest room at the corner. Inside was a bright and spacious office. He walked in and casually sat on the sofa. It was obvious who this office belonged to.
"Call Penny and the others!"
The office door clicked shut. Sophia stood by, glaring at Capone. "What are you planning to do?"
She recognized the name Penny—the woman he had brought back to the villa, the one he had been intimate with.
She worked at ROYAL, serving not only Capone's business but also warming his bed.
"Why the big reaction?" Capone lit a cigarette and glanced at her. "I said I would train you to be the kind of woman men like—someone who knows her place, knows how to please. Then I'll send you to Lucas. That way, I won't lose face! I've already taught you enough by example, but you still lack a lot, so it's faster to have Penny and the others help you. I don't have much time—only three days. If you perform well in these three days, you'll naturally get what you want and be sent to Lucas! He likes women who are seductive yet pure and proactive. Put in some effort, and you might win his favor!"
"Capone, you're despicable! You're shameless! I... I don't want to learn how to be a seductress here. If you want to kill or torture me, just get it over with!"
Sophia was trembling with anger. She had thought that when he said he would send her to someone else, it meant directly delivering her to Lucas. If that were the case, she could at least negotiate terms with him. If money could buy her freedom, she believed the Diaz family would provide it. After all, Lucas was not Capone; he didn't have a deep-seated grudge with the Diaz family and might release her once he got what he wanted.
If humiliation was inevitable, she would rather fight to the end.