Sophia, feeling both wronged and angry, instinctively pushed against Capone, trying to get him away from her body. Unbeknownst to her, this only fueled his desire to proceed further. With a grunt, he lifted himself slightly and pressed heavily into her.
Sophia's body was forced to fully bloom, slick and moist, even experiencing pleasure, but between his varying depths of thrusts, her heart was filled with a stifling pain.
The few days she spent at ROYAL were not numerous in events, but they were enough to leave a deep impression. He had casually remarked that her guards had been negligent, and once the punishment was dealt, it was as if nothing had ever happened!
What about her panic and desperation? Perhaps he only saw it as a game, but it cost her dignity and honor, and even allowed her to be abused by other men!
Sophia hated herself because she realized her true grievance was that all of this was done by Capone. She couldn't stand him treating her like a commodity to be shared and now holding her so intimately!
Her body tensed again, her arms pushing between them to block his embrace. Capone, in the height of his excitement, moved vigorously, both their temperatures seemingly merging together, and yet she continued to resist!
He too was frustrated and lost patience, holding her hands firmly and forcefully suppressing her, not allowing a hint of resistance. Even her sounds were silenced by his kisses.
Eventually, with a flash of white light in her mind and her body feeling like it had been shattered and put back together, he allowed himself to release, his body heavily undulating on top of hers.
Seeing her expression and the dampness at the corners of her eyes, he knew he had still done something wrong.
"I'm not that kind of woman, don't get it twisted!" she murmured, as if speaking to him or perhaps to herself.
Capone held her face gently, "When did I ever say you were that kind of woman? I will erase all traces of what happened at ROYAL. Forget it, let's pretend it never occurred!"
"You don't understand. In that glass cage, people were choosing from me, and many saw me! And Lucas…"
Capone silenced her with a kiss, his tongue circling her lips before he looked at her firmly and said, "In any case, I have a way to handle it. Don't overthink it! Lucas won't cause trouble in the next few days. You can go to town with Diana and Cronus, find something to do. I'll have someone follow you."
He knew that if things continued like this, her mental state would only worsen. When he sent her to ROYAL, he never intended to give her such a blow. So now, he could only try to distract her, hoping that over time she would slowly forget these events.
Sophia did not let Diana and Cronus take her out. What she had once desired, now she had no interest in at all. She knew that even if she tried to run away, there was little chance of success; Capone always had a way to bring her back, and the punishment would only become more severe, possibly involving others as well.
Sophia didn't want to go out and meet people. She couldn't help but think of the indifference and numbness she experienced during those days at ROYAL.
When Lucy was around, she would help with tasks and then stroll around the yard. After finishing her pasta at noon, she saw Lucy return from the yard looking worried. Sophia couldn't help but ask, "Lucy, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Ah, Mandy… she hurt her leg but refuses to treat it properly. Cronus and the therapist both said that with persistent rehabilitation, there's still a chance of recovery, but she won't even try! I don't know what's going on with her. She's just brooding all the time. At this rate, if her leg isn't treated, her mental state will deteriorate too!"
Sophia looked out through the gate and saw Mandy's wheelchair parked by the fence, facing the sea. The sea breeze was causing his clothes to flutter slightly. Although the winter on the southern coast wasn't as cold as the inland, the sea wind was still somewhat harsh. Sitting out there for too long would surely make him sick.
Without giving it much thought, Sophia walked over. She would occasionally go outside for some fresh air, chatting with Cronus or Diana when she ran into them, or getting a few sharp words from Joey. But when she encountered Mandy, he would merely glance at her, say nothing, and then act as if she wasn't there.
It was the same this time. Mandy seemed to come out of his thoughts when he saw her, shaking his wheelchair and preparing to leave.
"Wait!" she called out to him. "I'll push you back!"
"I don't need your help!" He didn't want pity or sympathy.
Sophia ignored his refusal, firmly gripping the handles of his wheelchair and pushing him forward.
He couldn't stand up to push her away.
"I told you not to bother with me. Don't you understand?" Mandy was clearly annoyed. He usually had a cold, detached demeanor, but rarely did he show anger. His voice, now raised and cold, and the stern expression on his face made his features even more rigid. Oddly enough, Sophia wasn't scared.
"Then just stand up and push me away! Why insist on pretending to be fine when your leg is injured? Even if it will never recover to how it was before, there's no need to give up like this!"
Mandy was silent for a moment. "What right do you have to judge me? Look at yourself. Aren't you just wallowing in self-pity? Your experiences don't compare. Cronus is protecting you, and the boss didn't actually sell you off. For the sake of reputation, you're moping around. If everyone were like you, Joey and his Zoey would have already committed suicide by now."
Sophia was taken aback. "Zoey… what happened to them? Why are you saying that?"
She couldn't forget that during her time at ROYAL, Zoey had taken great care of her. Although Zoey also worked at ROYAL, she was completely different from Penny, more like an older sister. In front of Capone, aside from her loyalty as a subordinate, there was nothing else.
Were they really lovers?
But if that were the case, why would Joey let her work in such a place?
Mandy gazed into the distance. "There are many things you don't understand, many things you can't even imagine. The world isn't just black and white. Obsessing over things won't do you any good!"
Sophia pressed her slightly dry lips together. "You wouldn't understand how important reputation is for a girl…"
At these words, she saw the light in Mandy's eyes dim abruptly. His hands clenched into tight fists before he finally relaxed them.
"Fine, whatever," he resumed his cold demeanor, unwilling to discuss further. "I heard you inhaled some belladonna leaves? Don't worry too much. Occasional use won't lead to addiction. Just don't rely too much on those illusions. No matter how bad things are right now, reality is always more important!"
Sophia nodded. Seeing that he was heading back inside, she thought for a moment and followed him in.
"What are you following me for?" Mandy asked impatiently.
"I… I don't have anything else to do. About that pudding from last time, do you still want some?"
Mandy seemed to understand. "You're still feeling guilty about the drugs from last time? I've already told you, we're fine. That stuff won't cause any harm. My leg's condition isn't related to that at all!"
Sophia couldn't convince him and left feeling a bit gloomy.
It was strange, though. Whenever she talked to Mandy, despite his cold demeanor, he could always clear the clouds from her mind with just a few words. Even with such a serious emotional issue, talking to him made her feel much better.
What frustrated her was that she couldn't do anything to help him.
"How did it go? Did Mandy agree to do the rehabilitation?" As soon as Sophia returned to the house, Lucy pulled her aside, clearly having seen their conversation.
Sophia shook her head.
Lucy sighed, "Oh, these foolish kids, each more stubborn than the last! I've watched them grow up, endured many hardships as children, and now, they're either injured or dead…"
Sophia offered Lucy some words of comfort and then thought for a moment. "I'll make some pastries tomorrow. Could you take them to Mandy? They say sweets make people happy. Maybe it'll lift his spirits a bit, and he might be more willing to listen to you."
Of course, it was just a hope. That evening, when she mentioned this to Diana, Diana adjusted her glasses and said, "Why don't I come with you to talk to Mandy?"
She had heard that Mandy was unwilling to cooperate with his rehabilitation and that his leg might never fully recover. Although she was worried, there wasn't much she could do. Since Sophia was motivated and it was a chance to distract her and potentially help Mandy, it was a win-win situation.