Capone's restrictions were still as numerous as ever. To avoid any misunderstandings, Sophia hadn't visited Mandy these past few days. She trusted that if Capone was determined, he would find a way to soften Mandy's stance.
With nothing to do, Sophia occupied herself by going through the baking tools stored in the cabinet—sifters, cake pans. Even if she didn't use them, she washed them every day and put them back spotless.
Diana was still interning at the hospital, working in the city during the day and only returning in the evenings. Cronus, busy with his work at the private hospital, wasn't always available. Occasionally, after a night shift, he would drop by to have some Italian food. On one such occasion, he found Sophia tinkering with the tools and, intending to startle her, sneaked up behind her and asked, "What are you doing?"
Sophia was startled, and the items in her hands clattered into the sink. She glared at Cronus, "What are you doing sneaking up like that? You could've made some noise!"
She had thought it might be Capone returning. If he saw her playing with the baking tools again, he would likely lose his temper.
"Hey, don't worry so much. Even if boss isn't fond of pastries, it's not to the point of despising them. Actually, you don't have to be so anxious. If he's not around during the day, you can bake whatever you like. It could come in handy!"
Sophia looked at him with curiosity, "Handy for what?"
"Our department is right next to pediatrics. Every day, many children are admitted because they're sick. You know how kids can't sit still and are scared of shots and medicine. Being in the hospital is tough for them, so we have staff who organize birthday parties and other activities to cheer them up. They have snacks in their activity room, but they're bought from the street, and honestly, they don't taste nearly as good as the pudding you made last time! If you bake some cakes or cookies for them, they'd definitely appreciate it!"
Capone couldn't see this? Cronus frowned. Sophia's complexion had grown increasingly pale; she looked like a different person from the vibrant girl who had first arrived here. Sometimes, if you didn't talk to her, she wouldn't speak at all, seeming as though she didn't exist in the room.
However, upon hearing Cronus's words, Sophia's interest was piqued. "Really? I can make butter cookies and cupcake chiffon cakes. Kids love those!"
She was confident in her skills, having seen these two items sell out first every day when she worked at Roger's bakery.
"Of course! Just try making them once. If they turn out well, you can make more!"
"I can also make a big birthday cake for the kids!" Sophia's enthusiasm was completely awakened.
"Great, it's settled then!"
Sophia's face finally lit up with a smile. Determined to act on her new plan, she baked a batch of cookies and cupcake chiffon cakes the next day, packed them into boxes, and handed them over to Cronus to take to the hospital. She felt a bit nervous, hoping the children would enjoy her baked goods.
However, her concerns were clearly unfounded. The cookies and cakes were almost completely devoured, and the kids who didn't get any even cried.
When Cronus told her this, Sophia, feeling proud, rubbed her hands together and said, "Oh, oh, how could there not be enough? I should have baked more!"
"It's alright, we'll just bake more next time! Are we running out of ingredients? Should we buy more?"
Cronus chuckled softly, looking at Sophia, who was a head shorter than him. Her hair was casually tied up at the back of her head, with a cute little swirl at the top. With a hint of a smile, she seemed to come alive, as if even the tiny swirl in her hair was smiling.
He was reminded of a little person roughly her age, with a similar swirl in the same spot. He used to see it every time he looked down, and she was so lively and impulsive, often lifting her head abruptly while talking, making his chin ache.
He touched his chin, as if feeling that familiar, intimate pain again, though his smile had vanished.
"What's wrong?" Sophia waved her hand in front of his eyes. It was that look again—Cronus often had that look, tender and affectionate, yet looking past her to someone else. There must be something about her that resembled that person, but he wouldn't tell her who it was.
"Nothing, just thinking about where to buy these ingredients!"
Sophia pondered for a moment and said, "Could I go with you? I know there are chain stores that sell all these things, but there are some items I'd like to choose myself. You might not know which one is the best!"
Cronus affectionately ruffled her hair, "Of course you can, but we need to let the boss know!"
"Is there something you need to tell me?"
Capone happened to come in at that moment. Cronus subtly withdrew his hand, and Sophia, slightly nervous, adjusted a stray hair near her forehead and glanced around.
To prevent Capone from noticing that she had been baking cakes in the house, she quickly opened all the doors and windows to ventilate as soon as the items were out of the oven. He didn't seem to notice anything unusual, but that night, when he held her, he remarked, "You smell like cream. Where did that come from?"
Sophia fumbled for an answer, thinking he might have figured it out, but he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he undressed her, kissing her all over, not leaving a single inch untouched. He even took her fingers into his mouth, sucking and licking each one. The delicate skin between her fingers was tenderly kissed, and he looked at her with an intensely seductive gaze, as if he wouldn't stop until he found the source of that scent, or perhaps he already knew about her secret baking. Sophia felt every heartbeat like a drum, her body as soft as water.
His perceptiveness often surpassed her imagination, so even today, just standing here talking with Cronus felt like she had done something wrong and was afraid of being caught.
Unexpectedly, Cronus calmly said to Capone, "I asked Sophia to bake some cookies and cakes for the kids in our hospital. The children really liked them, so we wanted to make more, but we're running out of ingredients. I plan to take her to the supermarket to pick up some more. Just wanted to let you know!"
Capone glanced at Sophia, seemingly seeking her confirmation of what had been said.
Sophia, nervous and with slightly sweaty palms, nodded at him.
"Alright, then I'll go with you in the afternoon!"
Sophia was so surprised she thought she must have misheard. She replayed his words in her mind to be sure he really meant he agreed. Cronus, standing nearby, smiled as if he had anticipated this outcome.
Sophia was puzzled. Just a few days ago, Capone had clearly expressed his disapproval of her baking pastries. How could he now agree to accompany her to the supermarket for more ingredients? This suggested he must have known or at least guessed what she had been doing during the day. The creamy scent on her was evidence of her baking cakes and cookies.
But had he chosen to deliberately ignore this? Or perhaps... to indulge her actions?
Why?
Sophia's mind was in disarray. She couldn't dare to imagine he had developed any affection or other feelings for her, nor could she hope he had suddenly let go of his hatred and decided to be kind to her. The only thing she could think of was whether her parents and brothers had promised Capone some excessive condition, which was her greatest concern.
Capone had recently been less of a torment to her. Sometimes she could feel his gaze on her from behind, and when she turned, she could only catch a glimpse of his back or profile.
In those moments, he seemed somewhat silent, distant, and inexplicably lonely.
Baking ingredients weren't available in every supermarket, and since Sophia wanted many imported brands, which were impossible to find in the island's small stores, Capone took Sophia to the port city.
Aside from traveling by boat, there was also a road to the city. The port had several underwater tunnels leading to the surrounding islands. The tunnel to their small island had been under construction and was leaking due to technical issues but had just been completed, making travel more convenient.
Joey had sent a subordinate who used to be a race car driver to drive for Capone, while Capone himself drove a Range Rover following behind. There were also several other men in the car, adding up to about eight or nine people including Sophia and Cronus.
Sophia sat next to Capone. Although he said nothing and had made an effort to control himself, she could still sense the killing intent emanating from him, like a king of beasts waiting for a battle.