Chapter 46- Love?
Thinking back to the woman she had just met, elegant and refined, yet also gentle and kind—she was obviously a warm and pleasant person. How could a man like Lucas be dissatisfied with having such a woman as his wife?
Unconsciously, Sophia felt a sense of injustice for Miss Lucca, yet she failed to notice that Capone had already classified all her actions today as suspicious.
Any good mood from entering the supermarket had now vanished. Capone placed the items in the cart on the counter, then grabbed Sophia's hand and walked straight out.
"Hey, the stuff... hasn't been paid for yet!" Sophia exclaimed, half running as he dragged her along, glancing back repeatedly at the food she had picked out.
But soon she saw someone step forward to pay and bag the items. Clearly, Capone's men had been lurking in the shadows and appeared when needed.
They met Joey and Cronus waiting for them in the parking lot. Sophia looked at Cronus helplessly, silently pleading for rescue.
"It's okay," he whispered softly, giving her a small, comforting smile.
"Get in the car!"
Capone ordered coldly, practically shoving Sophia into the vehicle, then turned back to Cronus, saying, "Take her back first. Joey and I are going to ROYAL. Keep a close watch on her. Don't let her talk to strangers again!"
Sophia was so frustrated she wanted to pound the car window and argue with him.
She didn't even know Miss Donkin from the Donkin family. How could she have predicted she'd run into her at the supermarket? The conversation was purely coincidental. They hadn't discussed anything that could have impacted either side's interests, yet Capone had assumed they were in cahoots!
The person beside her now was Cronus, while Capone got into Joey's car. As soon as they left the parking lot, they drove off in opposite directions.
"Don't feel wronged. I believe it was just a coincidence. You don't know Lucca, and you had no way or reason to talk to her much. The boss and the others are just too tense, reacting to everything like it's a threat," Cronus said softly, seeing Sophia pout, visibly upset.
So Miss Lucca's full name was Lucca Donkin. Sophia repeated the name in her mind, still clenching her fists tightly. "It doesn't matter if you believe me; he doesn't! He's paranoid!"
Cronus chuckled. "You can't blame him. He was already frustrated from the board meeting, where a few of the old guys got under his skin. He couldn't secure the Nishiyama land, and then Lucas came to provoke him. None of that is easy to swallow. You know they've been arguing about moving the graves there. That place holds the person Capone was closest to in the world. It's only natural he can't let it go."
Sophia was stunned. "That person... is it his mother?"
"Yes, did he tell you?"
Sophia shook her head. "I guessed it myself."
"It's not hard to figure out. We were all born to parents; none of us wanted to pick up guns and live in the underworld from the start. We used to be so used to fighting and competing that no one knows how to take a step back. Most of us carry deep grievances, and even if we did retreat, it's not like the road ahead would be easy."
"I don't mean to look down on you guys, but..." Sophia trailed off, unable to find the right words. She thought of all the harm Capone had caused her, but then she couldn't help but recall the way he'd looked at the cheese counter earlier.
"I understand. Just bear with it for a few more days. It won't be long now..."
Sophia's heart pounded. She wanted to ask what Cronus meant by that.
When he said to bear with it for a few more days, did he mean that Capone would soon let her go?
Capone returned very late that night. Sophia had just finished taking a bath and was lying in bed, not yet asleep. She lay curled up under the covers, facing away from the door.
She was always cold. The coastal winter was damp and chilly, especially at night. When she slept alone, her hands and feet were often freezing, and she rarely slept soundly.
She was in her own room, thinking that would allow her to avoid him, but what good was a door against Capone?
He walked in, and even though the room was dark, he could still make out the lump under the blankets. He went over, not bothering to take off his clothes or shoes, and lay down behind Sophia, wrapping his arms around her.
Even through the blanket, Sophia could smell the alcohol and perfume on him. It was as if a little cat was scratching at her heart. She tried her hardest to endure it, but eventually couldn't take it anymore and squirmed out of his arms, sticking her head out. She was suffocating.
"Let me hold you for a while," Capone's voice was lazy, as if he were utterly exhausted.
Sophia was not happy. "You stink. You're going to suffocate me. Get away!"
She didn't sound angry, more like she was pouting. Capone shifted slightly, adjusting his position, and then wrapped her up again, blanket and all, saying, "So stingy."
Sophia was beyond frustrated. She wasn't sure if he was calling her stingy for not letting him hold her or for being unable to stand the perfume smell on him. She lay stiffly, afraid to move, but her nose itched, and she couldn't help but sneeze loudly.
Capone tucked the blanket around her, handed her a tissue, and watched as she rubbed her nose before getting up to head to the bathroom to shower.
It was winter, and with heavy clothes, even though Sophia had her back to the bathroom, she could hear the sound of his zipper being pulled down, the belt being undone, and then the clothes hitting the floor.
This jerk! He walked into her bathroom, completely naked, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He even tossed his dirty clothes on the carpet by her bed!
Sophia threw off the blanket, quickly got up, bundled up his clothes in disgust, opened the door, and threw them outside into the hallway before dusting off her hands and closing the door again, returning to the safety of her bed.
At least the stench of alcohol and perfume was gone. But she knew that since Capone was showering in her room, there was no escaping him messing with her afterward. So she gave up on pretending to sleep, turned on the bedside light, and sat up, half-reclined, waiting for him to finish.
Capone was quick, done in about fifteen minutes. He walked out with just a towel wrapped around his waist. His dark hair was messy and damp, giving him an untamed and wild look. He hadn't fully dried off, so droplets of water trailed down his well-defined muscles, and the white wolf tattoo on his chest looked lifelike.
He glanced around, realizing his clothes had disappeared.
"No need to look. I threw your clothes outside! They were dirty anyway, no point wearing them again!"
"Never thought the precious daughter of the Diaz family could be so 'domestic'! But you didn't prepare a robe for me, which means I have no clothes to wear. Looks like I'll just have to sleep here tonight! If that was your plan all along, you should've just said so!" Capone shot back sarcastically.
Sophia was so angry at his remark that she yelled in defense, "What 'domestic'?! You... I just couldn't stand the smell of alcohol and perfume. It was disgusting!"
Capone knelt on the other side of the bed, causing it to sink. He casually pulled off the towel around his waist and tossed it to the floor, then grabbed Sophia's face, forcing her to look at his body. "And now? Were you waiting for me?"
Sophia's face turned a deep shade of red. He was so close, close enough that the heat radiating off him surrounded her, carrying the scent of seaweed soap mixed with his natural masculine musk—an intoxicating combination.
His muscles were firm and perfectly sculpted, smooth and appealing. When he knelt, the muscles in his abdomen tightened, revealing six taut packs.
Below that, his engorged veins made his hardest part stand at a bold angle. The suggestive reddish-purple hue stood out in the small patch of dark hair, just inches away from touching her body.
Sophia tried to turn her head away, but he wouldn't let her. He tightened his grip on her chin, lifting it higher, and leaned down to kiss her.
He liked kissing her like this—from above, an act of dominance but also protection.
In his arms, she was soft, alluring—and safe.
Capone sucked on her lips, still soft like rose petals, though a little dry. He traced the line of her lips with his tongue repeatedly, tenderly. Her small tongue, trying to push him away in protest, was quickly caught up in his, intertwining in a sensual dance. He captured her tongue between his lips, sucking on it as if it were a delicate candy, savoring every moment as though he could melt it between his teeth.
His kiss became more passionate, and he began to lose control. His lips wandered down from her mouth, trailing over her chin and leaving soft kisses along her delicate neck.
"Stop…" she murmured, her breath uneven, her neck sensitive to his touch, causing her to instinctively try to pull away.
Capone's lips left a trail of burning kisses along her neck, as if a fire was spreading between their bodies, and he could almost hear the crackling of that flame. He paused just beneath her ear, burying his breath into the crook of her neck, his voice husky as he whispered, "The scent you smell, it's from being at ROYAL. I didn't do anything with them. They only poured the drinks."
Sophia froze. He was… explaining himself?
"Why… were you drinking at ROYAL? Weren't you supposed to meet Lucas?" she turned her head slightly, trying to meet his gaze, just as he raised his eyes to look at her.
His deep amber eyes seemed to glow, like the finest liquor, intoxicating and full of warmth. Combined with his heavy breathing and slightly parted lips, Sophia couldn't hold his gaze for long.
How could a single glance, a single breath from him, carry such an overwhelming sense of desire that left her both heated and ashamed?
Capone kissed the elegant curve between her jaw and neck, a swan-like arch of beauty, and asked, "Are you worried about me?"
"I am not!"
"You don't want me going to places like that because you're jealous?"
"I'm not!"
"You are, Sophy, you are!" His breathing grew ragged, his kisses more frenzied, as he bit down on her lips, sucking hard. "Say you care about me. Say you don't want to lose me. Say you've fallen in love with me!"
Sophia froze, her mind struck as if by lightning, rendering her speechless.
Love? Did she… love him?