Chapter 54- he wasn't Capone
When Sophia woke up the next morning, Capone was already gone. The mess on the floor had been tidied up, and the large suitcase had vanished, indicating he must have left early in the morning.
The passionate and intense encounter from last night seemed as if it had never happened, but Sophia knew it was real. Even at this moment, she could still recall the overwhelming sensation that made her bones feel like they were melting, and just thinking about it made her face flush with heat.
She wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and pulled it up over her head, curling up like a silkworm and letting out a loud scream, as if only by doing so could she vent her feelings of depression after being mistreated.
With Capone gone, time seemed to slow down. Despite him having sent extra personnel, they mostly avoided direct contact with her. Within the villa and garden, she was relatively free and didn't have to worry about being subjected to unreasonable demands or being mistreated to the point of being bedridden the next day.
Diana and Cronus had to go across the sea for work, and since Capone was absent, they also didn't dare take her out. In case of any mishap, no one could afford Capone's wrath.
With nothing to do, Sophia felt a faint sense of loss. In the past, by dusk, she would have been somewhat worried, wondering if Capone would return that day, whether he would be in a good or bad mood, if he would make any excessive demands, or if he would simply hold her through the night until dawn. Now, those worries were gone, and the transition between day and night seemed to lose its significance.
She had to stand in the kitchen baking cookies and cakes. She had bought extra materials last time, so she could bake several varieties and have Cronus take them to the hospital for the children.
The aroma of butter and cream wafted through the air. A young, sturdy man peeked through the door. Sophia recognized him as Lynn, one of Joey's subordinates who had been sent to drive them around before. Recently, he had been stationed near the villa, so he was somewhat familiar with Sophia.
"Is there something you need?" Sophia thought the smell of her freshly baked cakes might have made him hungry, so she quickly handed him a plate of cookies fresh out of the oven, saying, "They're just out of the oven. Would you like some?"
Lynn scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, and took a few cookies. "Actually... Mandy's in a bad mood and wants to drink. We're out of alcohol next door, and I can't find any anywhere. Joey told me to come over here and get some. He said... well, since the boss isn't around these days, no one's drinking his alcohol. Just take some now, and I'll replace it later!"
Sophia looked puzzled. "Isn't Mandy not supposed to drink? The doctor said she shouldn't drink before, and now during rehab, she definitely shouldn't drink. What if she falls and gets hurt after drinking? Wouldn't that just worsen her condition?"
"I don't really understand either. Joey used to stop her from drinking, but for some reason, these past couple of days, maybe Mandy has influenced him or something. He looks really upset and impatient. Mandy says she wants to drink, so he told me to come get it!"
Lynn didn't actually dislike Sophia. Although Capone never explicitly stated her background or role, everyone in their circle knew she was Capone's woman and someone not to be trifled with. She was down-to-earth, friendly, and quite attractive, so it was hard to dislike her. Who knows, maybe one day she would become Capone's wife, and that would make her the boss's wife. They would be too shy to just barge in while she was around.
Sophia furrowed her brow. It seemed the rehab wasn't going well, which was causing Mandy's severe frustration and affecting Joey.
"Oh, I understand. But there's not much alcohol left here. There's some beer in the small fridge upstairs, but most of it is in the basement. How about I ask Lucy to get it for you?"
"Why is it taking so long to get some alcohol? Just grab it and go!"
Joey, probably impatient from waiting, came running from next door. He was casually wearing a pair of slippers, a loose down jacket, and only a checkered casual shirt underneath, paired with thick jeans. The sea breeze had messed up his hair, and he stared at Sophia with an impatient look.
"What, is this woman not letting you in or not letting you take the alcohol? Getting all high and mighty just because the boss isn't around?" Joey sneered.
"Joey, it's not... The sister-in-law just asked a couple of questions!" Lynn defended.
Joey kicked at Lynn's leg, saying, "Who told you to call her sister-in-law? She's just a toy for the boss to pass the time. Once he's bored, he'll just return her. She's really getting a bit full of herself!"
Lynn winced. They usually referred to her that way in private, and he had let it slip out by accident.
Sophia's lips tightened, but she remained defiant, lifting her chin and saying, "I don't care for the title of sister-in-law! Not at all!"
"Alright, fine. Move aside, I'll get the alcohol!" Joey snorted, quickly finding the alcohol from the cabinet and fridge. He and Lynn each carried a load of bottles and headed outside.
"Wait!"
Sophia stopped them, ignoring Joey's murderous glare. "Mandy can't drink due to him injury. Do the therapists know about this? Does Dr. Cronus know?"
Joey gritted his teeth, "You think you're something now, bringing Cronus into this while the boss isn't around! Of course, I know she can't drink, but you should see what's going on! Everyone gets frustrated. Women go shopping to vent, and men either smoke or drink. What do you want me to do? I can't stand it!"
Mandy's condition was indeed not good. When Sophia followed Joey to the next room to check on him, the living room was a mess. The tablecloth had been ripped onto the floor, a vase had toppled over, and pieces of the broken porcelain were scattered everywhere. The water from the flower vase was spilled all over the floor, and the flower branches were in disarray.
Lynn quietly told her that it wasn't Mandy who caused the mess. It had happened accidentally while practicing walking, leading to the disorder. Mandy, feeling frustrated and useless, had retreated to his room alone.
Sophia knocked and entered. Mandy was sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to the door. Sophia noticed she often saw his back.
"Give me the alcohol, and remember to close the door when you leave!"
Mandy, thinking it was the subordinate sent to fetch the alcohol returning, didn't turn around. After a while, when he heard no movement, he looked back and saw Sophia standing there. His eyes brightened momentarily but quickly dimmed again.
"What are you doing here?"
"I brought some snacks to go with the alcohol. Today's cookies are slightly salty. Why don't you try them? Oh, I left them in the living room. Shall we go out and get them together?"
"No need, I don't want to eat!" Mandy coldly refused.
"Then what about the alcohol? You're not going to drink it either?"
Mandy, somewhat impatient, turned and walked out, using his cane for support.
The alcohol was put away in the liquor cabinet by Joey and the others, leaving only two cans of beer on the dining table. Mandy reached for them, but Sophia snatched them away.
"What are you doing?" Mandy's voice held a trace of anger.
"It's pointless to drink it just like this. Why don't you finish today's rehab exercises first? These are all yours. If there's not enough, I'll personally get you a bottle of plum wine!" Sophia insisted.
"It's none of your business whether I do the exercises or not. Get out!" Mandy said, wanting to ignore Sophia and walk away. Sophia chased after him and grabbed his arm. "Are you just giving up like this? Of course, it won't go smoothly at first. Just hang in there a little longer! A few days ago, you had to rely on a wheelchair, and now you can walk with a cane. You can still recover! Give yourself some time—one month, half a month, a week? Just one week, okay? If you still don't see results after a week of practice, then you can talk about giving up. Even a little progress is the result of your effort. What's more important than health, dignity, or pride?"
Sophia wasn't sure why she set a one-week limit. Subconsciously, it seemed like she was using Capone's one-week absence as a buffer, hoping that something would happen by the time he returned. It was a short yet long period of time—why couldn't there be a glimmer of hope?
Mandy paused and looked back at her. She was still holding the two cans of beer, her small hands reddened by the cold. Her face showed both urgency and confusion, her wide eyes and the middle parting of her hair framing her pale face, making it look even more delicate and pitiful.
He knew she was genuinely concerned, and even though he knew he didn't deserve her concern, he still found it hard to resist, as the internal struggle was undeniable.
He suddenly understood why Capone couldn't refuse her, but unfortunately, he wasn't Capone.