Almost simultaneously, with only a 0.1-second difference, Lucas also pointed a Desert Eagle at Capone.
"Why don't we see whose gun is faster, or place a bet to see whether you or I die first, or maybe that girl named Diaz in the cabin?" Lucas taunted.
Capone's finger tightened and then relaxed on the trigger. He said slowly, enunciating each word, "Lucas, let her go!"
The two men stood facing each other, guns raised, neither willing to back down. The tension was palpable, ready to explode, until a muffled cry for help came from the cabin. It sounded like Sophia, her mouth gagged, as if it had been briefly uncovered just long enough for those outside to hear her desperate plea before being silenced again.
Capone was the first to lower his gun. "What do you want?"
Lucas also put his gun away and gestured for him to enter the cabin. "I'm just giving you the chance to play the hero and save the damsel in distress. You wouldn't want her going home, would you? I'm merely helping you out! Why don't we talk inside?"
Capone narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't hesitate and walked straight in.
Sophia sat in the corner of the cabin on a wooden chair. One of her hands was cuffed to the armrest, her feet bound to the legs of the chair. Her hair was disheveled, and a strip of tape covered her mouth. Her small, pale face was now dominated by a pair of bright, anxious eyes. Upon seeing him, she tried to communicate something desperately, but all that came out were muffled groans.
Capone's heart clenched, but he maintained a stoic expression and looked at Lucas. "What do you want?"
Lucas slowly walked towards Sophia. Each step seemed to tread on Capone's nerves, his muscles taut, ready to raise his gun at any moment. But in this situation, firing recklessly would likely hurt Sophia, and his primary concern was her safety.
Lucas stopped beside Sophia, peeled off the tape from her mouth, released one of her hands, and pulled out a gun from his side. He loaded it, handed it to Sophia, and said, "Kill him, and you'll be free."
What?!
Sophia couldn't even process what he was saying. Her attention had been solely focused on Capone. When she looked at him now, he simply raised his eyebrows, showing no sign of surprise.
But Sophia was terrified.
"W-what do you mean?" she stammered, looking at Lucas.
"What do I mean?" Lucas chuckled lightly. "Capone kidnapped you, took your innocence, used you to gain leverage, and once his goal was achieved, he discarded you like trash, sending you back to your family without a word. Since then, you've had to face the scorn and ridicule of the world alone. Don't you hate him? Have you never thought of killing him to avenge your humiliation? Well, I'm giving you the chance now. Raise the gun in your hand, shoot him, and I'll let you go. When the authorities come asking, just say he kidnapped and raped you, and that you killed him in self-defense while trying to escape. You won't face any legal consequences!"
Sophia's teeth chattered as she stared at Capone. He only gazed back at her, his dark eyes still gleaming like translucent black crystals, but she couldn't read his emotions.
It was true; she had thought about killing him more than once—stabbing him with a kitchen knife or stealing his gun and shooting him in the head! But she never had the chance, nor the courage, because if she did that, her hands would be just as blood-stained as his and Lucas's. She'd become just like them.
Today, he had finally agreed to let her go. Her brothers had already sent people to bring her home for a long-awaited reunion. Yet, at this critical moment, Lucas seized the opportunity, handing her the weapon of murder!
It wasn't that she didn't hate him anymore. She had only been trying to forget, hoping that by forgetting, she could leave behind the pain of these past days—without staining her hands with blood!
"What's wrong, afraid? Don't worry, it's simple. Just aim at his heart and pull the trigger. Of course, if you're unwilling, or maybe you can't bear to do it, that's fine too. In that case, Capone can shoot you instead. One of you has to die today for the other to leave. Everyone on this ship is mine. There's no chance for either of you to escape," Lucas added, a gleam of cruel amusement lighting up his face. "Miss Sophia, don't doubt it. He and I were trained the same way since childhood. He knows perfectly well that if there's only one chance to escape, even if it means killing a comrade, he'll take that chance for himself!"
"No..." Sophia shook her head, unwilling to believe in such cruelty.
"Lucas, why did you become like this?" Capone's voice was heavy. "You betrayed us, so why are you still seeking such extreme revenge? Your parents' deaths have already been avenged..."
"Shut up! You have no right to mention my family!" Lucas snapped, his voice filled with fury as his eyes frosted over with cold anger. "I suffered so much since I was a child, waited for over a decade just to exact revenge! But your despicable father only ever saw me as a machine, a slave—to make money for him, to fight for him. He never intended to avenge my family! I joined the Donkin family to get my revenge, and while that old debt was settled, you so-called brothers killed Clare to punish me for betraying you! Why… who can I ask why?"
Lucas's eyes were bloodshot, his hand trembling slightly as he nearly crushed Sophia's hand in his grip.
Capone frowned, "I've told you before,Clare's death wasn't our doing! If it were me, I would admit it. I wouldn't hide like a coward waiting for you to come after me!"
"Of course, you'd deny it now, with no evidence left! That type of bullet is rare, but it was often used by Old Seventh, Yan Dong, with his sniper rifle! You may claim you didn't pull the trigger yourself, but can you guarantee your other brothers and men didn't do it?"
Capone was silent, unable to refute. The grudges of the past were too tangled to easily unravel, and he had no evidence to clear his name.
"You know the kind of people we are. You know we wouldn't go after the people around you, even if you joined the Donkin family. AndClare, we knew her too. We wouldn't have taken her life just because she was your woman! In any case, this has nothing to do with Sophia Diaz. Let her go, and we'll settle our grudge between us."
Lucas sneered. "Let her go? I've finally got a hold of something you care about, just to see your expression when you lose her or your life! You want me to let her go? Dream on!"
"I don't care about her! She's just a toy, a woman I took to warm my bed. When I'm tired of her, I'll send her back! Do you really think I'd let go of something I truly care about? Hurting her will gain you nothing. Making the Diaz family your enemy will only make things worse for you."
Sophia's body stiffened as Lucas felt her tense, tightening her grip on the gun. He leaned down, whispering in her ear, "What's the matter, heartbroken? This man has no heart, no love. Don't expect him to care about you. So, kill him—now's your chance!"
Sweat began to pool in Sophia's palms, making it nearly impossible for her to keep a firm grip on the gun. She felt as though she was holding not a gun, but an icy block of cold steel. Whether it was from her wrist being cuffed or from sheer terror, she found herself unable to summon the strength to lift her arm.
"Go ahead, Capone," Lucas urged. "You can make your choice too. Kill this girl, and I'll let you go. The debt of one life will be paid, and from now on, we'll only compete in the business world. What do you say?"
Capone glanced at Lucas, then threw his gun to the ground. "Lucas, you have to keep your word."
If Sophia shot at him, Lucas had to let her go.
Lucas burst into mocking laughter, filled with sarcasm. "Well, well, well, who would've thought? The mighty Capone, willing to sacrifice himself for a woman! Alright, I'll keep my word!"
Standing behind Sophia, Lucas gripped her hand and forcibly raised her arm, aligning the gun's barrel with Capone. Before she could react, he pressed her finger against the trigger.
With a deafening bang, Sophia felt her eardrums nearly burst and screamed, clamping her eyes shut.
Her entire body shook as if her blood had reversed its flow. The echo faded, leaving her angry and terrified. She dared not open her eyes, not until she heard a faint groan from Capone.
The bullet had pierced his shoulder, embedding itself deep within his flesh and bone. Blood immediately flowed, soaking through his clothes.
"Capone..."
Sophia was stunned, staring at the blood as if her soul had left her body. She wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth, all she could do was whisper his name, trembling. Despite the wound, Capone didn't fall. He stood there, gazing at her, his expression still calm and unshaken.
Sophia snapped out of her shock and immediately began to struggle, using her elbow to strike at Lucas behind her.
"I don't want to kill him! I won't do it!" she screamed, desperately thrashing. "Let me go, you bastard! I won't kill him! I won't!"
The difference in strength was too great. Sophia couldn't even make Lucas budge. During her struggle, the gun fired again, causing her to freeze in terror. Lucas warned, "Careful, keep struggling and the gun might go off again."
Fortunately, Capone had dodged the second shot. Finally, he drew another gun from the inside of his boot and aimed it directly at them.
Lucas smirked, clearly pleased. "See? I told you—everyone looks out for themselves. There's no fun in me pulling the trigger myself; it's much more interesting to let you all finish each other off."
He handed the gun back to Sophia, pulling another pistol from his belt and aiming it at Capone as he slowly backed away, cautious of any sudden moves.
Both of them were indeed trained the same way, always carrying two guns just in case.
"I'll leave this space for you. Kill each other, and you'll be free to go. No other options."
Lucas descended the staircase behind them, leading to the lower deck, which was separated from the room by only a thin layer of flooring. Once he was down, he sealed the trapdoor at the top of the stairs, cutting off any exit from the cabin.