Capone finally stopped curling up from the cold, his body and restless mind gradually calming down.
The wind and waves seemed to have gotten stronger again. Sophia felt nauseous from the swaying and could only hold him tighter. The two of them truly had to rely on each other, with neither able to leave the other.
In the middle of the night, Capone woke up once, seemingly from the pain in his wounds, because Sophia heard his faint groans.
When he was awake, he would never make a sound because of the pain; that was the result of his suppression and endurance. Now, in this state, he was more fragile and lost than ever before.
"Does it hurt a lot? It's okay, I'll change your bandages tomorrow, and it won't hurt so much! Someone will come to rescue us soon, don't be afraid!"
She couldn't see Capone's expression in the darkness, but the wind blew the blanket up, and by the moonlight, she saw that he seemed to be smiling, albeit weakly.
"It doesn't matter if no one comes to rescue us. Just the two of us is actually kind of nice!" He hadn't had the chance to tell her how much he wished they could live on a deserted island forever—just him and her, with no past, no grudges, forgetting what was behind them and only looking to the future.
He held her tighter in his arms. He had no strength, but he could feel her hugging him even more tightly.
"Don't leave, stay with me!"
At last, he had said it. His deepest desire was nothing more than this.
He wanted a child that belonged to the two of them, and that was simply a part of this wish.
Would she understand?
"I'm not going anywhere! Stop overthinking, just sleep peacefully. Everything will be fine!"
"Okay."
He was like a child, nestled in her arms, his head resting on her shoulder. All his murmured dreams were just pleas for her to stay.
Sophia's tears fell onto his face, and her heart felt both sour and sweet—an indescribable feeling.
They held each other like that and drifted into a deep sleep. It wasn't until the next morning, when the sunlight pierced through the clouds and into the cabin, that Sophia woke up and realized they had already weathered the storm.
Thinking back, it still gave her a sense of fear. With such violent winds and waves, this small boat could have capsized at any moment. She and he could have been swallowed by the sea in their sleep.
Capone had said that Lucas's intention wasn't to kill them, but from the looks of it, this plan was not only meant to take their lives but also to make them suffer fear and pain before death.
Capone's fever still hadn't subsided, but he was doing a bit better than he had at his worst the day before.
Sophia unwrapped the gauze on his wound and discovered that the infection was more severe than she had imagined. She flushed it again with strong alcohol, and the sharp pain made Capone's body tense up, bringing him back to partial consciousness.
"Sophy…" Whenever he was able to speak, the word he said the most was her name.
"It's alright, I've changed your dressing! You're so strong, you'll get through this soon, don't be afraid!" He held her hand, and she noticed the bite marks on his hand, which she had left when they were escaping from the salt flats. With a pang of guilt, she apologized, "I'm sorry for biting you!"
Capone shook his head, wanting to say something—to tell her that this little bite was nothing compared to gunshot wounds or other injuries.
But his mind was either a chaotic blur or completely blank. He was afraid that if he spoke, he might say something wrong and hurt her feelings again. So, he just held her hand in silence until he drifted back to sleep.
The experience of drifting at sea was far from romantic, but luckily, before things got worse, the rescue team arrived and took them off the boat.
Capone was still tightly holding onto Sophia's hand when Joey and the others boarded to rescue them. They had to wake him up to get him to release her.
"Boss, it's okay now. You're injured, and this girl isn't feeling well either. You need to let go, everything's fine now."
Capone finally released Sophia's hand and only said one thing: "Let me sleep, and then I'll go with your brother and the others."
His consciousness once again slipped into confusion and darkness.
Diana also came to help with the rescue. As Sophia watched the medical team surround Capone, she suddenly burst into tears and clung to Diana, sobbing.
"Diana, will he be alright? He's been shot, I took out the bullet, but the wound got infected… he has a fever, and he's in so much pain! Will he be okay, will he…"
Diana gently patted her back to comfort her, "It's alright, it's just an infection. Once we get him to the hospital and start antibiotics, he'll be fine. Don't worry!"
She actually wanted to smile. These two had been through so much, and now they could finally be honest with themselves about their feelings.
Even their concern for each other was so unguardedly displayed in front of others.
A blessing in disguise, perhaps.
Sophia underwent a physical checkup as well, and aside from mild dehydration, she was fine.
She and Capone hadn't known how long they would be drifting at sea, so they both refrained from drinking too much water, fearing they would run out.
Capone's situation was more serious, primarily due to the gunshot wound, but he had stabilized, and his fever had subsided.
"Can I go see him?" Sophia looked eagerly at Diana and Cronus.
"Not yet," Cronus replied. "Wait until he's discharged. We're in a critical period again, and who knows when Lucas might strike. He's figured out that you're the boss's weak spot, and he'll likely use that against him. The safest thing for you to do is stay here and not go anywhere!"
Sophia felt a bit disappointed, but she knew Cronus had a point.
"What about my brother? They didn't hear from me—did they say anything?"
Cronus looked a bit exasperated. "What could they say? Even if we explained, they wouldn't believe us. They probably think the boss is playing games again, intentionally making you disappear. But these past few days, we've been busy searching for you, and they've probably heard about it. Instead of pressing us, they actually sent people to help and tried different ways to find you! The only pity is…"
"What's the pity?"
"Nothing," Cronus quickly backtracked. "You've just been rescued and aren't feeling well. Get some rest first. Mandy and Joey are handling the other matters, no worries there! But as for Capone, he's just been injured, so try to persuade him to take things slow and not rush into anything."
Before Cronus could say more, Diana cut him off. Sophia realized something must have happened during the days they were missing. Diana clearly wanted her to convince Capone not to act impulsively.
But what exactly had happened?
Tomorrow was New Year's. Sophia had originally thought she would be home, reunited with her family. After Lucas's incident, she imagined she and Capone would watch the first light of the new year from the sea together.
But now Capone was still in the hospital. Cronus and Mandy had gone there too, and she heard that Capone had regained consciousness and was much better. There must be a lot of things for them to discuss and resolve with him now.
Lucy and Diana joined her for dinner, sharing a plate of spaghetti, but nothing could fill the emptiness in Sophia's heart.
If only… she could see him now.
It had only been a day apart, yet her longing felt as though an eternity had passed.
There were a few sparklers left from the fireworks Diana bought on Christmas Eve, so Sophia grabbed some and stood in the yard, playing with them.
Down by the harbor, fireworks lit up the sky as part of the annual New Year's celebration, bursting across the horizon in a riot of colors. Each explosion of light was like a jewel set against the black velvet of the night, dazzling in its brilliance.
The sparks in her hand crackled and fizzled, but Sophia still felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The hole in her heart seemed to be one that only one person could fill.
She was bundled up warmly this time. On Christmas Eve, she'd had too much to drink and stood outside in the cold with only thin layers, and Capone had scolded her for it. Now she remembered to dress properly, not wanting to make him worry.
But what if… she got sick? Then she could go to the hospital and be with him.
She gazed out at the flickering lights in the distance. Capone's injuries were serious, and with the island's limited medical resources, he'd been transferred to the best hospital in the harbor district. Crossing the sea to visit him seemed almost impossible.
She kept replaying his words in her mind, reminding her to wait for him to get better before going home. She cursed him inwardly, calling him a fool—a fool who didn't trust anyone.
Did he think he knew her that well? Did he really believe she would abandon him, leave him to his fate, and go home without him?
To be honest, thoughts of going home barely crossed her mind compared to her constant worry about his injuries.
The sound of a car engine rumbled from the front courtyard, followed by voices in the living room. Sophia knew it was Mandy and Cronus returning, but she couldn't summon the courage to ask about Capone. She feared that if she asked, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from begging them to take her to the hospital to see him.
They'll chat for a bit and then leave, she thought. Sophia lit another sparkler, deciding to finish them off before going to bed. By then, Mandy and the others should be gone.
As Sophia held the last sparkler, watching it burn out, the fireworks on the sea had mostly ended. She clapped her hands, brushing off the ash, and stood up, ready to head inside—only to see someone standing beneath the porch light.
A figure in a thick, light gray jacket and jeans stood there, hands casually tucked into his pockets. Half of his face was illuminated by the light, while the other half remained in shadow, his head slightly tilted as he looked at her.
Sophia blinked, thinking she must be seeing things. She stepped closer to get a better look, and as she moved, the figure stepped out from under the porch. The moonlight revealed his face—strong, defined features, and eyes soft with the same smile he'd had when they were on the boat.
Sophia's feet froze, as if she didn't dare take another step. But he walked toward her, his pace quickening, and soon his tall frame engulfed her as he pulled her into his arms.
Only then did she believe it—Capone was really here.