She had never been the kind of woman to take love lightly. When she truly liked someone, when she loved someone, of course, she would want to spend a lifetime with him, to be his wife, and to bear his children. But Capone had so decisively denied the possibility.
The bonds of love were not something she could claim for herself. So, what about him? What about their feelings? In the end, would they also be nothing more than an illusory dream?
She wiped away her tears, sniffled, and calmly said, "I understand. That... it's something meant for your future wife, I shouldn't have taken it! I just told Marvin that such a precious thing is best left in his care. For him, it's something he's guarded his whole life, something he can never part with! I can give the ring back to you if you want. A gift given without true willingness means nothing! Please, don't concern yourself with my childish and ridiculous thoughts anymore, and stop doing things that might make me misunderstand!"
She pushed him away and turned to leave, but he pulled her back, drawing her into his chest. "Sophia Diaz!"
"Let go of me!"
She broke free from him again, but Capone had lost his patience. Without saying another word, he pressed her against the wall made of stone bricks and kissed her deeply.
He knew that at moments like this, she wouldn't be able to speak, and it would be almost impossible for her to push him away.
The best way to make a woman stop talking, after all, was to kiss her.
Capone's kiss, as always, was domineering and forceful. His tongue pushed its way past her tightly sealed lips, invading her soft mouth and chasing her retreating tongue. Once he caught it, he immediately entangled it fiercely, refusing to release her no matter how heavy her breathing became, or even when she bit him in desperation.
The kiss grew deeper and deeper, leaving Sophia's lips tingling with pain from his relentless sucking. Her back was pressed against the solid wall, leaving her with no place to escape. Her hands, hanging at her sides, were now clasped tightly in his. She could feel the two rings they wore knocking against each other.
"Let... go of me," she mumbled in protest, but her breath was swallowed up by him. Her frail body was completely enveloped by his, and it felt like the oxygen in her lungs was being squeezed out.
Capone finally released her. Both of them were breathing heavily.
Capone lowered his gaze slightly, his breath ragged, like a fish out of water.
"Sophy, give me some time," he said clearly, each word spoken with great determination.
He couldn't give her any promises right now. The barrier between them had been carried over from the previous generation, something that couldn't simply be set aside.
He had never imagined what it would feel like to have someone take up residence in his heart. But after binding her to his side, she had quietly settled in there. It all happened so naturally that he couldn't resist it.
Everything she said, whether childish or righteous, stayed with him—something that would have been unthinkable for him in the past.
He didn't expect her to fully understand, but at the very least, he hoped she would give him some time.
During dinner, neither Sophia nor Capone spoke. The atmosphere was a bit tense, and everyone could tell that the two of them had had another disagreement.
As Sophia was reaching for food, Diana noticed the ring on her finger and exclaimed, "What a beautiful ring, Sophia! Did you buy it today?"
"Mm," Sophia responded vaguely, pulling her hand back a little.
"The design is quite unique—rose gold... I think I've seen a pair of rings like that at Marvin's before. Did you buy it from him? It must be a set, Capone, are you...?"
Everyone's eyes shifted to Capone's hand, and sure enough, there was a matching ring on his pinky finger.
Capone didn't answer and continued eating his spaghetti in silence.
When they heard the ring came from Marvin, both Mandy and Cronus exchanged glances, their expressions revealing that they knew the significance of Capone bringing a woman there to choose a gift. It was different.
Mandy seemed to lose his appetite. After finishing a bowl of soup, he set his spoon down. "Take your time eating, I'm going for a walk!" His legs had been recovering well, and with the help of a cane, he could move around on his own without any issues.
"Mandy, wait a minute!"
Sophia called out to him. Usually, she didn't finish eating spaghetti so quickly, but today she simply didn't want to stay at the same table as Capone.
She ran over to Mandy's side, pulling out a small dagger and handing it to him. "I want to sharpen the blade now. Could you help me with that?"
Mandy took the dagger. The soft leather sheath was still warm, carrying Sophia's body heat. His gaze softened unconsciously, and he glanced over at Capone, then nodded. "Sure, I'll give it back to you tomorrow."
"Mm."
Sophia quietly looked back at Capone, but he didn't react.
After dinner, Diana grabbed a medical kit and went into Capone's room to help him change his bandages. Barely two minutes later, she rushed out, quickly putting on her jacket and pulling Cronus along. "Cronus, could you give me a ride across the sea to the hospital? There's an urgent case, and they couldn't find anyone else for the scene. The chief asked me to go! It's a rare opportunity, please!"
Cronus stumbled as she dragged him along, surprised for the first time at how much strength she had.
"Do you even know what time it is? Aren't female forensic examiners not supposed to go to the scene? Why would your chief ask you? You're not even officially part of the team yet, just an intern!"
"Exactly! Normally, I can't go, which is why this is such a great chance! Come on, drive me there quickly, or we'll be too late!" Diana was tugging on Cronus with one hand and pulled Sophia over with the other. "Oh, Sophia, could you help Capone change his bandages? Cronus and I have to head out!"
Sophia froze, while Cronus narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, glaring at Diana. Was she really trying to create an opportunity for them by sending everyone else away?
Cronus, unable to argue any further, eventually followed Diana. Left with no other choice, Sophia went upstairs and stood at Capone's door.
Alright, if she was honest with herself, she was curious about how his wound was doing.
She felt a bit annoyed at herself for still being unable to stop caring about him at a time like this.
Capone was sitting on the sofa, his brows furrowed as he read a document. When he saw her come in, his expression softened slightly. He casually tossed the contract aside and seemed unsurprised that she had come to change his bandages. Without hesitation, he began taking off his shirt, revealing the bandaged wound, and waited for her to come closer.
"You don't need to take it all off. You'll catch a cold!" Sophia muttered as she draped the shirt over his shoulders.
Changing his bandages was nothing new. When she first arrived here, he had also been recovering from a gunshot wound—though it wasn't as severe as this one—and she had helped take care of him then too.
Back then, she was both afraid of and hated him, secretly wishing his injury would worsen so he'd spend sleepless nights in pain. But now, her feelings had completely changed. Even though she was still upset, she didn't want to see him suffering from his injuries.
Her hands moved gently as she disinfected and cleaned the wound, carefully applying the ointment. The wound still looked shocking—a large scar that she couldn't imagine healing anytime soon.
Maybe it would never fully heal, remaining a permanent reminder, rough and uneven, something that would stay with him for life.
"Why are you crying?"
He pulled her up and sat her on his lap, reaching out to wipe away her tears. It was only then that Sophia realized she had been crying.
"It's nothing," she said. She had just been thinking about how calm his expression had been when he was injured for her, and how, when they were alone, he couldn't hide his vulnerability.
"Does it hurt your heart?"
"Of course not!"
"Then what is it? Are you still upset about what happened earlier today?"
"I'm not that petty!" Though she said this, she couldn't deny that she was still hurt by what he had said earlier that day.
"I told you, give me some time." He rested his chin in the crook of her neck. She smelled so good—sweet, as always.
"This isn't about time! Can time make you let go of hatred? Can time change those silly and childish thoughts I have? Even if ten or twenty years go by, how much can we really change for each other? And if we can't change, does that mean we'll stop loving each other? I—"
"What did you just say? Say that again!" Capone interrupted, quickly catching the important words she had just spoken.
"I said time—"
"No, the last part!"
Sophia thought for a moment before responding, "I said, if we can't change, does that mean we stop loving each other?"
"You love me?"
Capone's voice was hoarse, his forehead pressed against hers, his breath so close, warm air brushing over her cheek. Sophia's face flushed bright red. "I... I didn't mean it that way..."
It was too late to deny it. Capone found her lips, gently brushing against them before capturing them fully in a familiar, lingering kiss.
His kiss was intense, filled with a burning heat that swept through her. Sophia sat on his lap, held tightly in his embrace. She had no way to escape, and her body gradually yielded, sinking deeper into his hold as she lay half-reclined in his arms, passively accepting his kiss.
The shirt draped over his shoulders soon fell to the ground, and the heat between their lips continued to rise.
Capone lifted her in his arms, taking slow steps toward the bed. Only when he laid her down on the soft mattress, the very bed where they had been entangled countless times, did he finally relax, letting out a long sigh. He released her lips, his mouth moving instead to tease her earlobe.
"Don't... don't do this, Capone... Let me get up first! Your wound isn't healed yet!" Sophia's breath was uneven. Everywhere his lips touched felt like it was set ablaze, the heat slowly spreading to her heart.
But Capone paid no mind to her protests. His fingers were already deftly undoing her clothes, even freeing one of her soft breasts, which he began to knead as he firmly said, "The wound doesn't matter anymore."
She couldn't keep using his injury as an excuse. Since returning, he hadn't truly had her, and he'd been holding back for too long.
Especially after hearing her speak about love earlier, feelings he once would have scoffed at now made him realize what it truly meant to have mutual desire.
And the kind of love where both hearts longed for each other—he was eager to experience it.
The temperature in the room wasn't too warm, so Capone didn't rush to remove her clothes. He simply left them open, the layers of fabric framing her fair skin, making her curves stand out even more.
Her beautiful, full chest was lifted by her bra, forming a lovely curve. It was a front-clasp bra, and Capone's fingers quickly pressed the clasp, snapping it open with a pop. The soft padding was pushed aside, revealing her tender breasts, which fell into his hands. He gently massaged them, then traced their original shape, his touch slow and sensual, savoring the softness and warmth. His fingers circled around her pink nipples until they hardened, turning red and firm. Only then did he lower his lips, taking one into his mouth, gently biting and slowly licking.