In the early morning, Joey came to knock on the door. He was careful not to knock too hard, but Capone quickly got up upon hearing it. Sophia was still asleep.
He tucked her in; this girl was afraid of the cold and always burrowed into his arms at night.
"What's up?" he said, throwing on a shirt as he stepped outside. Joey was grinning, eyeing Capone's neck and chest.
Tsk tsk, this time it wasn't just bite marks; it was a hickey. The Diaz girl had learned to "plant strawberries" on the boss. It seemed like the boss was living well now—indeed, spring nights are short, and the emperor no longer rises early.
Joey intentionally peeked into the room, but Capone stopped him. "Don't wake her up!"
"Hey, boss, you're protecting her like this now! When you really get married, won't you just become a slave to your wife?"
"If you have too much free time, you can help me keep an eye on things in Taiwan. The business is just starting there!"
Joey immediately plastered on a smile. "Boss, I was wrong! I'm perfectly fine just hanging around the port, I don't want to go anywhere!"
Being stationed so far away, he might not see Zoey for a whole year.
"What's it really about?"
"Lucas is here. Today is the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nishiyama project. Should we…"
Capone raised his hand to interrupt him, signaling him not to act rashly.
"Have the compensation payments for the relocations reached each household?"
"Yeah, I heard they all received it—five thousand for each grave! They have no choice but to accept it. The townspeople moved the graves while you were missing at sea. It's settled now!"
Capone sneered. Wasn't Lucas's plan to lure the tiger away just for this?
"Since the money is here, let them go ahead with the groundbreaking. I want to see if Lucas's project stands for a hundred years and fills his pockets!"
"Boss, don't we really need to give him a taste of his own medicine?" Joey still wasn't satisfied. The boss's mother was buried on that mountain; would he really swallow this anger?
"Aren't you all the ones who advised me not to act impulsively a couple of days ago?"
Joey was at a loss for words. That was true, but everyone was afraid he would impulsively go down with Lucas, yet he seemed unusually calm—so calm that it made others uneasy.
"Have a few of the brothers prepare. I'm going to visit my mom's new grave!"
Capone dropped this line and returned to his room, shutting the door behind him. He walked back to the bed and found Sophia still asleep.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from sleep, and her eyelashes were long and dark. She seemed a bit cold, curled up like a perfectly cooked shrimp.
He thought she looked so cute and innocent that he couldn't help but take out his phone to snap a picture. He took a distant shot of her outline, still unsatisfied, and leaned in closer to capture a close-up of her delicate skin.
At that moment, Sophia turned over, her hand slipping out from under the blanket. Capone tucked her back in, but she let her hand fall out again. He felt a bit helpless but smiled fondly. Switching his phone to video mode, he aimed to record her sleeping.
Sophia woke up just then, bleary-eyed, and looked at Capone. Seeing him holding his phone, she didn't connect the dots that he was filming her.
"Is something wrong? I think I heard someone knocking... why are you up so early?" She rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"It's nothing. Why don't you sleep a little longer?" Capone ruffled her hair affectionately.
"I'm a bit cold. Now that you're up, I can't sleep in much longer. My feet and back are really cold!" Sophia felt a bit embarrassed; although it was the truth, it sounded like a form of teasing.
Capone smiled, kneeling on the bed and pressing down on her blanket. "Then why don't I come back up and keep you warm?"
"No need! I've had enough sleep; let's get up early! Hey, what are you filming… Ah, you can't film me! I'm still in bed, I haven't washed up, and my hair is a mess… hurry up and delete it!"
Sophia realized what was happening and expressed her displeasure dramatically. However, it came off more like a child's pout. Forgetting her disheveled state, she reached out to grab the phone from Capone, but he wouldn't let go, hiding it behind his back or holding it high out of reach, deliberately provoking her. Seeing her jumping around and losing her lady-like demeanor made him feel great. They began to wrestle on the bed, and finally, Sophia managed to pin Capone down, but she still hadn't gotten the phone. Frustrated, she began to tickle him, but to her surprise, he seemed completely unfazed. No matter where she poked, he didn't react, leaving her feeling defeated. "Why aren't you ticklish at all?"
"Not afraid of pain, yet afraid of being tickled?" Capone replied disdainfully.
"That's different… Ugh, just hand me the phone already and delete the video; it looks so bad!"
"I don't think it looks bad at all. What are you afraid of? But if you keep pressing down on me like this, I wouldn't mind doing some other morning exercises with you!"
Sophia quickly let go of him in exasperation. He rolled over and sat up, hugging her and kissing her. "Hurry and get dressed; I'm taking you somewhere!"
Sophia didn't expect Capone to bring her to his mother's new grave.
The newly renovated tombstone was even more grand and dignified than before, with the inscription "Beloved Mother, Laura" in the center, accompanied by a black-and-white photo from her youth. It looked ageless, as if time had stood still, and the deceased remained the youthful and vibrant figure in the photo.
Around the tombstone were several yellow and white flower arrangements. Joey and Mandy, along with the brothers, had come to pay their respects before; it seemed this was Capone's first visit.
"The brothers were afraid I'd be upset, so they tidied everything up before calling me to come. They must have been scared by my reaction when I first put up a tombstone for my mom!"
Sophia was curious. "What happened then?"
Capone shrugged lightly, a hint of disdain on his lips. "Did you think the old grave was very shabby? That's because I built it myself, without letting anyone help. I dug it out scoop by scoop with my hands. The stone was brought over by hired workers later, and I didn't even have an inscription. I was afraid I couldn't keep even this little resting place! Although this is just a symbolic grave!"
Sophia gasped, covering her lips in surprise. "How could that be? Your mother…"
"I didn't even see her one last time. By the time she came to me, all that was left was a handful of ashes. I don't know if she suffered or was peaceful when she died, but she was born by the sea, grew up there, married and had children. Although her life was short, she always loved the sea a bit more. She endured a lot in her life, and after her passing, she must have hoped for a bit of freedom. So, I scattered her ashes in the ocean. What's buried here is just her clothes and the mirror and comb she used. I kept everything intact, not letting anyone touch them!"
Hearing this, Sophia felt her eyes heat up. She hadn't seen Capone during that time, but she could imagine him alone, scattering his mother's ashes into the sea, then climbing Nishiyama with her belongings, using ten fingers to dig a grave for her. He must have been heartbroken, with every finger and his heart bleeding.
But there was no one to confide in.
"Capone… don't be sad. Your mother surely understands your filial piety; she must be very comforted by it in spirit!"
She slipped her small hand into his palm, trying to soothe him.
She shared the same concerns as Mandy and Joey, worried that he might act impulsively and go after Lucas over the grave relocation issue.
After all, Lucas's provocation was already quite blatant. The fact that Capone's mother was buried there was a way to strike hard at that rare soft spot in his heart. Lucas was determined to succeed with the Nishiyama project because of it.
"Do you also think I'm going to stir up trouble with Lucas, that it's either him or me?"
Sophia didn't deny it; it seemed she wasn't the only one thinking this way!
Capone smiled. "If that were the case, wouldn't I be playing right into Lucas's hands? And there are still moles lurking around us, waiting to see me lose control and act out in pain. They've probably been waiting a long time for a scene like that!"
Sophia nodded. "The most important thing is that I'm sure your mom wouldn't want to see you hurt or bleeding! There are ways to resolve grievances without resorting to violence, right?"
Capone turned to look at her. "Sometimes I think the way you talk really resembles my mom's!"
Sophia proudly lifted her chin. "Didn't you know? Girls tend to mature faster. Even though I'm younger than you, my mental age might be much older!"
"I don't think so!"