Capone affectionately held her close and half-squatted in front of the tombstone, saying, "I brought you here today so my mom could see you. If she were still alive, she would surely like you. She was famous for her skillful hands; she excelled at knitting sweaters and cooking, and even learned some craft skills from Marvin to make little accessories.
Later, when she married my dad and moved to America for a while, she learned to make Western dishes and bake cakes. Everything I wore and ate was arranged by my mom herself. Even for the other brothers, only my mom truly understood and cared for us. The cakes and breads she made were delicious, especially the pies she baked for holidays. I still remember that taste."
Sophia nestled against him.
"What happened later?"
"My dad wasn't someone who knew how to cherish things. He only believed in indulgence and violence, with ever-expanding ambitions, and there were many women outside our home. My brothers and I spent years struggling alongside him, training and completing tasks, rarely able to stay by my mom's side, so she was very lonely. I hoped to gain power quickly so that my mom could be with me, making life a bit more bearable. When our dark business grew large enough, I wanted to go legit. But when my dad tried to retire, he was ambushed by enemies in the Golden Triangle. My mom went to see him, and it just so happened that she was in Yunnan at that time. She was foolish enough to help him take the blame…"
Capone's emotions were a bit intense, and Sophia felt a jolt in her heart.
Her instincts told her this matter might be related to her father, as it was a major case in the Golden Triangle that had brought her dad fame and a smooth path in his career.
"Capone…"
"My mom took all the blame. A woman as smart as she was couldn't possibly not know what kind of business my dad was in. She couldn't stand the violence and was afraid I would follow my dad's old path, thinking going legit was the right way. I was still young, and the business couldn't do without my dad, so if someone had to sacrifice, it had to be her. My dad even agreed… He went to see my mom once and came back saying she was a fool, that she did it willingly! The police put in so much effort to wrap things up; they couldn't possibly come up empty-handed. Without new evidence, they surprisingly accepted my mom's confession! Do you know… who the prosecutor in charge of the case was?"
Capone's eyes filled with more hate and pain, his expression reminiscent of a wounded lone wolf licking its wounds. Sophia didn't need to think hard about the answer, but she didn't know how to express it or argue otherwise.
She believed her father must have had his reasons for what he did at the time; she was just a little girl then and didn't understand anything. While she felt heartbroken for Capone now, she couldn't judge solely from his perspective—it would be too unfair to her dad.
"Now you understand where my grudge against your Diaz family lies, right? Your dad was after power, while my dad was fighting for survival. They colluded to make this agreement, sacrificing my mom, causing her to spend so many years in unjust imprisonment, ultimately dying in prison, her ashes handed to me! Who should I hate? Should I hate everyone? Did these self-righteous people ever consider my feelings?"
Every word from Capone hit Sophia like a blow. She grabbed his arm. "Capone, don't say that! Everyone has their own stance and thoughts. We were all young then, and we couldn't change anything! Moreover, although your mom left you, she felt that what she did was best for you. Now that you're continuing to develop a legitimate business and live well, everything she did was worth it!"
"What do you know?" Capone waved her hand away, his anger intensifying the reproach in his tone. "Have you ever experienced the feeling of being abandoned by your parents? The two people in this world who should have loved you selflessly left you all alone to fend for yourself, even with blood on your hands! Your father's high official position was earned by stepping on countless people like my mother. Doesn't he feel guilty enjoying it all?"
"I won't allow you to say that about my dad! He has never intentionally harmed anyone; he just acts according to principles and evidence. You can't slander him like this!"
Capone sneered, "Just as I thought, you're the daughter of the Diaz family, all talk of false righteousness!"
"You!" Sophia was furious; how could he belittle her like this?
"I was wondering why I couldn't invite Capone to the groundbreaking ceremony of my project today; it turns out you're taking Miss Sophia out for a stroll in this nice weather!"
Lucas's voice unexpectedly came from behind, interrupting their conversation.
Capone narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Lucas walked over, holding a bouquet of yellow daisies.
"Of course, I came to pay my respects to Aunt Laura!"
Capone's subordinates nearby were about to surround them, but he raised his hand to signal them to step back.
"I'm the only son my mom has; I'm still alive, so I don't need anyone else to pay respects for me!"
Lucas was blocked by Capone's figure in front of the tomb; their heights were similar, and their aggressive demeanor matched as well.
Sophia noticed that Lucas was the one among the brothers who resembled Capone the most.
"I truly came to see Aunt Laura. The person I'm targeting is you, never her! If she were still alive and knew what you've done, she'd probably slap you to teach you a lesson for mistreating women!" Lucas said, his usual ruthless and watchful expression replaced by a calm demeanor.
"I told you, I didn't do anything to Clare!"
"What about her?" Lucas nodded toward Sophia. "Was it you who messed with the young lady from the Diaz family? Should I list everything for your mom to hear, so she can see if you've avenged her?"
Sophia didn't want to admit it; his words struck her deeply. Relating it to her earlier conversation with Capone, it felt like a pain that reached to the bone.
Capone froze for a moment as Lucas took the opportunity to slip past him and place the flowers in front of the tombstone, his face full of reverence and respect, as if the one buried here were his own flesh and blood.
It wasn't hard to remember the past; sometimes, all it took was a cold stone slab to evoke the warmest memories of yesteryears.
Having witnessed his parents' brutal deaths and being uprooted from home, it wasn't until Henry brought him back that he had someone like Laura to care for him and cherish him, finally able to have enough to eat and wear. Lucas would never forget this in his life.
Unfortunately, she was dead, and Clare was dead too. The last emotional ties he had with this world seemed to have been severed completely.
As Lucas squatted there, he couldn't help but think: if only Laura hadn't taken the blame for her husband, hadn't gone and never returned, would their fates have been different? Even Sophia Diaz's fate beside him might have changed.
"Stop your hypocritical act and get the hell away from here!" Capone coldly dismissed him. "If you really appreciated my mom's care for you back then, you wouldn't be causing such a ruckus to move her grave even after her death, not allowing her a moment of peace!"
Lucas stood up, brushing off the dirt from his hands, not denying Capone's accusation. "You should know that I'm targeting you, your entire IDGM Capital! Don't think that just because you have the Diaz family's card in your hand, it guarantees their cooperation! The Diaz family hates you to the core; there's no way they would sincerely work with you. They certainly won't entertain the idea of a marriage alliance, marrying their daughter to someone who comes from a criminal background. This is the principle of not crossing paths with those who have different beliefs!"
Capone raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, scared? That's right; if I unite with the Diaz family, you'll be completely outmatched. It's normal to be afraid."
Lucas fell silent, his gaze shifting to Sophia Diaz beside him. Capone instinctively stepped in front of her, saying, "If you dare to harm even a single hair on her head, I guarantee you won't sit in the boss's position of the Donkin family. Go ahead and try!"
Lucas didn't say anything further but left with an expression that seemed to say, "We'll see about that."
Capone knew this was just the beginning; there would be tougher battles ahead.
Sophia sat on the bed, playing with the ring on her finger. It sparkled brightly, and the patterns became more beautiful the longer she looked at them. It was indeed the kind of ring one would hesitate to take off once worn.
Most importantly, it held deep meaning; the person who gave her the ring had unknowingly captured her heart.
She wanted to enter his heart, but the journey was unusually difficult. The walls he had built inside were too high and too hard. If she tried to break through, it hurt her, and it hurt him even more.
The conversation they had in front of his mother's tombstone today showed that Capone was trying his best to help her understand him. However, the memories and conflicts were tearing him apart, making it inevitable that he also hurt her.
Hearing some noise outside the door, Sophia quickly pulled the blanket over herself and lay down, pretending to be asleep. She didn't know what to say to Capone when he faced her at this moment.
Capone had just finished showering, his hair still wet, and he wore a bathrobe loosely draped over him, exuding a fresh and pleasant scent.
When he came out of the bathroom and didn't see Sophia, he realized she was sleeping in the downstairs room and understood she was still angry.
Holding a dry towel, he wanted her to help him dry his hair. Seeing her curled up under the blanket, he knew she was pretending to be asleep.
"Hey, wake up! Get up and help me dry my hair!"
Sophia didn't respond, ignoring his shaking and gentle taps. Capone became even more certain that she was just pretending to sleep.