Capone irritably waved her off, unsure of how to talk to her. After all, the Diaz family, which had been cautious and even showing signs of reconciliation, suddenly adopted a hostile stance, positioning themselves against him in an effort to oust him from the IDGM board.
He guessed that something must have happened in the meantime, or perhaps Sophia Diaz had provided them with some information that made them lose their inhibitions or misunderstand something!
He grabbed Sophia's arm and said, "Just tell me honestly, what person did you see before you fainted on the rooftop that day? Did you run into someone sent by your brother? Was Zoey taken by them too? You weren't just left on the rooftop; you were pretending to show me something, weren't you?"
"No, no! What are you talking about?" Sophia was furious, anxious, and wronged. She pushed him away vigorously, wanting to cover her ears. She didn't want to hear such accusations at all!
"Then why is it so coincidental? Why are all these things happening at this moment?"
"I don't know!" Sophia's eyes turned red. "How can you suspect me? How could I have the ability to do any of this? I can't even communicate with the outside world, and besides, what benefit would this bring me?"
It was true that she had rarely had such opportunities before, but now he had lowered his defenses against her significantly. It wouldn't be hard for her to connect with the outside world. And even though he was extremely reluctant to think this way, hadn't she hated him before? Wouldn't seeking revenge count as a benefit to her?
The two of them stood facing each other, both furious, with the atmosphere tense and neither willing to back down.
At that moment, Cronus arrived and said to Capone, "There are a lot of police outside, seemingly coming for you, boss. You should take Sophia and leave! Go to Mesha Island or Field. I'll hold them off, then call Deputy Director Liu to ask for details. The lawyer will arrive shortly!"
Without a word, Capone casually gathered his belongings and pulled Sophia away.
They were already used to dealing with the police and had their own ways to avoid trouble, but at a time like this, it was better to have fewer problems.
Just the gun in his hand was enough to warrant a long explanation, so it was best to avoid the situation for now.
Who was really behind all this chaos? Lucas, the Diaz family, or an insider beside him?
Sophia stumbled as he pulled her along, eventually shoving her into the car.
"Hold on tight; I'm going to drive fast!" Despite the severity of the situation, he still buckled her seatbelt before stepping on the gas. Sophia felt just as uneasy as he did, staring at his profile while thousands of words swirled in her mind, yet she didn't know how to voice them.
Before they even reached the underwater tunnel, Capone received a phone call, and his expression changed dramatically. "What? There's a fire? How could there be a fire? Is Lucy inside? … Okay, I understand. I'm coming back now!"
Sophia was startled. "Where's the fire? What happened to Lucy?"
"It's at the villa! It's burning down for no reason! I don't know the details, and I'm not sure if Lucy is still inside!"
Capone was more anxious than she was, as if the flames were burning in his heart. Mesha was his mother's hometown, and that villa had been built for her when she first married his father. She had lived there for quite a while.
This fire wasn't just destroying a building; it was consuming his memories of his mother and some of the few happy moments in his life.
The black Cadillac sped through the deep night, and Capone felt as if he was being pulled into an endless darkness.
The fire was larger than expected; those like Capone could tell at a glance that there was no accelerant, so the flames couldn't spread so rapidly.
Yet, standing before the raging inferno, his mind was nearly blank.
It felt as if he had been thinking for a long time, or perhaps he hadn't thought of anything at all. Ignoring everything, he charged in, tearing off his clothes in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames.
Sophia was alarmed and shouted his name, wanting to rush in after him, but she was pulled back by someone nearby.
It was already confirmed that no one was inside and that Lucy was fine, yet Capone charged in as if he didn't care about anything!
Sophia had never seen Capone so resolute and impulsive, as if what was burning before him was his entire world!
The flames and the intense heat stung Sophia's eyes. She didn't know where she found the strength, but she broke free from the person holding her and grabbed a bucket of cold water, pouring it over herself.
On this cold day, her body was completely soaked, and she forgot the bone-chilling shivers as she recklessly dashed inside.
"Capone! Let's get out of here; you can't do this!"
She grabbed his arm, her cold body contrasting sharply with his high temperature. Capone's pain seemed to freeze at that moment. "What are you doing here? Get out!"
"I won't leave! Not unless you come out with me; it's too dangerous here!"
She didn't have time to reason with him; she was determined to pull him away from this perilous inferno.
Many things could not be saved, especially material possessions. No matter how much meaning was attributed to them, they could not withstand the forces of natural destruction.
Sophia pretended to strip off her clothes to help extinguish the flames, determined to stay with him if he wouldn't leave.
No matter how clouded his thoughts were, Capone's eyes focused on Sophia, who had come to her senses.
He couldn't let her join him in this desperate situation!
He lifted her onto his shoulder, carrying the cold, wet girl away from the fire like a sack of rice.
He dared not look back; everything behind him had turned to ash.
Capone took Sophia to Dajian Field, where the only lively presence in the room was probably the German Shepherd, Heizi. It was rare to see so many people gathered, and the lonely dog excitedly darted among the crowd until it noticed everyone's solemn expressions. Slowly, it drooped its head and quietly lay down at Capone's feet.
Capone didn't say anything and dismissed Mandy and the other subordinates.
Henry had told him that nothing was set in stone; what he saw were just temporary results, except for one thing—dead people couldn't come back to life.
So, the sudden changes in the board of directors and the fire on Mesha Island didn't necessarily mean he had lost, but at least in this moment, he was at a disadvantage.
Sophia emerged in clean clothes and saw Capone sitting on the couch with his eyes closed, making it hard to read his emotions.
She walked over to him and gently called his name. He didn't respond, and she thought he was still angry with her for rushing into the fire or that his earlier doubts about her contacting the Diaz family to oppose him hadn't been resolved. She hesitated, wondering if she should leave him alone for a while.
But Capone suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her abdomen, holding her tightly. Sophia was slightly taken aback but quickly embraced him back, like two people trying to warm each other in the freezing cold.
"Capone, don't be sad! Your mom... would worry about you seeing you like this!"
Capone didn't answer right away. After a long pause, he calmly said, "Sophy, I'm sending you away. Tonight, the boat will take you to the port airport, and you can catch the next flight to Hokkaido to reunite with your family!"
Sophia was stunned; she hadn't expected him to say something like this at such a time.
She had dreamed of going home countless times, with the closest moment being when Lucas had taken her hostage. However, that twisted situation had actually confirmed her feelings for Capone, and since then, her yearning had faded, becoming different.
Hearing him mention it now, her first instinct was to reject the idea. No, she didn't want to go back; she wanted to be with him!
"We don't have a choice. It's too dangerous for you to stay here. You need to go home for now, and when the time is right, I'll come to get you!"
Sophia shook her head, still contemplating how to talk to him when the door suddenly opened, and Cronus appeared at the threshold. "The shareholders' meeting for tomorrow has been called off. The Diaz family has taken new actions. They not only want to push you out of the board but also claim that you've coerced them into handing over the IDGM shares, aiming to send you to prison! The police are with them, and we can't hold them off any longer. Once Sophia Diaz falls into their hands, she will be the most unfavorable witness against you! We need to get her out immediately, before the police find out!"
Sophia was anxious, running over to Cronus. "How could this happen? My brothers wouldn't do this!" Hadn't they always been concerned for her safety, hesitating to take drastic actions that would bring the police into the picture? They feared alarming the snakes and losing her trail altogether.
Cronus smiled. "They were just waiting for the right opportunity!"