"Do you really want to die like this?" Sophia was very angry. "Is there nothing else worth your affection or attachment right now?"
"What else should I care about? You?" Capone's face hardened. "You're too naive. I've lost everything I had, and I'll soon be thrown into prison, dragging Joey and Mandy down with me! Even your Diaz family is just waiting to see me die!"
"That's not true; it must be a misunderstanding! My brother and the others wouldn't suddenly turn against you like this!"
Their conversation seemed to have fallen into a deadlock again. They had argued over this before Cronus attacked; Capone remained suspicious, and after everything that had happened, it seemed he couldn't fully trust her anymore.
Capone was silent for a moment, his lips curving into a bitter, helpless smile.
"Sophia Diaz!" He rarely called her by her full name so seriously. Since the first time they met, he had always referred to her ambiguously as "Sophy."
"Hmm?"
"We are from two different worlds; do you understand that now?" His voice was weak, but it sounded as if it were coming from far away. "I started in the underworld, and I might never be able to turn my life around! Living in fear, knowing that I could be betrayed at any moment, could happen anytime. Do you understand?"
Sophia shook her head. "I don't understand. What are you trying to say? Are you trying to push me away?"
"Haven't you always wanted to leave? Now's your chance to go back to where you belong!"
Sophia felt helpless, wronged, and angry. "Capone, who do you think you are? You can't just drag me here and then push me away when it suits you! Didn't I say we should talk to my brother? Maybe a collaboration would benefit both sides!"
"Is this how you plan to grovel? I can't do that! They've come to the island with the police and want to use the same tactics they used against my parents on me? Hmph, I won't give them what they want!"
"The police don't necessarily mean they're sent by my brother to arrest you! Just meet my brother first; if you haven't done anything wrong, they won't do anything to you!" She admitted that saying this felt naive, but it was better than stubbornly dragging things out with Lucas!
Capone looked at her deeply. "Just the fact that I forcibly brought you here, they could make a big deal out of it. Do you think that's not a bad thing?"
Sophia was at a loss for words. Some things were destined, and she couldn't untangle the cause and effect.
Perhaps the beginning was wrong, but why did they both insist on each other?
"The company is struggling, and there are branches and leaves. The others who didn't stay at the port, like the fifth and seventh brothers, will soon take action when they catch wind of this. You don't need to worry! But I will never grovel to your brother, nor will I cooperate with the police for an investigation!"
After saying this, he felt another wave of discomfort in his chest and wearily closed his eyes.
"What about Diana and Cronus…?"
"If something happens to Cronus, I'll take full responsibility and won't let Diana bear any of it! What, are you still worried about him?"
Capone's tone was laced with bitterness, as if he had drunk a jar full of vinegar.
Sophia was infuriated; she thought he was being excessively stubborn!
The sky was now fully bright, and while there had been some voices and noise at first, it had completely died down, and it was silent.
Seeing Capone's increasingly labored breathing, Sophia felt it was not a good idea to delay any longer. She leaned down to discuss with him, "Capone, it seems like things outside have quieted down! Maybe everyone has left. I'll go out and check; is it okay if I try to contact someone to rescue you?"
Capone looked up and grabbed her hand. "You're leaving?"
Sophia gently cradled his face. "No, I'm not leaving! But you can't keep delaying your injury. I'll go out to see the situation, and if I can contact my brother…"
Capone released her hand and turned his head away. "No need. Just go! If you contact your brother, just leave with them. I don't want them to come rescue me!"
Having forced him into this state, her two brothers deserved the credit. Waiting for them to come to the rescue would only make a joke of him.
What good would it do even if they saved him? He wouldn't accept their accusations; the internal issues with IDGM had to be resolved on his own!
He didn't like feeling constrained by others, which was very much like his father.
Sophia felt frustrated. Given the current circumstances, why was he still so strong-willed?
Why did he insist on drawing such a clear line between "you" and "me" in their world?
"Fine, then I'll go! You can just wait here to die!" Sophia, in a fit of anger, turned to leave, almost stepping out of the cave. Capone didn't even try to stop her.
Her heart softened, and she turned back, took off her outer coat, and draped it over him, softly saying, "I'll just go out to see the situation. They're not targeting me, so they won't do anything to me! I'll definitely find someone to rescue you. You just rest here for a while, okay?"
She didn't want to argue with him anymore; at this moment, they only had each other.
As Sophia stepped out of the cave, she cautiously made her way toward the small building, relying on her memory.
Her mind was filled with worries, primarily about Capone, but also about Diana and Cronus, who had just been shot.
She guessed that since her brother had involved the police, they might also come looking for her. After all, the last time they missed the chance to pick her up and take her home.
She just didn't know if they had arrived on the island yet.
After walking for a while, Sophia realized they had unknowingly moved quite a distance from the small building. She had been so focused on escaping that she hadn't noticed. Just as she caught a glimpse of the building's outline, she heard voices, unsure of which side they belonged to, but they were definitely not completely withdrawn; they had just been hiding while she was in the cave, so she hadn't heard any noise from this side.
Sophia's heart raced as she wanted to move closer to see more clearly or listen to what they were saying to determine if they were from her brother's side.
However, the terrain where she was hiding was elevated, and she couldn't hear much from behind the tree. If she went out any further, she would be discovered, which made her anxious.
Suddenly, she saw someone from one of the groups pull out a gun, and she was startled, slipping slightly and making a noticeable noise.
Clearly, they had spotted her. It seemed someone warned not to move, but the situation was still a bit chaotic. Sophia heard gunfire and dared not risk exposing herself, so she had to flee.
But she was also afraid that running back would lead them to discover Capone, so she chose another direction and ran toward the relatively open mudflat.
Behind her, there was a commotion. She knew that those people were not necessarily chasing her, but someone had fired, and the sound was as loud as firecrackers during the New Year celebrations.
Then, for some reason, her body suddenly felt a chill. When she looked down, she discovered that her chest was soaked with a large patch of blood.
Her mind went blank in an instant, and it felt like all her strength was drained away in that moment. She could no longer take a step forward.
The fear of death was certainly an instinct, but what she could think of now was that the severely injured Capone was still in the cave, and she hadn't found anyone to rescue him. What should she do?
Then came the endless darkness, followed by blinding white light. She seemed to hear her brother's voice piercing through the white light, calling her name.
It was Alexander Diaz. As long as he was there, everything would be fine. Boss was easygoing and stable; he would surely calm down and listen to her finish her story about Capone. He would go rescue Capone and then discuss a viable plan to save the precarious IDGM.
But she tried many times and couldn't open her mouth, even breathing became difficult.
What was happening to her? Where did all that blood and pain come from?
No one answered her. She was too weary to keep her eyes open, too tired to speak, and could only fall into a deep sleep…
She didn't even know she had returned to her long-lost home.
When she woke up, Sophia thought she was still dreaming because the people by her side were Alexander Diaz and her mother, Linda, who looked frail and aged. Her cousin Henry Diaz and his wife Fiona were standing by the bed.
She closed her eyes tightly and then forced them open again. The scene before her didn't disappear, and only then did she dare to be sure that this was real!
The family she once thought she would never see again was now right beside her.