Sophia returned from studying in France, wanting to achieve some accomplishments before moving back home. Previously, she had been living in her cousin Henry Diaz's apartment for a short time. After the kidnapping incident, her parents and older brothers were worried about her and wanted to keep her close, so she naturally moved back home.
She missed her family and thought it would be nice to spend more time together.
She didn't forget to ask her two brothers about the recent situation regarding IDGM Capital and Capone, but they refused to answer her directly. After pressing them too much, she couldn't help but get angry, saying, "If you won't tell me, I'll just look it up myself!"
Matthew Diaz stopped her, "Sophia, calm down! We barely got you back from Capone; if you go back to him, it's like walking into a tiger's mouth!"
"No, that's not how it is! Matthew, I like him, and he likes me. We… we're not just about harm and torment like you think! Please find a way for me to see him, so I can confirm that he's doing well. Is that okay?"
Sophia knew that it was better to appeal to Matthew than to the boss. The boss was steady and rational, analyzing matters logically, making it hard to argue against him. Matthew, on the other hand, was emotional and passionate; he should understand that this kind of deadly attraction between a man and a woman wouldn't easily fade away.
However, Matthew was also very cautious this time. No matter what, he refused to let her see Capone and wouldn't tell her about the current situation of IDGM and the Diaz family in the business world. He just kept telling her to relax and focus on recovering, assuring her that all the bad things would pass.
But how could her feelings for Capone just go away like that?
Eventually, she heard from her sister-in-law Fiona that Capone had exchanged her safety for all of the Diaz family's shares in IDGM. Originally, IDGM was in a state of internal turmoil; Alexander and Matthew Diaz were not incapable of competing with Capone, but they chose to let things go. Now that Sophia was safely back, they hoped to put an end to the animosity between the two sides.
After learning this news, Sophia cried bitterly, "No… he wouldn't use me to exchange for shares! He said he would never use me to exchange for benefits; you must be mistaken… it must be a mistake!"
He had promised her that, while holding her closely, whispering that she would no longer be his hostage but his woman. He would never use her as a bargaining chip for any benefit!
Why was he not keeping his word now?
Why hadn't he come to see her?
Was she still injured, or was it truly as her brothers and sister-in-law said—completely cutting ties with the Diaz family, never to have anything to do with them again?
Regardless of the situation, it left her feeling distressed, wanting to see him but unable to do so.
She had no choice but to ask her cousin Henry Diaz to help her, explaining that Capone held crucial evidence that could clear Fiona's name. She asked him to meet with Capone, to check on his condition and see if there was anything he wanted to convey to her.
Henry agreed to meet Capone, both for the one he loved and for his cherished sister.
Sophia could only wait eagerly for news from him.
Since her return home after the injury, her family had been watching her closely, fearful of any further incidents and worried she might disappear again. Especially since her injuries had not yet healed, she faced restrictions even when going outside. Every outing required permission, and she had to be accompanied by someone.
Sophia felt very depressed; this feeling of being deprived of freedom was no different from her time on Mesha Island.
In her frustration, she remembered Roger's words—rather than staying at home and feeling cooped up to the point of madness, it was better to go out to work, where she could at least have a bit of freedom.
At first, her family disagreed, but after she made repeated requests and enlisted Fiona and Henry to help persuade them, they felt that having a job to focus on would be beneficial, preventing her from overthinking and doing something foolish. They eventually agreed.
Walking on her way to work, the sun was shining brightly, and Sophia felt a sense of disconnection, as if she were living in another world. It felt like going to work carefree and full of anticipation was something that had just happened yesterday.
But now, everything had changed; nothing was the same.
Roger's pastry shop was still in the same location, with its bright and exquisite storefront. The decor featured an orange-yellow theme, large glass doors and windows, and an open workspace where passersby on the street could see the bakers at work inside.
The shop hadn't expanded, and the decor hadn't changed much, but the cameras at the entrance and inside had been replaced and repaired.
Sophia forced a bitter smile; she remembered that before her kidnapping, the camera outside had been vandalized. She had fixed it once, but before she could repair it a second time, she was taken.
"Don't think about unhappy things; it's time to start anew!" Roger stood behind her, as if he could see through her thoughts.
"Thank you, Roger. I will do my best!"
Sophia forced a bright smile, trying her hardest to appear as she once did.
But she didn't realize that no matter how hard she tried, in the eyes of others, once something had happened, it had happened—you could never pretend it hadn't.
The pastry chefs in the shop included an older man, Robin, whom Roger had brought over from a famous five-star hotel, and a woman in her thirties who worked the register. There was also a college student working part-time as a server. After finishing her pastry and bread tasks in the kitchen, Sophia helped out as a server in her spare time. The staff was relatively abundant, and they all got along well.
Roger was actually a great boss; not only was he a pastry-making expert himself, but he also never skimped on salaries or work hours for his employees, except for his unusually strict demands on Sophia.
"A pair of happy adversaries are drawn together; you and your boss are just like that. In the end, all happy adversaries end up together!" Sophia recalled the cashier saying this to her, and she had blushed, feeling shy and full of hope. She secretly hoped that the person she liked would also like her back.
But now, she no longer had such thoughts. All the employees in the shop had changed, and she didn't recognize any of them.
Robin had gone home to rest due to poor health, and in his place was a new female chef named Amy. She was under forty, petite, and had a rather fiery temper. She seemed determined to assert her status as the head chef, adopting a condescending attitude towards everyone else in the shop.
Especially towards Sophia, who, in her eyes, seemed far too young and had the grace and bearing of a young lady from a wealthy family. It didn't sit right with her that someone like Sophia was working as her assistant in this shop.
With Roger seemingly giving Sophia special treatment—beyond just familiarity, there was an ambiguous flirtation between them—Amy found it even harder to stomach. Her expression oozed bitterness and sarcasm as she remarked, "I really don't understand why these young girls put themselves through this kind of hardship. Wouldn't it be better to marry early and become a boss's wife? Baking can be a hobby, just to charm your husband; why bother treating it like a job just to earn a living?"
Sophia remained silent, stirring the cheese sauce in her bowl. It was easy to understand her perspective; in their line of work, women were already a minority, and those who achieved success were even rarer. Rarity brings value, and Amy had initially enjoyed a bit of a superiority complex. With Sophia's arrival, that balance was disrupted, so it was natural for her to look down on Sophia.
These barbs didn't bother Sophia. In truth, there was some accuracy in what she said; Sophia wasn't relying on this job just to make ends meet. She was simply struggling with the stifling feeling of being overly protected at home and couldn't bear to stay cooped up any longer. Otherwise, when left alone in silence, her mind would run wild.
In the evening, after the shop closed, almost everything had sold out, and Roger's pastry shop continued to thrive as always. Although Amy wasn't very pleasant, her skills were still quite good.
The employees clocked out on time. Amy was the type who wouldn't work an extra minute unless the boss raised her pay; she didn't feel that there was any need to improve her skills after working in the industry for half her life. Naturally, the other employees followed her lead. When Amy left on time, there was no need for the cashiers and servers to work overtime.
The shop staff were still youthful and sweet, but the one who worked part-time before was no longer there. The new girl, Harley, got along well with Sophia but had a bit of a gossip streak. She was always trying to pry into any intimate details about Roger or was straightforwardly curious if they were a couple.