It didn't make sense. If Capone had come to see him, he'd be accompanied by Mandy, Joey, or maybe even some of their subordinates—she had met many of them before. But she didn't recognize any of the people in front of her.
Could the patient inside really not be Capone?
"Miss Sophia, Miss Sophia?" The man called her name a few times before Sophia finally snapped back to attention.
"Huh? How did you know my last name is Diaz?"
The man pointed at the work badge hanging from her chest, where her name was printed.
He took the items from her hands and gestured politely, "Please, have a seat."
"Oh? No, that's okay. I… I just came to deliver this. It's a total of 285 dollars."
Sophia took a quick look around at the space outside the patient's room, which resembled a cozy little sitting area. It was simple and bright, with a sofa and even a decorative fireplace on the wall opposite, separated from the patient's room by just one wall.
"Which one is the tiramisu?" The young man placed the items on the small coffee table, not rushing to pay her. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself—Terry."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Terry!" Sophia felt something was slightly off. The man wasn't exactly warm, but for a simple pastry delivery, it all seemed a bit too formal.
"The tiramisu is this one, in the small cup with cocoa powder on top. It has coffee and alcohol in it, so if the patient is eating it, you may want to check if there are any dietary restrictions."
"Alright, noted." Terry's lips curved in a faint smile as he glanced briefly toward the patient's room.
"I used to buy from Roger's Bakery before, but I haven't seen Miss Sophia around."
"Oh, I used to work here, but then… something happened, and I took some time off. I just returned recently."
"Are you a pastry chef?"
"Yes!"
"Why not open your own bakery?"
"I'm still pretty inexperienced. I need more time to build my skills and gain experience in both pastry-making and management. Opening a shop is something I'll think about in the future." Sophia's fingers twisted together unconsciously. "Mr. Terry, um, the payment..."
This kind of conversation felt overly personal for two strangers who had just met.
She was starting to feel a bit uneasy.
Terry smiled without pressing further and began to count money from his wallet when they heard a knock at the door.
To her surprise, Roger himself walked in!
"Roger? How did you get here?"
Sophia stepped forward, but Terry's expression suddenly turned serious.
"I heard from Harley that a customer specifically requested you to deliver this order, so I came along to check if everything was alright. Are you okay?"
Sophia shook her head. "What could possibly be wrong? You're making a big deal out of nothing! Look, Mr. Lian here just paid, so give him fifteen dollars in change."
Though Sophia said it was fine, she had already moved to stand beside Roger, feeling a bit uneasy about this particular delivery.
Roger glanced at Terry, took the large bill, handed over the change, and said, "Hello, Mr. Lian. Thank you for your business. I'm Roger, the owner of this pastry shop. The store is busy, so I'll take her back now."
Terry nodded and saw them to the door. He turned to Sophia and said, "Miss Sophia, if you're interested in opening your own bakery, we'd consider investing. Feel free to reach out."
He handed her a business card, leaving Sophia momentarily speechless.
"Sophia, do you know him?" Roger couldn't help but ask on the way back.
Sophia shook her head. "I don't know him, but he kept talking to me. It was a bit odd."
Roger stood by the car, looking at her intently. "From now on, don't accept any orders where customers specifically ask for you. I brought you back to be a pastry chef, not a delivery girl."
Sophia thought he was upset. "I'm sorry, I just thought the customer seemed harmless, and the delivery spot was a public place, so I went. There are only a few of us in the shop, and we all help each other out when things get busy. I'm happy to pitch in, so please don't blame anyone else."
A hint of sadness appeared in Roger's eyes. "Do you really see me as so unfeeling? Are you still blaming me for being too strict with you before?"
"No, of course not..."
Before Sophia could finish explaining, Roger took her hand and placed a set of keys in her palm. "You've always liked my vintage car, right? You can still help out, but now you can drive there instead. For those mid-range distances, walking can be tiring. And if you finish work late, feel free to use it. Sometimes, I'm out of town and can't drive you home."
"But how could I? It's your car! What will you drive?"
Sophia tried to refuse, but Roger gently held her hand. "It's fine. I have a Lotus I can use. Since you won't let your family pick you up, just use this for now."
Sophia looked down. "Roger, you don't have to do this. What happened to me wasn't your fault—you don't need to feel guilty."
Before the kidnapping, she'd often used Roger's car to buy supplies or deliver custom cakes to clients. She liked the convenience and was fond of his vintage car, but mostly, she had feelings for Roger and would look for any reason to be closer to him, even if it meant running around town in his car.
Just a few days before the kidnapping, they had a dispute, and in frustration, Roger had taken back the car keys, seemingly distancing himself from her without a word.
She thought maybe he had sensed her feelings for him and allowed her freedom before because he saw her as a good assistant. But once she let him down at work, he didn't want to give her any more leeway.
Who would have guessed that after he took the car back, she'd end up taking the subway and then, just a couple of days later, be abducted right outside the shop by Capone's men?
In truth, Roger didn't owe her anything. He had no obligation to look after her, much less to feel guilty about it.
"Sophia Diaz!" Roger lowered his gaze to look at her, his voice carrying a hint of a sigh. "If you'd pay even a little attention, you'd know I'm not doing this out of guilt. I want you to give me a chance, not as compensation, but as a beginning. Let me take care of you. Will you?"
Under the shadow of a nearby tree, Capone stood watching the two of them, so close, exchanging heartfelt words.
His hand hung by his side, clenched into a fist. He took half a step forward, but a deep pain flared from within—he couldn't tell if it was from his wounds or his heart.
"Boss!" Terry caught up to him from behind and grabbed his arm, afraid he might act on impulse and confront the two of them. "You're still not fully recovered. Let's go back upstairs and rest!"
Today, they had deliberately arranged for Karl to buy a cake from the pastry shop where Sophia Diaz worked, instructing her to deliver it to the hospital herself. The plan was for Capone to finally meet this "sister-in-law" they'd heard so much about, the woman who had been on his mind day and night. They hoped to coax her into the hospital room, so Capone could finally release all the longing, doubts, and frustration he'd been bottling up. A hug or a kiss, whatever it took—just clear up the misunderstandings. The idea was to have this Diaz girl sweetly feed him the overly rich tiramisu.
But plans are only plans. Who would have expected Roger to show up suddenly, taking Sophia Diaz away without a word? The boss had lain on the hospital bed, his face growing ashen as he yanked out the IV and chased them down to the floor below.
And now, he was met with this scene.
Capone said nothing, swallowing back the bitterness rising in his throat. He turned and walked back to his room, where, upon entering, he swept all the delicate pastries from the table onto the floor. The tiramisu landed like a splatter of mud.
All those promises of undying love, of never leaving—what nonsense. He never should have believed any of it!
Her heart was never truly with him. Returning home was her only wish, and once she did, she completely forgot about him!
No, even back at the Salt Flats, she'd already decided to leave him behind. That's why she seized the perfect chance to abandon him, gravely wounded, in that stone cave, then ran off to meet up with her brother, even disclosing his location to the police to trap him.
If Terry and the others hadn't arrived in time, things would be much worse today. He might already be in custody awaiting trial, and IDGM Capital would be vulnerable to hostile takeover.
He despised betrayal. Yet, the people he once trusted most—his closest brother and the only woman he had ever loved—had both disregarded his life, betraying him and turning to the enemy.
"Boss, hang in there. Don't let your thoughts run wild. Lie down and focus on recovering. The doctor said you can't afford to be emotionally agitated right now, nor can you neglect rest and wander around. Here, lie down."
Terry furrowed his brows as he looked at Capone's pallid face, wondering how, in just a few short months, so much had gone wrong. First, Cronus turned against them, then the young hostage they captured managed to escape, leaving Capone barely alive, not to mention everything that was happening within the company.
Beauty is every hero's weakness, and honestly, all the brothers, including himself, liked this beautiful girl from the Diaz family. If she and Capone could end up together, it might heal the wounds left in Capone's heart, burned by hatred and responsibility over the years. They'd make a perfect couple—it wouldn't be a bad thing at all.
But now...
"I'm fine!" Capone lay down, breathing deeply, speaking softly so as not to strain himself and risk coughing up blood again. If that happened, he'd be stuck in this antiseptic-smelling hospital for another month. "Where's Mandy? Has he made contact with the Diaz family? Is he back yet?"
Just then, Mandy entered, having heard Capone was looking for him. "Boss, Henry Diaz has been working in the city these past few days. He's reachable at any time!"
"Good. Make sure to bring that document. Tomorrow, I'll deliver it to him personally."
"Understood!"