Sophia was feeling a bit down, as if she had something on her mind. Her family noticed and asked her about it, but she wouldn't say a word. Diaz's mother, concerned, said, "Is work too tough for you? Oh dear, I think you should take some time to recuperate at home, then go out and relax a bit—maybe enjoy the Aegean Sea or the Caribbean. Why work so hard? Look at your little face; you've lost weight and haven't gained even a couple of pounds since you got back!"
Sophia smiled, "Mom, I'm fine! Work is fulfilling! Once I have enough experience and save up some money, I'll open my own pastry shop. Isn't that great?"
Diaz's mother had no choice but to let her be.
In reality, Sophia was quite troubled. Roger's words had surprised her; she was no longer the Sophia Diaz of six months ago. His sudden confession didn't stir her heart, but it left her unsure of how to face him.
Capone had already taken up residence in her heart. That man was always domineering, and once he moved in, he wouldn't leave, leaving no room for anyone else. How could she possibly accept someone else's feelings?
But if she couldn't accept them, how could she pretend everything was fine while working under the same roof as Roger?
"Sophia!"
"Henry, what are you doing here?" Sophia exclaimed with joy. She was just about to find Fiona to share her troubles and see if she had any advice when Henry Diaz arrived. "Where's Fiona? Didn't she come with you?"
Henry shook his head and sat her down. "I came to talk to you about something today, but don't mention it to Xiao Yu, okay?"
"What's going on?" Sophia noticed his face was disturbingly serious, tinged with a hint of sadness.
Her cousin was usually carefree, so it was rare to see him like this.
"Capone came to see me today and gave me a big manila envelope. Inside it… were pieces of evidence that could help Xiao Yu's case!"
"He came to see you today? Where? What did he say?" Sophia stood up in excitement, eager to have Henry take her to meet him immediately.
"Shh, keep your voice down. If Matthew and the others hear you, you won't find out anything!"
"Okay, okay, I'll be quiet. You go on! Earlier, you mentioned the manila envelope… Is it evidence about the false accusations that Catherine made against Fiona that landed her in prison?" Sophia calmed down, recalling what Capone had told her back then.
"You know?"
"Yeah, Capone mentioned it to me. Catherine is his stepmother, and they've had plenty of conflicts over his father's inheritance. The incident with Fiona is a big leverage for her, and he won't let go of it easily. Henry, do you still believe Catherine and not Fiona's innocence? She was framed!"
"I know, I know!" Henry Diaz's regret was palpable. "I let Xiao Yu down back then. I didn't treat her well and misjudged Catherine! This information from Capone comes at the right time; it can help me clear Xiao Yu's name!"
"That's great! Finally, the clouds have parted, and we can see the moon!" Sophia felt happy for him and Fiona.
"Capone said this material was something he promised to hand over to me, so he's keeping his word! I feel like… something has happened between you two, hasn't it?"
Sophia's cheeks flushed. "My relationship with him is like yours with Fiona. I told you, but you all didn't believe me! He initially bullied me, but… he's not the bad guy you think he is; he has his own struggles! Later, he treated me very well. He got hurt for me, and he would even die for me! This ring was a gift from him; it's a pair, and he has one too… And he said I'm no longer his hostage; he won't use me to exchange for shares. This material is his bargaining chip. The Diaz family will release their stake in IDGM Capital, and he's giving this to you! Now that the promise has been fulfilled, what's the problem? Please take me to see him!"
As Sophia spoke passionately, tears shimmered in her eyes. Henry Diaz felt a pang in his heart but still had to tell her, "But when I saw him this afternoon, that's not what he said!"
Sophia froze. "Then what did he say?"
Henry hesitated for a moment before responding, "He said to stop bothering him and not to try to get him imprisoned because of the kidnapping incident. He has something that can clear everything up, but it might damage your reputation. He won't think about you anymore and hopes you can forget him!"
He spoke anxiously, fearing Sophia would be crushed by this news, but she just smiled slightly, "Henry, you're lying to me again! Did my mom and the others ask you to say that to make me give up?"
"No, Sophia, listen to me…"
Sophia shook her head and turned away, "I don't want to hear it. I don't believe it. Capone wouldn't say that; he wouldn't let me forget him!"
Henry Diaz didn't know how to explain, so he resorted to Capone's exact words: "He said he wasn't tired of you yet, but since you're determined to go home and the Diaz family agreed to release the IDGM shares, he thinks it's a reasonable trade to exchange you for a billion-dollar fortune. The material he gave me was something you asked for; he's just keeping his promise. He doesn't lack for women!"
"Enough! Don't say any more! I won't believe a word of it!"
Sophia covered her ears, tears streaming down her face. She refused to believe Capone would say such a thing!
What had she done wrong? Why did he deny their feelings and say things like he would never come to find her again and for her to forget him?
"Henry, could you… please take me to see him? Help me; I want to meet him. I want to clarify things face to face!"
She grabbed Henry Diaz's shirt, hoping he would help her get in touch with Capone. Unless he said those words to her personally, she would never believe it!
"I'm sorry, Sophia, I…" He felt helpless and didn't want Sophia to meet Capone again.
They were from entirely different worlds. This kind of connection could only be considered a tragic fate, one that would need to be severed sooner or later. It was better to cut it short than to suffer in the long run.
"Why won't any of you help me? Why won't you ever consider my feelings from my perspective?" Sophia cried out, losing control as she knocked over a chair behind her, which fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"What's going on? What happened?"
The Alexander Diaz brothers and their mother, who had been downstairs drinking tea, rushed up to see her. Sophia felt as if a dark cloud was pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Tears streamed down her face as she pushed past them and ran out the front door.
"Sophia!"
"Sophia, where are you going? Quick, stop that girl!"
…
Henry Diaz stopped the others, saying, "Let her be alone for a while! Just keep an eye on her; don't let her run too far. Keeping everything bottled up isn't a solution; it'll only make her sick!"
Sophia ran aimlessly in the courtyard, which was vast. She followed any path she saw until she turned into a dead end and had nowhere else to go. She stopped, breathless from crying, and the wound on her chest burned painfully again.
She leaned against a tree trunk and slid down to the ground, feeling as if all her strength had been drained. Her vision was so blurry that she couldn't even tell what color the sky was.
"I don't believe it; I don't believe… you wouldn't say that… Why won't you come see me? Why won't you meet me?"
The pain in her chest was intense, making it impossible for her to cry out loud; all she could do was sob softly, incoherently questioning the silence. If she had the strength at that moment, she wouldn't just sit there. No matter what it took, she would find a way to see Capone.
Henry Diaz's words indeed reflected Capone's tone, but after everything they had been through, she didn't believe that was his true feeling—unless he said it to her face again.
Sophia was lost in thought, leaning against the tree, not even noticing when the snow began to fall from the sky.
It wasn't common for Hokkaido to have snow; this was the first snowfall of the year, and after the snow came the Lunar New Year, marking a true turning of the calendar page.
As the snowflakes thickened, Capone leaned against a military jeep in the distance, watching Sophia sitting on the ground.
He moved slightly, and Mandy and the fifth member, Terry, quickly restrained him. "Don't forget you promised the doctor that you wouldn't let your emotions swing wildly and wouldn't act impulsively. That's why we brought you out! It's freezing outside; if you catch a cold, it'll be worse for your health. You might never see Sophia again!"
This wasn't an exaggeration. After his conversation with Henry Diaz yesterday, he had appeared lively and indifferent while saying those hurtful things, but as soon as Sophia left in a huff, Capone had coughed up blood and fainted a moment later.
With a splenic hemorrhage, bleeding in his stomach, and fractured ribs nearly piercing his heart… it was fortunate that such severe injuries hadn't claimed his life; Cronus was indeed merciless and didn't hold back at all.
But why should the boss be at odds with the Diaz family girl? They clearly cared for each other. Was there no way to discuss things properly?
"It's snowing…" Why did that girl have to come out at a time like this? Did what he said really hit her that hard? Capone kept his eyes on the small figure outside the car, wanting her to go back but unable to walk over to her.
"Let's go!" He waved his hand and closed his eyes.
"Aren't you going to clarify things with her?" Mandy couldn't bear to see Sophia suffer in the cold and snow; only Capone could make her feel better, yet he chose to avoid her.
"Let's go back!" He didn't want to appear before her like this. "Call Henry Diaz and tell him to keep an eye on their precious princess, or I might just kidnap her again!"