Capone really wanted to do this—bring her back to his side. Whether it was through pain or affection, at least they would be together. He could control her tears and laughter, using all sorts of shameless methods to break her will and force her to admit why she had betrayed him.
Unfortunately, he now had to face the fate of IDGM Capital and the lives of his brothers, not just her alone…
The New Year was fast approaching, and it seemed to be one of the coldest winters in Hokkaido in recent years. After several heavy snowfalls, the festive atmosphere for celebrating the holiday seemed to diminish a bit.
But some social obligations and formalities were unavoidable. The Diaz family was a well-established clan with numerous distant relatives and many old friends and business partners to visit. Starting from the year-end, the Alexander Diaz brothers had been busy with social visits, sometimes representing their parents, and other times their elders would join them.
Only Sophia was completely excluded from these activities. Although the Diaz family hadn't disclosed many details about her kidnapping, the more they withheld, the more speculation arose. The truth became distorted amidst the curiosity and gossip, with many people expressing concern while secretly probing whether this pampered rich girl was as spoiled and reckless as rumored, leading to her offending the underworld and being kidnapped for assault, or whether she had willingly turned to prostitution upon her return, crying and throwing tantrums to go back. There were even rumors that she had been drugged or controlled by some enchantment, selling her body in exchange for something…
Of course, many of these speculations couldn't be voiced in front of the Diaz family, but the Alexander brothers had heard a few whispers. They couldn't let their sister know about such slander; no girl could endure such defamation. So whenever they visited others, they didn't bring Sophia along, hoping to shield her from that circle to spare her from distress.
Sophia wasn't naive; she understood that the darker side of human nature often lay beneath a veneer of sympathy, especially among those who prided themselves on being part of high society. Their concern often masked a schadenfreude that reveled in others' misfortunes.
So she found solace in her solitude. Before the New Year, the sales of Western pastries and cakes peaked, and she busied herself in the shop for quite some time, pouring all her energy into her work, ignoring everything else.
Roger mostly let her pursue what she enjoyed, only stepping in when her creative ideas needed help and support.
However, his admiration for her strength didn't mean he didn't feel pain for her. A woman lost in her work could be charming, but neglecting her well-being and overextending herself would only lead to exhaustion; it couldn't erase her suffering. That pain was like a series of boxes—merely pushed to the bottom by other boxes, not truly gone.
"Let's take a few days off for the New Year. I won't open the shop, and you can relax a bit and spend more time with your family!"
"But the sales haven't even reached our target yet; taking a break now might be too early, and we could incur significant losses…"
Sophia knew he wasn't short on money. The Luo family had been in the maritime transport business since her grandmother's generation. His grandmother was half Portuguese and from Macau, with substantial family wealth. By the time it reached his generation, they had accumulated enough wealth, and their family business was well-managed by uncles and cousins. Opening a pastry shop was purely a matter of interest for him, without the pressure to turn a profit. But Roger was someone who approached everything with great seriousness; he didn't treat this little shop as just a way to pass the time. Instead, he aimed to manage it with modern techniques and a commitment to excellence. Closing early for the holidays and missing out on peak selling hours would significantly reduce sales.
Of course, the most important thing was that her family was also busy. If she didn't participate in their social obligations and stayed at home doing nothing, it would make them worry about her, and her own days would be hard to endure.
So she preferred to work.
Roger smiled, "You've worked hard all year; taking a few extra days off is just a perk for the employees! You're not married yet, so you can still collect lucky money during the New Year. Why not save up a bit and invest in the business next year? By the end of the year, you'll be the one taking care of everyone!"
Sophia was surprised. "Invest? You mean…"
"You've always wanted to be my partner, right? I think now is a great time. The business is stable and progressing well, your experience and skills are improving, and you're such a creative and valuable employee. I believe you're fully qualified to be a partner!"
Last summer, she had still been an innocent girl, full of pride and ambition, with her biggest dream being to own her own pastry shop—not relying on her family's support, but fully depending on herself, starting as a small shareholder and gradually accumulating wealth.
He had been strict with her back then, criticizing her to help her improve because she was still too naive, with ideas that were too simple and childish.
But after everything she had been through, he could see she had changed. She was now more emotionally rich, softer, and stronger, no longer holding lofty ambitions but instead focusing on the present.
He admired her transformation; her maturity made her even more irresistible, and she was more than capable of supporting a business.
Sophia pursed her lips, but her expression wasn't entirely joyful. "Roger, you really don't have to do this. You know what I need the least right now is pity and sympathy!"
"I don't mean it that way. You know I'm not that kind of person! If you weren't qualified to be a partner, even if I liked you, I wouldn't have invited you to join!"
Sophia suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with confusion and pain—he liked her? Did he have feelings for her when she had secretly developed a crush on him?
The shock quickly transformed into a sense of relief. She used to not understand the saying "once you've seen the vast ocean, you can't go back to just the river," but now it seemed she understood a bit.
However, she had no regrets. Even knowing that the man she once had a crush on had also liked her at the same time, she still didn't regret falling in love with Capone.
"Thank you, Roger! But I…"
"You don't have to rush to answer me!" Roger said, pressing down on her shoulder, interrupting her unspoken refusal. "You can take your time to consider. After the New Year, we can see if the lucky money is enough for you to invest. It's okay if you don't invest right away; you're still my good employee, and that won't change, okay?"
Sophia looked at the handsome and gentle man in front of her, with his distinctive mixed features, delicate contours, and deep-set eyes. His tall and lean frame emanated a sense of stability that once captivated her. But now, it was destined to be beyond her reach.
Her heart was warm yet calm; in this lifetime, it would probably only beat for that cruel and domineering man.
I'm sorry.
She whispered in her heart, but all she could say out loud was, "Thank you, Roger!"
Sophia didn't agree to the investment, but she never expected that "walls have ears" would prove true.
Her conversation with Roger was overheard by Amy by chance. She couldn't believe that the young boss would actually invite this girl to become a partner. But there was one thing she guessed correctly: they indeed had a secret relationship.
Amy felt both disdainful and jealous. To be frank, the salaries and benefits that Roger offered to his employees were much better than those at most ordinary Italian restaurants outside. She had planned to work here long-term. Over the years, she had managed to save some money and thought about suggesting to Roger that she become a partner, combining capital and skills—there was no fear of job-hopping since they were all on stable ground together. After all, who didn't have a little ambition to be a boss and enjoy sitting back and collecting dividends without working?
However, she didn't expect that a young and beautiful girl like Sophia Diaz would suddenly show up, charming Roger and aiming to be a partner.
The restaurant was only so big, and with a boss like Roger who didn't lack money, there was no need for so many partners. With this little girl around, he would surely look down on her, the old maid! Furthermore, she was already at odds with Sophia, constantly criticizing her, and there was a chance that if Sophia became a shareholder or the boss's wife, she would get fired. That would be so frustrating!
No, she couldn't just watch as her good job slipped away, so she had to think of a way to counter this!
Amy learned from the employee Harley that Sophia Diaz used to be the pastry chef at the store, but she suddenly stopped working for some unknown reason. After disappearing for a while, she returned. Amy instinctively felt that something bad must have happened during that time, and Roger was aware of it but didn't talk about it.
So, she set out to investigate Sophia's background. When she found out, it turned out the girl was not only a rich heiress but had also been kidnapped for over half a year!
Some wicked thoughts coursed through her veins; she felt this was a juicy piece of gossip to exploit!
Sophia felt that as the New Year approached, things around her became uneasy. It seemed someone was secretly following her. At first, she thought it was Capone coming to find her, but after observing a few times, it didn't seem like him. If he wanted to know her whereabouts, he wouldn't let her discover it. Sneaky following was one thing, but a few times she even saw the flash of a camera.
Sure enough, gossip magazines and tabloids immediately reported the ins and outs of her kidnapping, complete with large photos and text that distorted the truth. The disgraceful rumors were vividly printed in black and white, implying that she was promiscuous, controlled by drugs, and that she couldn't live without a man. Upon returning, she immediately hooked up with the young heir of the Roger family. Some even reported that she had sold herself on the coast and that Roger was her benefactor at that time…
The various outrageous reports were so convincing that Sophia trembled as she held the papers. What chilled her the most were those photos; she didn't know where the media had dug them up from, but there were indeed pictures of her taken during the three days Capone had dumped her at the ROYAL!