Sophia's worst fear had come true. Capone had promised he would destroy all traces, yet here they were, out in the open. How could he possibly explain this?
The Diaz family had tried to suppress the media's prying eyes when she was injured and saved, so why was it resurfacing now?
Heartbroken and furious, Sophia took the reports home to confront her brothers. They also found the media's sudden interest in stirring up this news suspicious, though they didn't seem surprised by the photos.
"You all knew?" Sophia asked, her voice trembling with sadness and disbelief. "How long has this been going on? You knew…and didn't tell me?"
Matthew Diaz tried to comfort her. "Sophia, don't be like this! Capone, that scoundrel, probably still has plenty of things that could hurt you. We were willing to work with him, thinking he cared about you even a little, but we didn't expect him to be this despicable. He not only sent you to such a place, but also took photos…" His voice seethed with anger. "That's when we decided to join forces with Lucas and the police to take him down fast and get you out. But even then, you still got hurt…and now this again. If I ever see him, I swear I won't let him off!"
His words were filled with righteous indignation, but Sophia felt herself slipping into confusion. His words were tumbling into her ears like beans spilled from a jar, a chaotic noise she couldn't make sense of.
"No, it can't be…he wouldn't do this to me! You're lying. This isn't true!"
She repeated the words numbly. Her cousin's earlier message had been like a knife stabbing her heart; now, this news was tearing her apart.
It felt as though her flesh was being slowly sliced away, each piece cut from her, the pain so intense she almost forgot why she was even standing there.
But her family wouldn't lie to her. Her brother had already been worried she might do something drastic and wouldn't use this just to hurt her.
She felt as if she were in a daze, her whole body cold and numb. She didn't know how she managed to walk away or where she was supposed to go next, and she couldn't hear anything the people around her were saying.
On the eve of the New Year, Sophia sat in the shop, refusing to leave, making cakes robotically, completely oblivious to Amy's mocking sneers nearby or the curious, gossiping glances from the other employees.
As the end of the year approached, media outlets were busy wrapping up their summaries, seizing any explosive news like cats catching the scent of fish. Sophia's "rich girl's scandalous story" had turned into a hot topic, drawing constant attention from journalists eager to uncover more *dirt* and who now lurked near the bakery and the Diaz family's home.
Sophia's emotions had reached a breaking point, desperately needing an outlet. Countless times, with red-rimmed eyes, she tried to snatch cameras and recorders from reporters but never succeeded.
She felt wronged, alone, humiliated, and on edge. And at that moment, Karl showed up at the bakery with his plump, round-faced girlfriend. Remembering their last unusual encounter, Sophia kept a wary eye on him.
In Karl's bag's side pocket, she caught a glimpse of a gossip magazine with lewd descriptions that made everyone tense. He and his girlfriend had come to see if Sophia Diaz had finally crumbled.
Of course, the one most worried about her was sitting in a car in the back alley, stubbornly staying out of sight.
Karl and his girlfriend bought tiramisu and chiffon cake, noticing that Sophia's face looked terrible, concealing a storm beneath a mask of forced calm.
But they didn't expect Sophia to follow them all the way to the alley.
When she saw the couple hand the cake through the car window, pulling out the magazine and pointing at it while chatting with someone inside, Sophia's shame and rage exploded. She shoved them aside, yanked the car door open, and attempted to drag the person inside out, crying in anger.
"Why are you doing this to me? What right do you have to spread lies? Who sent you, you scum!"
In her fury, she mistook them for scheming reporters and their backers, who were determined to ruin her life!
But she never expected that, instead of pulling the person in the car out, she would be yanked inside herself. A familiar fear spread through her instantly—the same fear she had felt when she was kidnapped and dragged into a van.
She didn't even notice that this was a sleek, black luxury Jaguar, nor did she realize that the person inside was the one she had been longing to see.
"Let me go! What are you doing? Broad daylight—don't you care about the law…mmph—"
Her struggle was quickly silenced by a kiss. That familiar, forceful presence overwhelmed her before she could catch her breath, her mind first going blank, then filling with shock.
She heard the car door open and close as someone stepped out. When she reopened her eyes, the car had become a sealed space, and only the familiar man remained in front of her. His deep-set features, so familiar, filled her mind and heart completely, just like his unmistakable scent.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. It felt like every bit of strength in her body was slipping away, as if this kiss had arrived a hundred years late.
When she finally had to calm down, the pressure on her lips eased. Even in the dim light of the car, the piercing gaze of the man before her was unmistakable.
It was Capone.
Sophia thought she was dreaming, but the sting on her kissed lips felt all too real. Her eyes were wide, and the weight and warmth of his body half-pressing against her hadn't disappeared.
"You…why is it you? What are you doing here?"
"What, you didn't want to see me? That's not what your cousin said. He told me you've been wanting to see me. Now that you have, shouldn't you be happy?"
Capone's tone was laced with a hint of mockery, as cold as the harsh wind outside, as if the warmth of the kiss had never existed.
What did he mean? Was he mocking her, belittling her? After everything cruel he had done to her, he still spoke to her in this dismissive tone?
"Why did you do this? Why did you take those compromising photos and let my family see them, only to throw it all to the media and humiliate me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Capone's expression darkened as he processed the recent media frenzy around Sophia's kidnapping story. Seeing her photos taken at ROYAL stirred a raw, bitter sensation within him. He shouldn't have let his anger drive him to send her there, exposing her to such humiliation. But afterward, he had erased every trace, silencing all witnesses. So how had these photos surfaced without his knowledge?
"This is what you're holding over me as leverage?" Sophia's voice quivered, every word laced with pain. "With these photos, you're untouchable, aren't you? My brothers can't confront you, and you get whatever benefits you want. Is that why you kidnapped me without fear? You told me… you'd never use me as a bargaining chip, that you wouldn't exchange me for anything." Her voice broke. "Was that all a lie?"
Every word sliced through her heart. She hated thinking this way, but he had distanced himself, refusing to meet her face-to-face, leaving her and her family to endure public shame. What else was she supposed to believe?
Capone's eyes flashed with anger, his gaze almost blood-red with fury. "A traitor has no right to question me!" He spat, his voice rasping as he struggled to control a violent cough.
Sophia softened momentarily at the sight of him struggling, recalling how he had been brutalized by Cronus before they parted ways. "Are you… badly hurt? How serious is it?"
He gave a sharp, bitter laugh, his eyes glinting with something between cruelty and desire. "Still concerned about me?" he mocked, straightening up. "How touching. And no, I haven't forgotten you either. It's hard to sleep without… a proper reminder. Why don't we make up for lost time right here, outside your new lover's store? Wouldn't it be thrilling if he happened to walk by?"
The crude insinuation made Sophia burn with shame and anger. "What are you talking about? I have no 'new lover'! Roger is just my boss—we're friends, that's all!" she protested.
But Capone didn't stop, roughly pulling at her collar and pressing her back against the leather seat, his lips burning against her collarbone. "Not a new lover? Just an old flame, then? You've been obsessed with him for ages. Or perhaps the magazines were right… that he was already your 'client' back at ROYAL?"
Slap!
The sharp sound of Sophia's slap echoed within the confined space of the car. She stared, her hand stinging, as a red imprint quickly appeared on Capone's cheek. She'd put every ounce of her pent-up anger, humiliation, and heartache into that strike, trembling as tears started to fall. She knew she had crossed a line, but there was no going back.
To her surprise, Capone just laughed, though his eyes held a dangerous glint. "Good," he murmured darkly, his tone both mocking and cruel. "A traitor who nearly got me killed now dares to strike me? It's time I got some compensation."