"You're the first person to compliment me on my looks! I don't know how to dress up or style myself; I only know how to study. My major is quite intimidating, and they usually call me a bookworm!"
"Aren't you studying medicine?" Sophia remembered the name of a famous medical university on the suitcase Diana had dragged in.
"Yes, I'm studying medicine, but it's forensic medicine!"
Sophia was momentarily stunned. Although she thought the major was cool, it seemed a bit... unusual for a girl.
"Miss Sophia, if you don't mind, I'll call you Sophia. They might be back soon, so I need to leave. By the way, I heard Capone bought you a pair of shoes. I haven't seen you wearing them. The seaside is damp at night; you should put them on to avoid getting sick!"
"Thank you, Diana! It's raining. Be careful when you climb over, I'll help you!"
Diana didn't refuse. With her assistance, she jumped to the adjacent terrace and disappeared into the night. When Sophia returned to the room, she noticed a box on the table. Opening it, she found a brand-new pair of white garden shoes inside.
When Capone pulled her into the room earlier, it was probably to have her try on the shoes. However, before they could get to the main topic, they ended up arguing.
Her feet were naturally somewhat asymmetrical. While it wasn't noticeable in appearance, it was uncomfortable when wearing shoes, so she had always worn custom-made ones.
After being brought here, all her personal belongings, including her shoes, were taken away by Capone and his people. With no suitable shoes to wear, she had to go around barefoot.
She hadn't expected him to care.
Reflecting on Diana's words, Sophia suddenly realized that her arguments with Capone were also a form of harm.
She resented and hated him, but wasn't her blind anger and disputes making her just like him?
Sophia cleaned up, dressed, and sat in the room, knowing she was waiting for him to return, hoping to have a serious conversation.
She didn't know how long she had waited. She was feeling drowsy when she heard a noise outside the door and quickly got up to pay attention.
The door opened, and it wasn't just Capone who walked in. He was holding an alluring woman in his arms. Both seemed to have had quite a bit to drink, playfully teasing and kissing each other, their bodies entangled in a tangled mess.
Seeing Sophia standing stunned in place, Capone raised an eyebrow, showing no intention of being discreet. Instead, he slammed the door shut, roughly pushed the woman against the wall, and continued his actions with even more abandon, tearing off half of her clothing.
Sophia felt as if a sharp knife had been thrust into her chest, her heart feeling as if it had been instantaneously nailed down and had forgotten how to beat.
She tried to speak, but no words came out.
The alluring woman rubbed against Capone's body, already emitting involuntary sounds of desire. Seeing that there was someone else in the room, she couldn't help but call out coquettishly, "Dear Capone, stop… there's someone here. Who is she?"
Yes, who is she? Sophia's hands and feet grew cold and damp, unable to remember who she was or why she was standing here witnessing such a scene.
"A disrespectful woman, don't mind her!"
Capone continued his actions with an incredibly charming smile, though the amusement did not reach his eyes.
Sophia stepped back, having forgotten what she wanted to discuss with him or the purpose of the conversation. She only wanted to escape and avoid being tainted by the scene before her.
"Stop! Who told you to leave? Can't you understand? I said you're not allowed to leave this room without my permission! If you don't know how to serve, then open your eyes and watch how others do it, got it?"
Capone's voice was like a demon from hell. Sophia shook her head, wondering why she had ever felt a moment of unease or guilt for hurting this man.
She turned and ran toward the door, but as soon as her hand touched the handle, Capone yanked her back. Dizzied and disoriented, she was pushed onto the bed. Capone, pressing down on her, grinned wickedly, "What's wrong? Trying to run? Didn't you say I can touch any woman? Actually, I have more fun than you can imagine. Want to try playing with us? Penny, take off your clothes and join us. The more, the merrier. Today, I'm going to see just how noble and pure the Diaz family's young lady really is!"
What?!
Sophia Diaz felt as though she had been struck by lightning. She never expected Capone to do this, deliberately dragging her into a mire of humiliation and abuse!
She didn't want to play such depraved games with him, but the alluring woman named Penny had already calmly undressed and was walking toward them.
Sensing the cloying perfume from Penny and the smell of alcohol from Capone, Sophia felt disgusted and nauseated, struggling desperately.
"I don't want this, let me go! Do whatever you want with your debauchery, but don't involve me! I hate people like you, I hate you!"
"Is that so? Well, I feel the same way!" He pulled her up and pushed her onto the floor beside them. "If you don't want to play, then just watch. Learn from my woman how to please a man, or you might end up losing your life here!"
Capone ignored her and turned his attention back to Penny's soft body, his lips finding her sensitive spots. The woman immediately entwined herself around him like a seductive serpent, responding to his kisses with uninhibited, blush-inducing moans.
The scene was so shocking that Sophia could barely breathe. She watched the increasingly intimate entanglement on the bed, and her sense of shame surged once more.
She shouldn't have such a strong reaction, just as she shouldn't have felt the pleasure he brought.
He would possess that woman, treating her in the same way he treated others!
It was so disgusting; she was about to vomit!
Sophia could no longer control the bile rising in her throat. She ran into the bathroom, hunched over the toilet, and began to vomit.
The late-night Italian meal Diana had kindly brought her was expelled completely, leaving her stomach empty and even her bile was coming up.
Tears streamed down her face as she heard Capone's low, angry voice from outside, "Get out of here. I don't want to see you again tonight!"
She gathered her last bit of strength, stumbled out, and left behind the springtime scene that wasn't meant for her.
"Capone…" With the unwelcome guest finally gone, Penny raised her head, using all her efforts to continue enticing the man in front of her. But it was clear that his enthusiasm had instantly extinguished with Sophia Diaz's departure.
"Get out!" Capone straightened up, not even glancing at the alluring woman on the bed. His command was indifferent yet ten times harsher than before. "Did you hear me? Get out, too!"
Penny was momentarily stunned. If it had been five years ago when she first met Capone, she might have been as tearful as Sophia Diaz. But now, she could only force a bitter smile.
Having been in the nightlife for years, she had developed a knack for reading situations. If a man doesn't care about you, no amount of tears will change that; and if he's truly invested, even a single tear can stir his heart deeply.
Clearly, the man cared about the girl who had just run out, while she, left behind, was merely a prop in someone else's emotional world.
What did it matter that she had once been his lover? It seemed he had already done his part to help her move on from the transient, shifting days. He had never promised anything to a woman, and for someone as self-controlled and not overly sentimental as he was, this was probably the most he could offer.
It was her own mistake to harbor feelings she shouldn't have, thinking that after so many years, he might have a different attitude towards her. But now she realized that he had changed, though not because of her.
The next morning, Diana prepared a lavish breakfast, and Cronus came over to join. Noticing the extra set of utensils on the table, he asked, "Why are there extra utensils? Is someone else joining us?"
Diana caught sight of Sophia coming out of her room and Capone just coming down the stairs. She deliberately raised her voice, "It seems Capone had a guest over last night, so we should at least offer them breakfast before they leave!"
Cronus also noticed Capone and, ignoring his somewhat pale complexion, played along, "Oh, you mean Penny? She left early. When she returned to ROYAL, Joey and I were still there. Boss must have been quite drunk last night, so Penny just dropped him off. There's no way she would stay the night!"
"Stop talking so much, no one thinks you're mute!" Capone said, walking over to sit next to him.
"Oh, Miss Sophia, you're up too? Come and have some breakfast!" Diana intentionally changed her address, making it seem deliberately distant.
Sophia Diaz hesitated at Capone's presence, and sure enough, he corrected her sarcastically, "There are no 'young ladies' here, only captives and servants! Diana, you don't need to get up early to prepare breakfast anymore. From now on, let her do the chores. If she doesn't do them well, she won't get any food. That's the rule!"
"Oh!" Diana lowered her head and complied, packing tea eggs and steamed buns into a large Italian food box and filling a thermos with soy milk. "But I've already prepared everything today. Let Sophia deliver the breakfast to the next room. Mandy's leg is still injured, and Sixth Brother isn't up yet, but he still needs to eat!"
Without further ado, Diana handed the items to Sophia and pushed her out, giving her a wink at the door.
Sophia immediately understood that there was a portion of breakfast meant for her.
Capone had no reason to refute. He could only watch as Sophia carried the food next door, suddenly losing his appetite for the butter-laden bread in his hand.
"Joey has news about Lucas. I didn't get a chance to discuss it last night due to drinking. Cronus, come with me to discuss this with Mandy. Business comes first!"
Cronus had just taken a bite of his bun but had to follow Capone out, casting a sharp look at Diana. She, seemingly oblivious, shrugged and said, "Oh, then I'll go clean up the dishes!"
The two adjacent villas were both owned by the Franklin family, so Capone never bothered to knock when coming and going.