章 7: Chapter 7- caramel pudding

The warmth of Capone's body had completely faded. He gripped her chin and lifted it, saying, "There's no need to deny it. Before long, maybe your entire Diaz family will belong to me! I have so many grievances with your family that I don't even know where to begin. Just remember, you owe me, and you'll never be able to repay it in your lifetime!"

Sophia Diaz thought it would be difficult to learn everything from Capone. This man was as cautious as he was suspicious and seemed to hold a deep grudge against the Diaz family. Watching her and her family suffer seemed to be his goal, so it was unlikely he would be honest with her.

Fortunately, he didn't completely confine her and even allowed her to take on the task assigned by Cronus. She began to be responsible for changing the dressings for him and Mandy.

During the day, when Capone was not around, Sophia would take the medicine and soup that Lucy had prepared to the villa next door to tend to Mandy. To be honest, she was still a bit nervous, considering Mandy was one of Capone's subordinates and loyal to him. Birds of a feather flock together, and she feared he might mistreat her as well.

However, Lucy repeatedly assured her that Mandy wouldn't do that. Remembering how Mandy had stopped Capone from continuing to whip her on the plane, her anxiety was slightly eased.

Mandy lived in a room on the ground floor of the neighboring villa, and the room still had a simple and rugged decor. He was sitting in a wheelchair and only lifted his eyes when he saw Sophia enter, showing no sign of surprise.

Compared to Capone, Mandy appeared more indifferent. He was tall and silent, with a natural air of vigilance and authority. But he was a compliant patient, allowing Sophia to tremblingly unwrap the bandages, apply medicine, and re-bandage him without speaking much, expressing pain, or refusing.

His arms and legs bore harsh scars, likely from past dark conflicts. With his more solid physique compared to the others and the martial decor of the room, Sophia guessed he might be exceptionally skilled in combat.

Mandy was cold but still somewhat gentle, which made Sophia a bit braver, as she no longer feared that he would harm her.

However, the situation was entirely different at night. From the moment Capone entered the room, he would bind her to his side, making her help him change clothes and dressings. He would grip her waist and pull her into his arms, kissing her harshly until she could barely breathe, or remove her clothes under the pretense of applying medicine and bully her.

Capone also disliked drinking soup. The nourishing soups Lucy prepared often went untouched by him, as he would instead force her to drink it, and then lick her lips to take advantage of her.

Sophia dreaded the night. Unable to sleep, she felt miserable and wanted to cry. Her mood was poor during the day, so she looked for something to distract herself and remembered the baking tools Cronus had brought for her.

The baking materials were quite complete, but Sophia only made the simplest caramel pudding. When it came out of the oven, the house was filled with the sweet aroma of caramel. It tasted better after being refrigerated, so she made three bowls and put them all in the fridge.

She shared one bowl with Lucy, who praised her, saying, "I didn't realize you were so skilled, Sophia. This pudding is really delicious, sweet but not cloying. Even an old person like me with bad teeth finds it easy to eat!"

The praise and the taste of the dessert greatly improved Sophia's mood. Cronus came by again in the afternoon, and naturally, he wouldn't pass up the chance to enjoy some good food. She happily gave him a bowl.

With the last bowl left, she thought for a moment and decided to take it to Mandy. When she set down her things, she saw Mandy turn his wheelchair and, to her shock, he was holding the whip Capone had used to hit her. She was startled, nearly knocking over a nearby water glass, and leaned against the table, gripping its edge tightly.

"This… why do you have this?"

"It was originally mine!" Mandy placed the whip back and said淡淡地,"Boss just borrowed it temporarily. Don't worry, I won't use it on you!"

Sophia's mood, which had been lifted by the afternoon's activities, was extinguished once again. The whip marks on her back seemed to ache anew. "Why… why do you carry such things around and use them to hurt people? Is it supposed to be cool?"

Mandy looked at her steadily. "This whip isn't used casually to hurt people. Besides me, only Capone is allowed to use it!"

"He…"

"He prefers using guns. A single shot can decide life or death; he likes that method better! This whip is just a form of warning, a way to punish those who have made mistakes!"

"That's still your form of private punishment!"

"There are national laws and family rules. Without rules, how can you govern?"

Sophia had no intention of arguing with him. She didn't understand their world. Mandy was a person who enforced the rules, so his position must be quite high, right?

"You all call Capone 'boss.' Are you the second in rank?"

"No, I'm third. Matthew passed away in an accident a few years ago."

"How many brothers are there in total?"

"Twelve!"

Sophia was taken aback. She understood that this number didn't include their subordinates but referred directly to those who were considered Capone's close associates. Most of the people she had seen in the study that day were likely among them.

Mandy didn't seem to mind answering her questions. Sophia thought he might also be able to tell her why she was kidnapped and brought here.

She handed him the pudding she had made, saying, "Well, I made this today. You've been taking medicine and drinking soup for the past few days, so your mouth must be tasteless. Have something sweet!"

Mandy didn't complain, though he was somewhat unfamiliar with the dessert. He frowned as he looked at it but still used a spoon to taste it.

"Is it good?"

"Hmm, it's fine. But I don't like sweet food, and neither does Boss!"

Sophia pouted; Capone's preferences were none of her concern.

With the rare relaxed atmosphere, Mandy was willing to talk a bit more. Sophia was about to steer the conversation toward the main topic when Capone arrived.

The door was open, and he didn't even knock. He strode straight up to her, his gaze landing on her smile, which she hadn't had time to hide, and the half-eaten pudding in Mandy's hand.

"What's so pleasant that you're chatting so happily?" he asked with an impassive tone.

"She came to help me with my dressings, brought soup and some new snacks, and we chatted for a bit!"

"Is that so?" Capone's gaze shifted to Sophia, who avoided his eyes, her heart pounding rapidly.

Mandy answered frankly, which made it seem as if she had something shameful.

"Boss, how's the investigation going? Is it Lucas who attacked us?"

Mandy didn't notice the undercurrents between them. They had been busy investigating the ambush that had occurred that night and should have some clues by now.

"Hmm, Joey is still waiting for concrete news. Based on the methods used, it is indeed most likely the work of Lucas, but other possibilities can't be ruled out!"

"Could it be the police?"

"No, the police wouldn't shoot knowing there are hostages in the car!" Capone glanced at Sophia again, a slight smile on his lips.

"Lucas has gone too far this time. Boss, you should be careful!"

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