Whether intentional or not, Capone walked downstairs, kicked over a bucket, and the water spilled over her feet and soaked her clothes.
Sophia was indeed angry. "What's wrong with you? Why did you kick over the bucket?"
All her efforts early in the morning seemed to have been in vain. She was furious, and the dirty water had made the soles of her feet sting.
Capone twisted his mouth into a smirk, about to mock her, but then noticed something wrong with her feet. "What's wrong with your foot?"
"None of your business!"
He grabbed her wrist. "What happened?"
"I got cut by a zipper while washing clothes yesterday! Let go, you're hurting me!"
Capone then noticed the red marks on her wrist where he had gripped her. He muttered a curse under his breath.
How come this woman is always covered in injuries?
His mind became a bit chaotic. He held onto her without letting go. "Don't work today. Freshen up and change into clean clothes. Wait for me to come back later. We have guests coming."
Sophia didn't ask who the so-called guest was. She was too busy cleaning up the spilled dirty water; otherwise, she wouldn't finish her work today and would end up hungry.
What kind of good people could Capone's guests be?
She knew what Capone was thinking: he probably just wanted to see her break down and beg him. But she was determined not to give him the satisfaction.
In fact, the tasks she was doing were usually handled by Lucy. Lucy was used to them and could complete them quickly and efficiently. For Sophia, however, these were unfamiliar chores, and with the additional responsibility of caring for the injured men and washing clothes, it was especially exhausting.
"Sophia, stop cleaning and come eat some pasta!" Lucy, who was the most opposed to how Capone treated Sophia, called out. The delicate young girl was clearly struggling with these tasks, especially since she had her own injuries.
Lucy wasn't going to let Sophia starve, but the stubborn girl wouldn't soften up in front of Capone. Her once-beautiful, fair hands were now wrinkled from the water.
"Ugh," Lucy sighed, looking at Sophia who was eating pasta with her head down. "Those guys don't know how to cherish a delicate girl. Fortunately, Diana is coming back soon; she'll keep you company!"
Sophia paused. "Who is Diana?" The name sounded like it belonged to a girl.
She guessed correctly; Diana was indeed a girl, and she was the guest arriving today.
In fact, she wasn't really a guest. She had grown up here and only left her hometown to attend university. Her connection to Capone seemed to be a matter of their parents' generation; her father had saved Capone's father Henry and a few of his men. After her parents passed away, she was protected as a child of the benefactor.
How nice. Could it be that they were childhood friends?
Sophia poked at the pasta in her bowl, imagining a spoiled and fashionable college girl with long hair and a red dress who was good at being charming.
With Diana coming, would Capone's attention no longer be on her?
So from noon onward, Sophia kept glancing outside the yard, hoping to see any signs of the delicate girl approaching.
She felt uneasy, as if this man was tainted, with his childhood friend probably being just another fleeting interest. The refined skills he had might have been practiced on many women, and now he wanted to see her submit.
It wasn't that she didn't hate him, but what would hate achieve? He hated the Diaz family, and he took out his resentment on her. What could she do with her hatred?
She couldn't escape now; she could only look for opportunities and people who could help her.
Lost in thought, Sophia heard a knock on the door. She rushed over to open it and found a young girl standing outside. With ear-length short hair, large black-framed glasses, and no makeup, the girl wore a lake-blue checkered flannel shirt that highlighted her slightly tanned complexion.
"You are…?" The girl, surprised to see Sophia, adjusted her glasses and asked.
Sophia wasn't sure how to introduce herself, but fortunately, Lucy came out just in time.
The girl, who had an almost bookish demeanor, was actually Diana!
No red dress or long hair, and dressed in a somewhat plain outfit, this girl was Capone's childhood friend?
Capone came back with Cronus, and the dinner table was nearly set. Tonight's dinner was all made by Diana. Sophia had heard from Lucy that she was an excellent cook.
Capone's expression softened a bit upon seeing Diana, but he merely smiled and asked, "You're back?"
Diana, holding a spatula, glanced at him and softly said, "Capone," before ignoring Cronus entirely.
No hugs, no coquettish behavior—Sophia had never seen such a distant childhood friend.
"I'll handle the rest of the cleaning. You go and keep Capone company!" Diana said, frowning at Sophia's pale, wrinkled hands. "Leave this to me!"
"He doesn't need my company!" Sophia said curtly, peeling potatoes. She was already uncomfortable being confined next to him every night and wished she never had to see him again.
"But his eyes have been glued to you since he came in!"
Diana spoke with a flat tone, saying exactly what was on her mind. Sophia was startled, glanced back, and saw that she couldn't catch Capone's gaze; he was talking to Cronus.
But before she could respond, Capone's footsteps were already getting closer.
Diana didn't seem to pay him much attention—was it just intuition?
Diana took the items from Sophia's hands while Capone grabbed her wrist.
"Come with me to the room!"
He pulled her upstairs, still with no explanation or reason. Sophia tried to pry his hand away and caught a glimpse of Cronus on the sofa, watching with a smirk as they passed the corner of the stairs.
"What are you doing?" Sophia asked as he dragged her into the room, slamming the door behind them. Her heart raced with a thud.
It was broad daylight, and there were so many people downstairs. He wouldn't get violent with her now, would he?
Capone smiled at her reaction and, with a deliberately teasing tone, pinched her chin. "Why are you so scared of me? Hiding things like this, if I really wanted to do something, could you stop me?"
Sophia pushed his hand away. "It's broad daylight, and everyone is waiting for dinner! You… you better not do anything foolish!"
"Oh, so you're hungry. Have you finished all your work? You're in such a hurry for dinner?"
Seeing her glaring at him with suppressed anger, Capone's mood lifted inexplicably.
There had been so many complicated matters lately, and each one required careful attention, making him feel quite gloomy. But teasing this girl seemed to brighten his mood. This little toy… was indeed quite enjoyable.
"I've finished my work, so you'd better keep your promises! The meal… it's Diana who insisted on cooking. Lucy said her cooking is much better!"
Capone laughed. "Yes, her cooking is definitely much better than yours!"
Sophia clenched her fists. For some reason, his words filled her with a surge of bitterness.
She was also good at cooking; even a Michelin chef from France, who had taught her pastry techniques, praised her creations. But Capone had forbidden her from cooking and claimed he hated the smell of pastries.
Now he mocked her for not being able to cook well!
"Of course, the dishes made by your childhood friend must be to your taste!" Sophia shouted at him, her eyes reddening.
Capone was taken aback. "Who told you that she and I are childhood friends?"
"Isn't she?" Sophia sneered. "Or have you forgotten because there are too many women around you?"
Capone narrowed his eyes. "Are you jealous?"
"Jealous of you? I'm glad she's back! Now you won't need my cooking or my company, right? When will you finally let me go?"
Capone stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. "Diana isn't my childhood friend. I've known her for ten years and consider her like a sister. To me, she's no different from Mandy or Cronus. She cooks well, but that doesn't mean I have to sleep with her. For now, no one can replace you, and I have no intention of letting you go!"
He traced her petal-like red lips with his thumb in a suggestive manner. Sophia struggled in his arms. "Even if she's not your childhood friend, you must have other women! Why do you insist on holding onto me?"
"You're still jealous! Other women are the same for me, but you, the rich young lady, are different from them. I'm not tired of playing yet, understand?"
Capone began to open her collar and kissed her collarbone. Sophia winced in pain and shouted as she pushed him away. "Don't touch me! Isn't it enough to have so many women? Don't you find it disgusting?"
Capone stopped, lifted his head to look at her. "Do you think I'm filthy?"
"Don't touch me! Do you have so many women and still find it not enough? Don't you find it disgusting?"
Capone stopped, looked up at her, and asked, "Do you think I'm filthy?"
"Yes, I think you're filthy! People like you only know how to play around, touching any woman without fearing diseases! You don't understand... such things should only be done with someone you truly love; doing it with anyone else is desecration! You have no feelings, no respect; you're just a mafia who kills, kidnaps, and bullies the weak!"
Capone pressed his lips tightly together, with anger seething in his eyes. If it weren't for his strong self-control, this woman would have already been strangled by him.
He used some technique, quickly pinning Sophia's hands so she couldn't move, then pushed her onto the bed and pinned her down. "You're quite sharp-tongued. Do you have someone you love?"
"It's none of your business!" Even if she had once loved someone, she could only bury those feelings deep inside now, all because of him!
"Is that so? Well then, today I'm going to make you dirty like me and help you forget your 'beloved' person!"
Capone was different this time; his body was charged with anger. The speed and ruthlessness with which he removed her clothes were evident. Yet his hands and lips seemed almost magical, traversing her sensitive and soft body with the power to restrain her, but also gently stimulating her body's inherent passion.
What she said was true; with his background and experience, it was impossible for him to have only her. His exceptional skills hadn't had many opportunities to be displayed on her, but now he was being deliberate, deliberately making her enjoy the process, even knowing that her beloved person would never be him.
There was too much disparity in strength between them. Even if she struggled, as long as he maintained a dominant stance, he could still bring her pleasure while restraining her. Her seductive voice escaped uncontrollably, and her body, once tensed to the extreme, became soft and irresistible—this was undeniable.
His anger did not dissipate with the physical release. "Do you see now who is making you feel good? Reflect on this well; you are not allowed to eat today, and you're not permitted to leave this room without my permission!"
At nightfall, at the Royal Club in the port.
"Hey, what's going on with you and that girl? She was fine before the pasta, I thought you were taking her upstairs to try on shoes or something. Why did you end up having an argument and not even letting her come down to eat the pasta?"
Cronus popped a few cashews into his mouth, while the girl next to him kept pressing against him, the garish perfume making him feel dizzy. Capone was still having the madam send more girls into the private room.
He couldn't understand what was up with the boss. Everything seemed fine during the day. He asked about what kind of shoes would be comfortable for girls, and for some reason, the Diaz family girl didn't like wearing shoes, injuring her feet by going barefoot.
It was surprising that the boss showed such concern for her, which meant she was special.
Cronus had bought a pair of pink-and-white Crocs garden shoes with Hello Kitty designs, which he thought the Diaz girl would like, as he usually wore them to work and found them very comfortable.
But instead, he saw the two arguing, and Capone ended up dragging him and JoeyJoey out for drinks, locking Sophia Diaz in a room.
"Don't mention her to me, ungrateful thing!" Capone exhaled a puff of smoke and pulled two of the new girls into his lap, then continued drinking cup after cup.
Cronus exchanged a glance with Joey, unsure of what else to say.
When Capone took over his father's business, IDGM Capital, it was already run as a conglomerate with diverse operations. Whatever made money was pursued. Essentially, the money was cleaned up, but some profitable ventures still required special backgrounds, like entertainment assets such as clubs.
Especially in the port area, known as a major tourist and entertainment hub in the south, the vibrant, never-sleeping city had most of its entertainment industry shares owned by IDGM. ROYAL was one of Capone's enterprises, so it was expected that he would have the best of everything here.
However, Capone usually limited his indulgence in beauty. When his brothers gathered for drinks, having a beautiful woman around was just for fun; he never made a fuss or took anyone out.
But today was evidently different, especially when Penny, who was no longer working as an escort, showed up. They realized that Capone's intentions for the day went beyond just having someone to accompany him or drink with.
Sophia lay on Capone's large, somewhat empty bed until her body had grown cold, as if it had no warmth left, before she sat up.
Her tears had dried, but with the slightest movement, she could still feel the heat and filth flowing out of her, as if intentionally reminding her of everything she had just endured.
Sophia hugged her knees on the bed and cried out loud, feeling ashamed of herself.
She was a captive, a tool for his gratification, but how could she feel pleasure under his disgusting techniques, making him proud and satisfied?
He always discarded her like trash once he was done, forbidding her to escape or think of anyone else, shattering her hopes one after another, even torturing her body by making her work but denying her the pasta she longed for.
At least this way, starving to death was better than being cruelly abused by him with no hope.
There was a knocking sound coming from the sliding glass door to the balcony. Sophia jolted, tensing her voice as she asked, "Who is it?"
There was no answer, and the knocking continued softly and persistently. Sophia felt a bit scared. She put on her clothes, walked over, pulled aside a corner of the curtain, and peered out into the moonlight to see the silhouette of the person outside.
"Diana? How did you...?"
Sophia was a bit surprised but still opened the door to let her in. It had started raining outside, and since this was the balcony on the second floor, she had no idea how Diana had managed to get up here. However, looking at Diana's somewhat dazed expression and the backpack she carried, Sophia felt no sense of alarm.
Diana's hair was wet from the rain, sticking to her cheeks. She pushed up her glasses and, as if knowing what Sophia was thinking, pointed to the adjacent terrace. "The door to the next room wasn't locked. I climbed over from that terrace." She pulled out a lunchbox from her backpack. "You haven't eaten, so this is for you!"
"What? You climbed over? That's so dangerous. What if you fell? I don't mind not eating, but… but you shouldn't take such risks!" Sophia found it hard to imagine. A girl who looked so delicate and gentle would risk climbing heights just to bring her some pasta?
"It's fine. I've been doing this since I was young. It was actually Capone's idea. He used to be locked in this room by his dad and would escape and come back like this. His dad never noticed."
Sophia froze. Capone used to... be locked up by his father?
Even the mafia prince had moments when he wasn't free?
"Currently, only Capone and Mandy have the keys to this place. Lucy and I can't open it, so I had to come up with this method. Anyway, eat up; your stomach is already growling!"
Diana handed the pasta box to her, and only then did Sophia awkwardly realize her stomach was indeed making noises.
Diana's thick glasses hid any trace of mockery, and she said no more, just sitting down beside her.
Sophia, who had been hungry for most of the day, was unable to resist such temptation and, after hesitating for only a second, began to eat.
There was no point in punishing herself just to defy that awful man!
"Capone and the others went out drinking. He's in a bad mood. If he asks when he gets back, just pretend you haven't eaten anything and don't mention me. He can be unreasonable when he's angry!"
Sophia paused, her mind flashing back to his whip and slaps. The wounds on her back seemed to throb anew, and she shuddered inwardly.
Diana glanced at her and continued calmly, "He's like me, grew up without a mother, and doesn't understand how to be considerate or gentle with women. He only responds to softness, not hardness. Making him unhappy just means making yourself unhappy. So when he said he wanted to introduce me to a boyfriend and marry me off today, I couldn't refuse, even though I already have someone I like."
Sophia was a bit surprised. "Aren't you his childhood sweetheart?"
"Not all boys and girls who grow up together are childhood sweethearts. He doesn't look at girls like me, and the main reason is that I'm not his type."
Diana seemed out of place among Capone and his crew. When she spoke with such a serious tone, it almost seemed amusing, but Sophia could tell she was a smart woman, using a tactful way to indicate that she was not Capone's woman and to warn her not to confront Capone head-on. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be her who suffered; others would be affected too.
"It's his lack of vision; you're actually very beautiful!" Sophia instinctively liked her.
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