"It was the kids...?" Luca was surprised, not expecting that it was actually the kids who
discovered it first.
"Will they be mad at me?" Luca could not help but ask. She had lied to them, after all.
As an adult and their mother, she had always taught them not to lie, not to deceive, and
to be honest and kind.
However, she had deceived the children from the very beginning.
"No, don't think about that. Since finding out your true identity, they've been worried
about you, especially Rainie. She's worried that you might be facing some difficulties.
She's also afraid that you would suddenly leave again," answered Luke.
Suddenly, Luca remembered the night when the rumors first came out, Rainie was very
worried. She was afraid that she would not be able to see Luca the next day if she fell
asleep...
Her heart softened at the thought of the kids worrying about her, and it subtly ached.
"I think we shouldn't tell them about having another sister for now. Children shouldn't bear
too much. When we arrive home, I'll open up to them and admit my identity. But I'll also
ask them to keep it a secret. I don't want them to worry about another person," said Luca.
If Lanie and the others knew that they had a younger sister in the hands of those bad
guys, they would certainly worry.
Therefore, Luca wanted to keep it a secret at the moment. After rescuing Nyla, she would
confess to them that she was their younger sister.
"Okay." Luke agreed with Luca's plan. As parents, their top mission was to protect the kids,
not to have the kids worrying alongside them.
Lanie's maturity would influence his younger siblings. Luke hoped his children could be
happier and not resemble him.
The others said Lanie was like a little adult. Old Master Mallory also said that Lanie was
exactly like him when he was a child.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtLuke's personality was shaped by the environment.
Lanie did not have to become another Luke Crawford.
It was better not to let the kids know too much about things that would make them worry.
"I'll talk to the kids after we arrive home. Let's keep this from Aunt Neile for now. We'll tell
her about this once everything is sorted out," said Luca.
Aunt Neile had been working in the Crawford family for more than ten years, and she was
considered a trustworthy person.
She was probably not sent here by the Island of Despair, but they could not guarantee
that she would not talk about these things after knowing them. There was also a chance
that she might be threatened by the Island of Despair one day in the future...
Luca did not want to cause too much trouble for herself.
Luke agreed with her. Still, he smiled when he thought back to the kids complaining about
him regarding Luca not admitting her true identity and their longing to call her 'Mommy'.
"So, if we keep things as they are, the kids won't be calling you 'Mommy' at home. I don't
think they'll be happy about it."
"It's better to keep things the way they are. They're still kids, after all," Luca knew what
the kids had in their mind. They probably felt stifled when they had to address her as Ms.
Luca instead of 'Mommy'.
If she confessed everything to them, but they were still not allowed to call her 'Mommy',
they would probably still feel sad about it.
However, this was unavoidable. If the kids started calling her 'Mommy' when they were at
home but had to continue to address her as 'Ms. Luca' in front of outsiders, they might slip
up in conversations. That could cause trouble.
It was better to let them temporarily keep addressing her the same way.
Luke drove back to the villa. After entering the area, Luca took off her hat and mask.
Reporters could hardly get in here. Once the car entered the area, there was no need to
worry about being photographed by reporters.
After they arrived home, the three kids gathered around in unison, eagerly looking at Luca
without saying a word.
Luca knew for sure that Luke had briefed the kids on what they were going to do today.
However, Luke did not have the chance to tell them the outcome. Hence, they were eager
to know the final result now.
Aunt Neile was surprised when she saw the three of them behaving that way.
Usually, they would greet Luca when they gathered around her. They did not greet her
today. Instead, they all stood there staring at her like that. What happened?
Even though Aunt Neile was curious, she greeted, "Mr. Crawford, Ms. Craw, why are you
both late today?"
Normally, if they were going to be late, they would give a heads-up in advance so that the
kids would not have to wait with empty stomachs. However, they were late today, and
there was no advance notice.
Aunt Neile noticed that it was already well past the usual dinner time. When she was
about to call the kids for dinner, she saw them return. She asked, "It's already dinner time.
Should I serve dinner now?" "Aunt Neile, go ahead and serve the food. I bought some gifts
for the kids. I'll go upstairs and give them the gifts first. It won't take long. We'll come
down for dinner in a bit," Luca said to Aunt Neile.
Aunt Neile looked at the briefcase in Luca's hand, feeling puzzled. It did not look like she
had bought gifts...
Could they be some small trinkets?
She noticed the kids' eyes light up when Luca mentioned the gifts. Hence, she nodded and
replied, "Alright."
Luca shot a glance at Luke and said, "I'll take the kids upstairs first."
"Okay." Luke did not plan to go upstairs. He just stayed downstairs.
Although Aunt Neile had worked in the Crawford family for many years, the best way to
keep her from knowing things was to keep an eye on her.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Now, Luke intended to keep an eye on Aunt Neile to ensure she did not hear anything she
should not.
Luca took the three kids to the master bedroom. After she told them to sit on the sofa, she
sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at them. "I know you all already know my true
identity."
The kids' eyes lit up. She admitted it!
They would have a mother now, not Ms. Luca. She definitely would not leave at any
moment!
"Mom—" Tommy wanted to be the first to call her.
Luca raised a finger to her lips and gently shook her head, interrupting his attempt to call
her 'Mommy'.
Tommy awkwardly stopped himself and gave her a confused look. Had she not admitted
it? Why was he not allowed to call her 'Mommy?'
"You should also know that I'm currently being controlled by an organization to do certain
things. So, I can't publicly reveal my identity at the moment," Luca patiently explained to
the kids why they could not address her that way.
"Huh? Hasn't that issue been resolved yet?" Rainie expressed some disappointment. She
thought that their mother would be able to stay with them from now on.
She was a bit disheartened at the thought that Luca might leave at any time if things were
not settled.
She really wished their parents could be with them all the time!
"Yes, it hasn't been resolved yet, but you have to trust Mommy and Daddy. We'll figure it
out. When that day comes, I'll go ahead and reveal my true identity to the public. So, I
hope the three of you can give Mommy and Daddy some time to deal with this, okay?"
Luca spoke in a soft, gentle tone.
Rainie rose to her feet and gave her a hug. "Mommy, as long as you don't leave us, that's
all that matters."
Lanie and Tommy followed Rainie's lead, giving her a hug too.
Lanie looked at Luca and asked, "Mommy, what kind of organization is it? What are they
using to control you and make you do things for them?"