"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.
Luke'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.
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?"