Queenie shook her head, pulled out a tissue, and gently wiped away the tears on Luca's face. "When I first saw the news about you and Luke, I really thought he betrayed his marriage.
"I got so upset my blood pressure skyrocketed. But Luke told me about your situation that day, so my health has been good for the past few days. However, to find out more about your situation, I agreed to pretend to be unwell and stayed in the hospital.
"Bianca, you're too naive. You've endured so much alone without telling us. We could protect you. Why did you have to face all this on your own?"
Luca sniffed. Her eyes had dried from wiping tears, and she was left with a bitter feeling in her heart.
"Mom, I didn't have a choice. The Island of Despair is an organization with many killers and advanced weapons. I didn't want to involve my loved ones before I had it all figured out," explained Luca. Her voice was nasal and heavy due to her crying earlier.
After that, she glanced back at Luke.
Even though she was addressing Queenie's concerns, it was also directed at Luke.
She did not keep it from him intentionally. She did not want to put him in danger.
Even though she did not participate in the initial eradication of the Island of Despair, she knew it was a difficult mission. If Luke had not sought help from various forces, they would not have been able to eliminate them.
Luca had spent time on the island, and she understood the terror within. Top-ranked assassins from various world rankings were all enlisted by the Island of Despair. Some joined voluntarily, while others were coerced into it, ending up having to work for them.
Luca worried that one day, Abel would seize the opportunity to control Luke. That was why when she first came back, she secretly researched the formula to replicate the antidote. Only with the knowledge of making the antidote could she feel secure.
Even if the Island of Despair took control of them in the end, having the antidote would allow them to break free at any time.
Luca's actions were not only for her own sake and the well-being of Amur and Eler, but also a response to witnessing the tactics the Island of Despair used to force other top-tier assassins into their service.
She feared that the same methods might be applied to Luke, which prompted her to take such measures.
Luke's heart softened when he heard Luca's explanation.
She had been through a lot because of him and endured so much pain and torment. Yet, she continued to shield him with her silence when she returned.
What had he done to deserve Luca's love?
"Bianca, you're being way too naive." Queenie affectionately stroked her hair. "Your parents will always be your strong support. You don't have to bear all this on your own."
Luca leaned on Queenie's shoulder, tears threatening to fall again. "Mom, I just hope you and Dad can be healthy and happy."
She did not hold Queenie and Luke accountable for deceiving her. After careful consideration, she realized they only wanted the best for her.
That was why they staged this act to get her to express her true feelings.
Luke's gaze darkened slightly. Now, he understood why Luca willingly served the Island of Despair and chose not to reveal the truth.
Next, it was up to him.
He would not let anyone who harmed Luca and their precious daughter go unpunished.
Luke's slender fingers slowly clenched into fists. He was not a bloodthirsty person, but after hearing everything Luca said, he just wanted to tear those bastards who deserved to die into pieces.
"Oh, by the way, do you have pictures of my granddaughter now?" Queenie could not help but ask.
"Yes." Luca sniffed and took out her phone. Realizing she had turned it off earlier to avoid being listened to, she explained, "My phone can be monitored anytime, so I turned it off before coming in. If I turn it on now, we can't discuss these matters."
Luke nodded. "Until we get rid of the Island of Despair, you're still Luca."
Only when he dealt with the trouble of the Island of Despair could Luca become Bianca.
Even though she had confessed to them now, only a few people knew, including the Norman family's maid. Luke had no intention of letting anyone else find out.
Luca also thought it was better this way.
Queenie heaved a sigh and gently touched Luca's face. They said surgeries must have been painful, and Luca's face had undergone significant changes. It was not just the pain of childbirth but also the discomfort of cosmetic surgery...
She dared not imagine how much her daughter had suffered because of Leia, that disobedient daughter.
Tears welled up in Luca's eyes again, and she wiped them away. "I'm going to turn on my phone now."
Queenie instantly became serious. She had learned about the Island of Despair a few days ago. Jack had educated her, making her realize that modern terrorist organizations were no longer like those in the past.
Terrorist organizations solely relied on violence to fight for territory back then.
Modern terrorist organizations did not only rely on violence but also utilized advanced technology, employing tools and methods used in forensics.
In fact, many of their technologies were even more advanced than what was currently available in the market.
Hence, when Queenie found out about Luca's concern about potential phone monitoring, she became extremely cautious. She told herself to be careful with her words from now on.
She had to ensure that the Island of Despair remained unaware that they had discovered Luca's true identity. This was to avoid them harming her and her child.
After Luca turned on her phone, she took out encrypted photos from her album, showing them to Queenie first. Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
These photos were either snapshots from video calls with Nyla, or pictures taken by Amur when he returned to the Island of Despair.
Queenie could not help but get excited when she saw photos of Nyla. The child resembled Luca a lot, with delicate facial features and a slightly chubby face.
Suppressing her excitement, Queenie gestured to Luke, indicating that he should see the photos too.
Luca rose to her feet, turned around, and placed the phone in Luke's hands. Her gaze was fixed on him.
This was their child.
Luke looked at the photos on the phone. The little girl looked exactly like Rainie when she was little. He gently traced the screen with his fingertip, as though he was caressing her.
"She's cute," he murmured.
Luca nodded. Nyla was indeed adorable. She had a lively personality similar to Tommy's.
While she shared Rainie's appearance, her temperament was more mischievous. Growing up on the Island of Despair, she had encountered many of the people there, making her bold and fearless.
Sometimes, Luca and Eler felt worried that she might get into trouble or offend some of the ill- tempered killers.
After all, her cuteness would not necessarily spare her from consequences.
When Luca thought of her little daughter, she wished she could immediately wipe out the Island of Despair and rescue her.
Luke held Luca's phone, sent the pictures of their daughter through text message to his own phone, and handed the phone back to Luca.
Luca took the phone from him and immediately powered it off.
"Does Aunt Wanda also know about my true identity?" Luca no longer used the previous form of address for Wanda because she had opened up about her true self.
She speculated that Wanda's hunger strike was a way to force her to confess to them.