The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!-Chapter 793: This Is Not What The Church Wanted

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Each time the rifle roared, Kiara flinched. Her grip around Efraim tightened just a little more. Her body trembled even after the echoes replaced the thunderous shots behind them.

"Kiara—"

"Ahh!" She jerked when Hugo grabbed her shoulder, only regaining her senses when he shouted—

"It’s me! Ki, it’s me!"

Her eyes trembled as she looked up. Relief twisted her face the moment she saw how pale he was.

"Hugo!"

She released Efraim and threw her arms around her husband. Her body shuddered against him, and once she pressed into his chest, she couldn’t tell whose heart was racing harder — hers or Hugo’s.

Hugo tightened his arms around his wife. His body remained steady — he was used to situations like this — but his heart pounded at the mere thought that she could have been in real danger. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

If he had been a second late...

If he had chosen a different path...

Countless terrifying possibilities flooded his mind, frightening him more than any battle ever could.

"You’re safe. I’m here," he breathed, instinctively pulling Efraim into the embrace as well.

Efraim stiffened, sandwiched between the couple, but somehow that warmth eased something in his chest. He lowered his head, letting them calm down. But before he could glance elsewhere, Hugo’s hand reached out and blocked his view.

The boy blinked and looked up at him, watching as Hugo finally released them.

"Don’t look over there," Hugo said with a wry smile before turning to Kiara. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

He then looked at the boy. "Are you hurt anywhere? Do you want me to carry you?"

Efraim pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Hah..." Hugo let out a deep exhale, as though a massive weight lodged in his throat had finally been removed. "Thank God, both of you are safe."

"Hugo, where are we? And I heard First Sister before I completely passed out!" Kiara clutched his shirt, panic rising again. "Is she safe?"

Hugo gulped, his eyes darting briefly between them. "She’ll be fine."

"What does that mean?"

"I haven’t seen First Sister, but the others are already looking for her," he explained. "For now, we need to go."

Kiara bit her inner lip, reluctance flickering in her eyes. But she knew stubbornness would only make things worse. Unlike her, Lola was highly skilled. Even when Kiara had first arrived at the Order, Lola and Atlas had been away on a mission.

"Don’t look that way," Hugo repeated as he helped them to their feet. "There’s a way out through here. Hold my hand."

Kiara instinctively obeyed, but then she looked at Efraim.

"Wait," she gently pulled the boy closer. "You hold him, okay?"

She guided Efraim to take Hugo’s hand, then clasped his other hand so the boy stood securely between them.

Watching this, Hugo couldn’t help but release a quiet breath.

I know this isn’t the time for this, he thought as he led them away.

But... maybe we can reconsider. Maybe we could have at least one child together.

*****

At the same time...

"..."

Scarlet stood speechless as she watched the nuns load baskets onto a truck. But inside those baskets weren’t baked goods — young nuns and children were hidden within them.

"Take care," the Mother Reverend said softly, drawing the curtains closed before nodding at the knight who would drive the truck.

"Mother," he called hesitantly.

She simply gave him a firm nod.

"Go," she whispered.

Though reluctant, he obeyed.

Stepping back, the Mother Reverend watched as the truck slowly pulled away. A shallow breath escaped her as she clasped her hands together.

That was the last batch.

Relief washed over her, knowing the evacuation had gone without a hitch.

She stared after the vehicle for a long moment before turning around. When she did, she faced several older nuns — Scarlet among them — who had been watching quietly.

"Mother, we will go inside and prepare for the night prayer session," one of the older nuns said.

The Mother Reverend nodded, watching them retreat silently.

Scarlet, however, remained where she was.

Earlier, she had intended to enter the premises where the cardinal was. But along the way, she sensed the quiet dread hanging in the air. There were far more guards than usual, and the one she dealt with near the entrance was no ordinary guard.

So instead, she sought out the Mother Reverend to understand the situation.

Atlas was already here — that much she knew.

"Care to tell me why you asked me to come here?" Scarlet asked as the Mother Reverend watched the others disappear inside.

The Mother Reverend offered her a faint smile and gestured ahead. "Walk with me, Miss Scarlet."

"Hah." Scarlet scoffed lightly but followed.

She glanced at the older woman, her lips parting before closing again.

"You see, Miss Scarlet, regardless of whether the church is part of the secret society or not, the church has remained true to its mission," the Mother Reverend said quietly. "It was the heads of the founding families in the past who trusted the church and created a council of clergy who could mediate their disputes."

They stopped near the edge of a small cliff upon which the monastery stood. From there, flames could be seen flickering in the distance. Even from afar, it was clear that something dreadful was unfolding.

"We are neither holy nor righteous," the Mother Reverend continued softly, "but we strive to remain faithful to our God. And yet, it breaks my heart that the loyal hearts of the church’s followers are being used for someone’s selfish ambition."

She drew in a slow breath.

"Even so, the young ones are innocent. The rest of us must bear responsibility for the pain the church has caused."

"You asked why I called you here."

Slowly, she turned to face Scarlet.

"Well, Miss Scarlet, I hoped you would see that this is not what the church wanted." Her gaze drifted back toward the burning distance. "And... that this place may soon be reduced to pieces."

"What?"

"The Cardinal has been preparing for a long time. I managed to sneak in and investigate... and I believe he planted bombs throughout the monastery — in case all else fails."