The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!

Chapter 816: Cycle of Revenge

"...then who killed you?"

Another heavy silence settled between them. The question hadn’t crossed Lola’s mind until he asked it.

"Shit," she blurted, sitting up abruptly to look at him. "Does that mean there’s more to this?"

Her face twisted as her thoughts began to race. Then something occurred to her.

"Wait for me here," she said, flinging her legs over the side of the bed. "I’ll go check on that silver-eyed trash. From what I heard, he’s already awake, but he won’t talk to anyone."

But now, she might just force him to cough everything up.

"Wait—" Atlas tried to stop her, but she froze the moment she opened the door.

His brows knitted together when he saw someone standing on the other side, seemingly about to knock. He narrowed his eyes, but with Lola blocking most of his view, he couldn’t see the person clearly.

Lola stared at the older woman in front of her—a nun—with confusion. "You are...?"

"I heard that Mr. Zorken has finally regained consciousness," said Mother Reverend with a subtle smile. "Is this a good time to speak with him?"

Lola blinked, taking a few seconds to process who stood before her. She had heard of Mother Reverend. After all, this woman and several senior nuns had been ready to sacrifice their lives back there. If not for Yuri requesting the team to drag them away, they would’ve ended up on the casualty list.

"Darling?" Atlas called from behind her.

Lola glanced back, then stepped aside. "She wants to talk to you," she said. "She’s Mother Reverend, from what I’ve heard."

And because of Mother Reverend, many innocents had been saved that night. She had also given Scarlet intel about the bombs. If not for her, they wouldn’t have known about them until Henrik arrived—and by then, it would’ve been too late.

"I’m glad Roth managed to find you," Mother Reverend said with a relieved sigh as she looked at Atlas. "I was worried he wouldn’t make it."

Lola’s brows twitched as she turned to her. This was the first time Mother Reverend had spoken about what happened. In the previous days, she had kept her mouth tightly shut. No amount of questioning had made her speak.

Atlas studied Mother Reverend, then glanced at Lola. When their eyes met, they exchanged a silent nod.

Lola let Mother Reverend in and offered her the chair beside Atlas’s bed. She dragged another chair across from her, sitting directly opposite the nun. Atlas remained reclined against the pillows.

Mother Reverend gave them both a small smile before lowering her head in a deep bow.

"First, I would like to sincerely apologize for what the church has caused you—and so many others. I am aware that no amount of words will ever be enough, but I will still offer my apology."

"And second..." She straightened, her gaze settling on Atlas. "Thank you for rescuing the Pope. I heard you sent your own brother to find and save him. He had been trapped for a long time, and none of us knew where he was."

Lola pressed her lips into a thin line and glanced at Atlas. She knew about that. Slater had been missing throughout the chaos at the holy grounds. Only afterward did Lola learn that he had been sent elsewhere—that Yuri had provided information about where the Pope might have been held.

Yuri had been onto the church for months before everything unfolded.

For some reason, Atlas had considered rescuing the Pope just as crucial as handling the crisis at the holy grounds.

Atlas exhaled slowly. "It seems you misunderstand something, Reverend Mother. I rescued the Pope to ensure he had no hand in this. If he had been involved, I had no intention of sparing the church. However, if he were a victim, then dealing with the cardinal would be easier. The Pope’s influence over the church is unquestionable."

And that was the truth.

Atlas hadn’t wanted to escalate matters or resort to further violence. It was foolish, perhaps, but he had hoped the cardinal would surrender. Before everything happened, he and his siblings had already discussed the possibility of multiple timelines.

So, didn’t want the cardinal to die.

He wanted him to live—for everyone to live. In his mind, if one person died, the cycle might simply repeat. Or worse, a new chain of misfortunes would follow.

That was what Atlas feared most.

"Even so, I still wish to thank you," Mother Reverend replied with a faint smile. "Regardless of your intention, the Pope has returned to us."

She then turned to Lola. "You as well, Madam Zorken. Thank you for caring for the Pope and ensuring he received proper medical attention."

"How did you know that?" Lola asked coldly, a hint of hostility in her voice. "I didn’t disclose that to anyone except Allen, Slater, and Mint."

"News travels quickly, Madam Zorken, especially since we are still within the church’s territory," Mother Reverend answered calmly.

Lola opened her mouth, but the words didn’t come out of her throat as she stared at the older nun. She glanced at Atlas, who kept his gaze steady on Mother Reverend before speaking.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, ignoring everything else. "Why did you send that man to rescue us?"

If not for Roth, Atlas knew they would never have found the safe room in time. Although Pika and Penny’s team had hacked into the church’s system to locate it, Atlas’s group had been far from the entrance.

But Roth had known a shortcut, and they took it.

"You knew about the explosives," Lola added, seizing the opportunity now that Mother Reverend was willing to speak. "And yet, aside from sending the others away, you and the senior nuns chose to stay behind to die with everyone else. Why?"

So many questions had been swirling in Lola’s mind even before Atlas woke up. But she had been preoccupied with other responsibilities, like ensuring there were survivors.

Mother Reverend offered them a small, solemn smile.

"Responsibility," she answered quietly. "You may also call it atonement, though it is small. The cardinal’s actions were not his burden alone; they belong to the church as well. The church is one body. Therefore, his actions and their consequences are shared."

"It was the church that granted him the authority to stand above others," she continued logically. "From another perspective, we share the blame for how things turned out."

She paused, nodding once to Lola before turning to Atlas.

"As for why I sent Roth to you... it was to rescue you, but rather to stop this endless cycle."

Atlas and Lola frowned.

"I believe in the cycle of revenge, Mr. Zorken," she went on evenly. "The cardinal has not only stained his hands, but he has also mocked God. His actions have wounded the church as deeply as they have his victims. I may not call myself a victim, but I sought only to end this endless chain."

"What I mean is... if the cardinal were to fall, no one would rise from the mud to avenge him. But if you were to die..." She shifted her gaze to Lola. "I believe someone else would rise and the church would pay dearly once more."