Chapter 183 Luke's Whole World

Chapter 183 Luke's Whole World
Jane's POV

The atmosphere softened somewhat, and I clutched at my jacket, my tone carrying a somewhat embarrassed tentativeness. "May I ask what your name is?"

That man let out a heavy sigh, that breath weighted with indescribable weariness, and slowly began. "My son's name is Luke Wilson. I'm Jacob."

I nodded quickly, committing the names to memory, my eyes full of anticipation as I waited for him to continue.

Jacob fell silent for a few seconds, as if organizing his thoughts, then gestured to us. "Give me a moment." With that, he turned around and climbed the stairs step by step, his stooped back carrying the weight of years in every movement.

David and I exchanged glances, our hearts tight with nervous anticipation, my fingertips tingling. Though only a few minutes passed, it felt like an eternity. Finally, Jacob's figure reappeared at the top of the stairs, cradling a photo album with a severely worn cover, its page corners curled from obviously being flipped through countless times.

He approached us, his aged face full of emotion, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as his fingers gently traced the album's cover.

His voice carried both nostalgia and a catch in his throat. "Luke was such a bright, cheerful boy—always smiling from childhood, with a righteous spirit. He and your mother Sarah were neighbors who grew up together, as close as siblings. Sarah always treated Luke like the most trusted big brother, sharing all her secrets with him. Luke protected Sarah fiercely—whenever anyone bothered her, he'd be the first to step up."

At this point, Jacob paused, his gaze drifting into the distance as if returning to days long past. He took a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbing, before continuing, the grief in his voice growing thicker. 

"But... the year Sarah graduated high school, a group of their classmates went on a graduation trip to the mountains. They never expected to encounter a landslide. When the rocks came tumbling down, Luke threw himself into pushing Sarah to safety, but got buried himself."

Jacob's voice shook uncontrollably, and cloudy tears finally rolled down the wrinkles around his eyes, splashing onto the album cover. "Later, when the rescue teams dug for what felt like forever and finally found them, Sarah was clutching Luke tightly, crying her heart out until her voice was completely hoarse. Miraculously, Luke survived—but he lost a leg forever. He could never stand again."

"What?" I stared wide-eyed, shock exploding like thunder in my mind, my blood seeming to freeze in my veins. So it wasn't a matter of life and death separation, but this heavy burden of loss and regret. I stood there stunned, tears welling up uncontrollably, blurring my vision.

David noticed my distress and gently steadied my arm, his eyes full of comfort and concern, silently offering support.

Jacob wiped away his tears and continued, his voice wrapped in inconsolable regret. "Sarah had just turned eighteen then, but without hesitation, she offered to take care of Luke for life. But Luke refused immediately—he said saving her was instinct, that he'd never expected anything in return, much less marriage."

He paused, his eyes full of heartache. "But of course it wasn't that he didn't want it—he felt that as a disabled person, he was no longer worthy of someone as wonderful as Sarah. Sarah had just gotten into a prestigious university with a bright future ahead, but Luke... he couldn't even walk normally anymore."

At this, I could no longer hold back. Tears rolled down my cheeks and splashed into my palms, hot and bitter. So this was the profound history between my mother and Luke.

Seeing me cry, Jacob's own eyes reddened as he continued. "Later, my wife—Luke's mother—was killed in a sudden shooting. That completely broke Luke. The once sunny, cheerful boy became dark and withdrawn overnight, locking himself in his room and refusing to see anyone. He was even more afraid to contact Sarah, worried his darkness would drag her down. He could only teach himself computer technology day and night, frantically searching for his mother's killer."

He sighed heavily, his tone full of helplessness. "I tried everything to find answers too, but there were no leads. The police said it was random—that drug dealers thought my wife was going to report them. But we both knew that excuse was garbage! It made no sense! It was premeditated murder!"

Jacob's voice suddenly rose, carrying years of suppressed rage. "Luke and I spent most of our lives searching for that killer."

His voice dropped again, full of exhaustion. "Luke had me lie to Sarah, tell her he'd gotten married and was living happily. When Sarah heard that, she cried in front of me for the longest time, like a child, saying she wanted to see him one last time. But Luke still hardened his heart and refused—he said it was better to rip the band-aid off. Sarah had no choice but to leave with a heart full of regret. Later she married Thomas and had you."

Jacob's gaze fell on my face, filled with complex emotions. "It wasn't until after you were born that Sarah gradually discovered the truth—Luke had never married at all. He'd been suffering alone all these years. Luke's life had been too hard—losing his leg, losing his mother, unable to find the killer, and watching the woman he loved become someone else's wife."

"When Sarah found out, she nearly went crazy with grief and immediately came back to find Luke. But by then Luke was severely depressed, living in darkness. With the killer still unfound and his beloved having a family of her own, he'd long since lost any reason to live."

"Sarah said she wanted to give Luke a home." Jacob's voice choked with deep emotion. "Despite everyone's objections, she insisted on giving Luke a child, saying she wanted him to know that someone in this world still needed him. Luke desperately refused at first—he felt he couldn't give a child happiness. But Sarah was adamant, determined to leave this hope by his side. Finally, they had a little boy—this is him."

With that, Jacob's trembling hands opened the album, pointing to a little boy with crescent-moon eyes from smiling, tears streaming down his face. "This is their child, Luke's whole world..."