"Whatever it takes" was a phrase Desmond had said to his father on his deathbed when the latter had asked him what he would be willing to do to keep Claire safe. Initially, this phrase had become a mantra for Desmond, something he would say to himself every time he had to get his hands dirty. A way of resisting the guilt that was slowly growing inside him and this feeling of evil that overwhelmed him.
Over time, as the sins piled up like a pyramid, that mantra became a cursed phrase until the darkness passed, and Desmond was able to leave those marks in the past. If possible, Desmond would prefer not to hear that damn phrase again; he did not expect to listen to it again from Cecilia's lips.
The irony could not be more incredible. At the same time, Desmond used those words to justify his evil, and Cecilia used them to defend her goodness. It really is, as they say: comparisons are odious.
