By sunrise on a Thursday morning, Nikolai woke up first.
He saw the tiny girl in front of him, her head resting on his built chest, sleeping peacefully.
He smiled a little and shook his head.
"Did I just… smile?" Nikolai thought to himself.
He gently placed another pillow in her arms and looked around to see if anyone was watching.
Before he could stop himself, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek and forehead.
"Sleep well, Bambi," he whispered as he walked out of her room.
"I kissed her…" he mumbled to himself.
Zhanna saw him.
"Good morning, brother," she said.
"Morning," Nikolai replied, peeking at Lilith to check if she was okay.
"Yeah," she said as he walked away.
During breakfast:
"Brother, can I host a party, please?" Arina asked.
"Ok," Nikolai said.
They were surprised.
"Really?" Meghna said.
"Yeah, just don't be too loud for Lily," he added, still eating.
"Sir, Lilith has a high fever. She is not waking up," Jane said.
Before anyone could move, Nikolai was the first to enter the tiny girl's room.
He saw her small nose reddish and sweating.
"I already bathed her," Jane said.
Nikolai nodded.
Lilith began mumbling.
"G…G…give me my… Mumma… T…t…they T…t…taking… h…her away…" she said.
Nikolai looked at Damian.
"I think she's remembering the accident. Her mother's body was never found," Damian said.
"Seriously? How bad was the accident?" Daria asked.
"I heard the truck ran over her head twice. It was planned from her father's side, that's why he is in jail. Sohan Kadeon Murad is a monstrous beast. He is more powerful than you, boss," Damian said.
"Really?" Yulian asked.
"Yes, and this family is doomed if he finds out we have his Gem. Look at the mark on Lily's neck — it is his symbol. Anyone who sees it will understand. Those who don't will be told," Damian explained.
"How bad can he be?" Arina chuckled.
"1998… he burned half of the cities in Bangladesh. His wife was half Indian, half Bengali. They were getting her married forcefully. He killed the goon and his family, burned the wedding altar, and married her mother himself. The fire he used for the wedding was from dead bodies," Damian said.
The room became too quiet.
"Wow," Yulian whispered.
"Yeah… I'm sorry to say, boss… he can actually kill you if he finds out you have his Gem," Damian added.
Nikolai looked at Lilith and said with a little chuckle, "I will wait for him then."
He wiped Lily's sweat and placed a cold towel on her forehead.
"If she wakes up, make sure she takes her drugs and eats her food. I'm off to work," he said, walking away.
Before leaving, he turned once to see the tiny sick girl sleeping with a heavy heart and left.
In NK Prime Industries, Nikolai walked into his office with Damian.
He stopped and checked his CCTV cameras in Lilith's room. She was now awake.
Zhanna was running a cold shower for her.
He saw how the tiny girl sneezed and coughed. It broke him.
"Call that doctor that Lilith was with before… Anika, right?" Nikolai said.
"Yes, boss," Damian replied as he took his phone and called her.
Meanwhile, Karim held Anika.
"We will get her back, I promise," he said to Anika, who was crying.
"I want to know if she's okay. What if that asshole has been torturing her?" Anika asked.
Her phone rang and she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Your Lily's doctor, right? She has a fever since last night. Boss wants you to calm down, she's really sick," Damian said.
The phone was on speaker as all the boys — Troy, Ishaan, Rezaul — with Tamanna and his kids listened.
"I always give her lemon ginger tea with cloves. Also, make sure she moves around. Is her nose blocked?" Anika said.
"Yes," Damian replied. "She doesn't like rub on her nose but put it on her tightly. She gets a little aggressive because of it."
"Okay, thank you, Damian. Hey, listen… Agar us chhoti ladki ko kuch bhi hua, toh main Devi Lakshmi ki kasam khata/khaati hoon, main tumhe aur tumhare boss ko kasam khata hoon… maar daaloonga (if anything happens to the little girl, I swear on Goddess Lakshmi I will kill you and your boss)," Zafraan said angrily.
Damian laughed and ended the call.
In Nikolai's office:
"Hi, baby… miss me?" a tan-skinned lady said. She wore an extremely short dress.
"Who let you in? What are you doing in my office, Regina?" he asked.
"Well, I have my ways," she said in a seductive voice.
"Boss Damian," she added.
"Oh, am I intruding?" he asked.
"No, get her out of my office," Nikolai said, walking away as his phone rang.
He left to pick it up.
Lilith woke up, her head hurting badly.
Jane bathed her and made the lemon and ginger tea for her.
The tiny girl saw a black and orange book as the telephone rang.
Nobody was there, so she picked it up.
"Hey… uhmm, I left my file at home. It's blue and orange. Please bring it," Nikolai said.
"Nikki?" Lilith whispered.
He removed his palm from his forehead. His group was watching him.
The Dominion Apex had 14 members.
"I… I it here… I… bring it for you," the tiny girl said.
"No, Lily, you're sick. Hm… just giv—" Nikolai began.
"I'm coming now. Mkay, bye-bye," Lilith said, ending the call.
Nikolai blinked.
Lilith tugged on one of the guard's shirts. Surprisingly, it happened to be the spy.
"Yes, Ms?" the man said.
"Nikki… l…l…left t…this I…w…wanna give h…him… s…so pretty… please… T…take me to h…him," she said.
"Of course, ma'am. Let's go," the guard said as she happily clapped. About twenty guards followed her.
Nikolai sat listening to the meeting. His mind was divided into two: his work… and Lilith. He couldn't stop thinking about her.
As the door opened, everyone turned. They saw the tiny girl by the door.
Damian held the door for her.
"Who is she?" a lady asked.
Nikolai stood up.
"Lily, are you better now?" he said with an extremely soft voice.
She nodded. He checked her temperature. She was a little hot, and he became slightly relaxed.
"Damian, take her to my office. Make sure she eats something before leaving," Nikolai said.
"Yes, boss," Damian replied.
"Bye-bye, Nikki," the tiny girl said to the group as she left.
"Who is that cute girl? She's so adorable!" another woman said.
"Lilith, she is mentally unstable," Nikolai said.
"Damian will tell you all the rest," Nikolai added.
The Dominion Apex had 14 members:
Men — Hassan (half Russian, half Pakistan), Alexio (Greek), Valerio (Spain), Caspian (London), Kenan (Turkey), Vishal (half Russian, half India), Nathan (America).
Women — Sabrina (Europe), Urmila (half Russian, half Indian), Rima (half American, half Bangladesh), Olivia (Canada), Addison (America), Nimra (half Pakistan, half Russian, sister of Hassan), Darya (Russian).
Lilith finished eating as the guards were following her back.
Then it happened.
Gunshots! People screamed and ran.
Nikolai felt something was wrong.
"Uhmmm… look there!" he shouted.
Shooters were outside, aiming at the girl. Nikolai saw Lilith trembling.
Everyone took out their guns and ran. Some guards were dead. Some shielded the tiny girl.
Olivia shot one of the attackers.
Lilith had a panic attack.
A man wearing a mask held a knife. He lunged at her, stabbing her arm. She screamed.
Nikolai froze as he saw the knife in her skin. Something inside him completely lost control.
He grabbed the man with one arm and held him tightly by the throat, lifting him into the air.
Damian held Lilith, who was crying, as the women moved her and drove her to Nikolai's mansion.
The knife was still inside her arm.
"How dare YOU!" Nikolai roared, throwing the man messily to the floor.
He saw another shooter. One was dead. Nikolai aimed at him and shot him in the arm. The shooter fell.
Nikolai's height was 7'2".
"Who sent you?" Nikolai demanded, his monstrous tone echoing.
"I…I… I can't tell you," the shooter stammered.
"Calm down, we need to leave now," Hassan said.
"WHO SENT YOU!" Nikolai yelled, tightening his grip on the man's neck.
"T…T…Tamanna… s…she wants the Gem to be dead so she could be the new Gem of the Obsidian Triad," the man said.
"What? That… the Gem of the Obsidian Triad?" Vishal said in shock.
"Y…yes," the man stammered.
Nikolai twisted his neck, and the man died instantly. He was extremely angry.
They all left for his mansion.