Rain poured heavily against the mansion windows. Thunder roared across the sky as if warning that something terrible was about to unfold.
Darya was lying down, sick. Her head was hurting badly. She sniffed softly.
"I'm fine, Lily," she said weakly.
The tiny girl sat beside her, holding her teddy bear tightly. Yulian was at home too, watching quietly.
Lilith slowly unzipped her teddy bear.
From inside it, she brought out a small pill bottle.
She shook one pill into her palm and held it forward with trembling fingers.
"H… h… h… here… it w… will m… make you better," Lilith whispered.
Darya didn't think much of it. She took the pill and drank water.
It wasn't even five seconds.
Darya suddenly screamed.
Her body jerked violently.
Guards rushed in and held her down as she kicked and screamed loudly in pain.
"What happened?!" Yulian shouted as they quickly carried her out.
Lilith froze.
Then she began to cry.
Nikolai received a call in his office.
Within minutes, everyone was speeding toward the hospital in the heavy rain.
At the hospital, nurses were restraining Darya as she thrashed and screamed. The spy guard quickly covered Lily's ears.
"Don't let her hear," he muttered.
Everyone arrived.
Suddenly Darya went limp.
She fell asleep.
"What happened?" Nikolai demanded, looking at his sister.
The tiny girl stood there crying, still shaking in fear.
A doctor walked out.
"My name is Doctor Leonid," he said firmly. "She is out of danger."
Relief filled the air.
"But those pills… who takes them?" he asked seriously.
"Lily… did you give Sister Darya any medicine, baby?" Arina asked gently.
Lilith nodded slowly.
"What did you give her?" Nikolai asked.
"M… m… my medicine. D said her head was hurting a lot and I didn't like it so I remember when aunt said my medicine cure headaches and I… I… gave D…" she struggled to breathe.
"You mean you take these?!" Leonid asked sharply.
She nodded.
"Can I ask her a few questions? It's important."
"Wait… why? What are these pills?" Nikolai asked.
Leonid's face hardened.
"They are pills meant to control dogs."
Silence.
"What?!" Zhanna gasped. "You mean Lily's drugs are dog pills?!"
"Yes."
Nikolai's hands turned ice cold.
"Lily… that's a pretty name, right?" Leonid softened his voice.
She nodded, hugging her teddy tightly.
"How old is Lily?"
"She is 16. But she's in a childlike state. Her mind is 6," Nikolai said quietly.
Damian explained the accident.
"How long has she been taking them?" Leonid asked.
"She grew up taking them," Damian replied.
"Lily… who is your best friend?" Leonid asked gently.
"Annie is s… s… she is doctor like you…" Lilith whispered.
"Really? So Annie knows what the pills are?"
"Nunu…"
"Her name is Anika. She was a medical student and became a doctor a few months ago," Damian explained.
"Oh…"
"Who gives you these pills?" Leonid asked softly.
Lilith looked around at everyone. Tears kept falling.
"Don't cry, hm? You didn't do anything wrong," Leonid reassured.
"A… auntie T… T… Tammy did," the tiny girl whispered.
"Tamanna?" Nikolai's voice dropped dangerously.
Lilith nodded.
Nikolai's fists clenched so tight everyone heard his knuckles crack.
"Auntie Tammy s… sent people to make me take them… T… they always hit me… they said I a bad girl…"
Her breathing became uneven.
"I… I not a bad girl… but auntie Tammy calls them and they p… push it in my… here…" she pointed to her mouth.
"After you take them, does anything happen?" Leonid asked.
She looked at Nikolai's cold face and buried herself into her teddy.
"You're scaring her," Rima whispered.
Nikolai sighed.
"Bambi… the doctor is talking to you. Speak."
"Yes… it red color from my nose and here… see…" she said, pointing to her mouth again.
She unzipped her teddy.
Everyone stepped back.
Over 100 old dirty tissues filled with dried blood stains fell out.
Six pill bottles followed.
"Oh my Lord…" Sabrina whispered.
"Lily… the people that forced this on you… do they work in the mansion?" Hassan asked.
"Uh huh."
"Do you remember their names?" Olivia asked gently.
"S… s… she a maid… and two biggie man…"
"I'll check the cameras," Damian said.
"Show me later," Nikolai replied coldly.
"How many pills do they give you?" Arina asked.
Lilith counted her trembling fingers.
She showed two.
Leonid grabbed the bottle and read the label.
His eyes widened in horror.
"NURSE! I NEED A BED NOW! HURRY!" he shouted.
He struck a pressure point on Lily's neck.
She passed out instantly.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Nikolai roared.
"Quickly!"
They placed her on a bed and wheeled her into the Emergency Room.
The red light turned on.
"What is going on?" Meghan whispered.
"These pills are called Infantyx Methamphetamine," Leonid said urgently. "They are the most dangerous pills ever created. They destroy the brain. It's a slow poison."
He disappeared into the Emergency Room.
The red light glowed.
Nikolai stood still.
But inside?
He had already lost his temper.
Meanwhile.
"Ouch! It hurts!" Aarav cried as they held hot coals while kneeling in a hot bath.
"You are all foolish! You let that Mafia King take Neva!" Riyana thundered.
Anika glanced at Karim. He endured the pain silently. Their eyes met. Hers softened.
He smiled faintly.
She looked away.
She remembered he went on a date two months ago.
Anika now worked in the biggest hospital in New York. Ishaan had given her the job as a reward. She missed Lilith deeply. In her office, Lily's picture stood on her desk.
"And you, Karim! You're the oldest! You should have done something! I know you got shot but your men should've surrounded the mansion tighter!"
Tamanna flinched.
"You stupid, worthless, senseless children stole from him and he took MY GEM AS EXCHANGE!" Riyana roared.
"Your father would be extremely disappointed. If you cannot get her back… then one person will."
They all knew who she meant.
A man rushed in.
"Sir… I have news."
"Speak," Troy ordered.
"The Gem is now married. She got married yesterday."
"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.
He showed them the wedding picture.
Lilith in bridal attire. Henna on her hands. Everyone hugging her.
"Wait… my daughter isn't locked up?" Riyana asked.
"No, ma'am. There is even a video of her celebrating Holi. The Mafia King is treating her well. His group moved in because of her. They got attached. She plays, draws, feeds them. When assassins attacked… he killed them all."
Shock filled the room.
"And he… uh…"
"He what?" Riyana asked sharply.
"He kissed the Gem."
"Kiss?!" Riyana raised an eyebrow.
"She's too little! She doesn't know what a kiss means!" Anika snapped.
Riyana calmly sipped her tea.
One hour later.
Karim struggled to apply medicine to his back wound.
Anika walked in with a first aid box.
"Here. For you."
"Thank you."
He tried reaching his back again.
She sighed, took it from him, and sat beside him.
He turned his back toward her.
She gently applied the medicine.
A small smile formed on his lips.
She was close.
That's all he wanted.
"There. It's okay now," she said softly.
She stood up.
He grabbed her hand.
"Don't go," he whispered.
"Let go. Don't you have a girlfriend? This is cheating," she said coldly.
He stepped closer.
"Say that again. I dare you," he whispered huskily.
Her body weakened at his tone.
She tried leaving.
He pulled her gently, bending her against the bed, holding both her wrists with one strong arm.
"Why can't you look into my eyes and see what I feel for you, baby?" he whispered near her ear.
"K… Karim…"
"You're so beautiful. I love everything about you. I really love you, Anika."
She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck softly.
"I love you very much, Annie," he murmured, breathing in her jasmine and rose scent.
He turned her around.
"Karim…" she whispered.
"Yes, meri roshni… my light."
"You're a rich man's son. I am not the one for you. I'm just a doctor. I'm a poor girl, please let me g—"
He cut her off with a kiss.
Her fingers tangled in his hair.
He switched off the lights.
He pulled her closer.
9:45 PM.
Lilith had been in the emergency room for eight hours.
No one left.
Darya was awake now. Yulian explained everything.
"Poor Lily…" she whispered.
The red light turned off.
Nikolai stood instantly.
They wheeled Lilith out.
Bandages wrapped her small hands and legs.
She was unconscious.
Doctor Leonid stepped forward.
"You can take her home. I will assign nurses. Her condition is extremely critical. The drugs have damaged her brain permanently. She is stuck in this state. There is no recovery."
"What…" Nikolai's voice broke slightly.
"Yes. They forced 4–6 pills into her daily. And we discovered something else."
"And?" Zhanna asked anxiously.
"She has leukemia. Blood cancer."
Silence.
"And her kidneys are damaged. Severe infections. Her immune system is weak. Her case is extremely critical. She is in serious danger."
Everyone felt their world collapse.
"We need her blood type. Any family members here?"
"No," Damian replied.
"You must inform them. She is B-negative. I will research her case and update you."
Nikolai walked toward the bed.
His massive hand wrapped around her tiny one.
"Lily…" Urlima whispered tearfully.
At that moment—
Nikolai had completely lost his temper.
And this time—
He would get revenge.
For his wife.
His tiny wife.