The night was suffocatingly quiet.
After giving strict orders to Damian, Nikolai held Lilith securely in his arms. The mansion had fallen into an uneasy silence. One by one, everyone drifted to sleep.
Everyone except him.
Nikolai lay awake, staring at the ceiling, Lilith's fragile body resting against his chest. Her breathing was uneven. Her small fingers clutched his shirt unconsciously.
Why am I feeling like this? he thought.
Yeah… she's my wife now. But I can't like her. I never wanted these feelings. I want them dead. But… I can't bear to see her angry. Nor sad. It breaks something inside me…
Frustrated, he gently slipped out of bed. He stepped onto the balcony and lit a cigarette — it wasn't tobacco.
Weed.
The smoke filled his lungs as his red eyes stared into the darkness. The digital clock inside read 1:09 AM.
After a few drags, guilt clawed at him.
He crushed the cigarette and threw it away, exhaling slowly before walking back inside.
Moonlight poured through the curtains, bathing Lilith in silver light. Her pale skin glowed softly. Her plump little lips were slightly parted. Her almond-shaped grey-blue eyes were closed in restless sleep.
He sat beside her.
Carefully, he held her tiny hands in his large ones.
"I promise you, Bambi…" he whispered.
"Everyone involved in this will pay deeply. All will face my wrath. I will get revenge for you. They will pay for breaking you. For shattering your mind. For ruining your life."
His jaw tightened.
"I will make them bow to you."
He leaned closer and whispered in Russian.
"Moya sladkaya printsessa… my sweet princess."
He kissed her forehead gently.
By 7:08 AM, everything was prepared.
Bags were packed. The spies had been caught — and they were in deep trouble.
Lilith stirred awake in his arms.
"Nikki…" she yawned softly.
"Yes, Bambi?" he replied.
"W…w…where are we going?"
"You're going home," he said gently. "To meet the family. And you can finally meet your Annie again, right?"
She nodded weakly. Her fever still lingered.
Leonid was coming too — under Nikolai's orders.
They boarded the private jet. Nikolai buckled her seatbelt himself and held her hand.
"Lily, we're gonna see your family!" Arina said excitedly.
"Lily are you the third or fourth child?" Zhanna asked.
"No… Lily has eight Bhai," the tiny sick girl answered proudly.
"Eight?!" The Dominion Apex exclaimed.
"Yeah. She's the last born. The last child," Nikolai said.
"Are they single?" Addison teased.
"Ugh, cut it out," Nikolai snapped, making the ladies giggle.
The plane took off.
Surprisingly, Lilith wasn't scared.
She pressed her face against the window.
"Nikki… w…w…we are in the sky?"
"Yes, Bambi."
"That means… I can touch the clouds?"
"Not really, Lily," Daria said softly.
"O…o…oh. But I can see heaven and angels?"
Everyone exchanged looks.
"No, Bambi. But the angels are guiding you. They're watching you. They know you're a good girl, right?" Nikolai said gently.
She nodded quickly.
"Lily is a…a good girl!"
She kept staring at the clouds for the entire flight.
After four hours, they landed in New York.
Luxury cars were waiting.
Nikolai carried his sleeping wife into the limousine.
"Woah, New York is pretty!" Sabrina whispered.
"Shhhh!" everyone hushed her.
They stopped for food. Nikolai bought Lilith a milkshake.
When they returned, she was awake.
"Bambi, here," he said, handing it to her.
"Nikki… Lily home?" she asked, pointing outside.
"Yes. Now we're going to your house. You're going to see Annie again."
She giggled.
"Nikki… c…can I get flowers? I have some m…m…money in my teddy…"
"How much do you have?" Zhanna asked curiously.
Lilith unzipped her teddy bear and poured out four coins and one dollar.
"Here!"
Everyone went quiet.
"Baby… who gave you these?" Addison asked gently.
"Annie gave me the paper. And big Bhai gave me the coin."
"Big Bhai?" Damian frowned.
"The one in my hospital. He gave me the hot stick to burn the hospital!"
"You burned the hospital down?!" Hassan choked.
"Yep!"
They stared at her in disbelief.
At the flower stand, she handed the vendor three coins. Arina distracted her while Nikolai secretly paid the rest.
Then they drove to the mansion.
Inside the house, Riyana was holding Lilith's baby pictures, crying.
"My little gem… Mumma is here…"
The boys sat silently, staring at a framed picture from a fun fair — all of them smiling and hugging Lilith.
Then—
The doors opened.
Huge flowers appeared first.
Then soft giggles.
Anika froze.
"Mera baccha…?" she whispered.
The flowers dropped.
"LILY HOME!!!!!!!!!!!"
Lilith threw the bouquet high into the air and ran forward.
"Annie!!!"
Anika caught her, spinning her around.
"BHAIS!!!!!"
Her brothers rushed forward, hugging her tightly.
Then they noticed the eighteen people dressed in midnight black behind her.
"Bambi," Nikolai called.
Lilith turned.
Then she saw Riyana.
At first, confusion.
Then a flash.
"M…M…Mumma?"
Riyana held back her tears.
Lilith stepped closer and touched her face.
She gasped.
"Nikki! Look! It's my Mumma!!!"
She clapped happily and hugged her.
"Yayyy! Mumma is back!!"
"Yes, Meri jaan… Mumma is back," Riyana cried.
Later, Lilith fell asleep on Nikolai's chest.
"Is she asleep finally?" Reyan whispered.
Nikolai nodded and carried her to her room. He covered her gently.
"Sleep tight, Bambi."
Rhea entered.
"Evening, ma," he greeted respectfully.
"Good evening dear. Is she fine?"
He nodded.
"She told me… and Tamanna… they will kill her…" Rhea sobbed.
"No one will touch her," Nikolai said firmly.
Back in the living room, tension rose.
"Why did you marry Lily?" Farhan demanded.
"And you kissed her," Karim added.
"Exactly. She couldn't stop crying," Zhanna said.
"Crying?" Riyana's voice hardened.
"Your daughter has been having constant attacks. First she came to my office alone. Then she got a fever," Nikolai explained.
"Wait… you didn't lock her up or torture her?" Nihal asked cautiously.
"Why would we? She's so cute. Honestly an angel in our house — especially to brother," Arina defended.
"So the Hoil video wasn't AI?" Rezaul asked.
"Nope," Yulian laughed. "She even painted color on brother."
"Shut up," Nikolai snapped.
Silence fell.
"Mrs. Sohan… I hate to give you bad news. Six people attacked her. Her panic attacks worsened. I doubled security. Most nights I sleep in her room."
Then—
"You sent killers."
Tamanna froze.
"They stabbed her arms," Daria said.
"They almost shot her eight times," Zhanna added.
"You gave her poisonous pills," Nikolai roared. "DOG PILLS!"
"Dog pills?!" Anika gasped.
Leonid stepped forward.
"Those pills permanently damaged her mind. She can never fully recover. She is stuck in a childlike state."
"And…" he paused.
"She has blood cancer."
The room shattered into silence.
Guards grabbed Tamanna.
"HOW DARE YOU DESTROY MY WIFE?!" Nikolai thundered, grabbing her by the neck.
Arhant tried to intervene — Nikolai punched him. Blood spilled.
Tamanna laughed bitterly.
"Yes. I did it. I wanted her dead. I wanted to be Gem!"
Rezaul stepped forward.
"Your father didn't create that title. Sohan did. For his daughter."
Ishaan explained everything — the will, the Obsidian Triad, the truth.
Tamanna broke down.
She had been lied to.
She was dragged away.
"Take her back to India," Riyana ordered coldly.
As she was taken away, she whispered:
"The man who gave me the drug… he's in India. Sohan's enemy. There are four of them…"
Then she disappeared.
Leonid spoke again.
"There's one more thing."
"Lilith has leukemia."
Anika's face drained of color.
"Yes. And I need to study her case immediately."
Silence consumed the room.
Then—
"Lily hungry…"
They turned.
She stood there rubbing her eyes.
"My tummy has bad bubbles… Lily wants food pretty please?" she tilted her head.
Riyana wiped her tears.
"Come, baby. Mumma will cook."
"Okie!"
She ran to the kitchen giggling.
Nikolai watched her.
I will tear them apart. Brutally.
Meanwhile…
Cell 222.
A monstrous man did one-arm pull-ups, staring at the window.
"Sir. You'll be released in two months. May 6th."
"Good."
"There's a call."
He took the phone.
"Speak."
"Boss… The Gem is married. To the Mafia King."
"What?!"
"Your wife is alive."
He froze.
"Blood cancer…" he whispered.
"My little baby…"
Tears fell.
"Her husband shot the spies 200 times. He swore revenge. They take good care of her."
The Beast's voice turned dark.
"I will take my Gem back. I'm coming very, very soon."
The call ended.
He opened a video.
"Mumma, my tummy wants more!" Lilith giggled as Riyana fed her.
He noticed the wedding necklace.
The vermilion.
Then a wedding picture.
Nikolai's arms wrapped around her. A kiss on her cheek.
His grip tightened.
"Hm… I will play a game with you. To see if you're worthy of my Gem."
His laughter echoed inside the prison walls.
Dark.
Unhinged.
And full of war.