"Lily!"
Sohan's deep voice echoed softly through the hall as his tiny daughter came waddling down the stairs, her small feet dragging slightly as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Morning, my cupcake…" he said warmly, bending down to kiss both her cheeks.
"M…morning B…Baba…" Lilith whispered sadly, her voice weak, her body still burning with fever.
"It's okay, love…" Riyana said gently, pulling her into a warm hug, rubbing her back softly. Lilith's temperature was still high, her tiny body fragile, her energy drained.
"Sir," a guard interrupted, stepping forward. "There are guests waiting for you… and the man you wanted the gem to marry is dead."
"Oh no!" Tory and the boys said dramatically in unison.
Lilith suddenly paused.
She felt something.
A presence.
She sniffed the air slightly, her small brows furrowing.
"Nikki…?" she whispered.
Slowly, she stepped forward.
And then—
She saw him.
Standing there.
Holding her teddy bear.
Surrounded by both families.
Her eyes widened.
"NIKKI!"
"LILY!"
They both shouted at the same time.
She ran.
He ran.
She jumped straight into his arms, wrapping herself tightly around him as he held her close, lifting her effortlessly.
He spun her around as she giggled loudly, her laughter echoing through the halls.
He hugged her again.
"T…t…Lily m…m…miss y…you a lot…" she stuttered.
"I missed you so much, Bambi…" Nikolai whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
"Is L…Lily teddy with you?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Yes, Bambi… teddy reminded me of you, baby…"
She giggled, tapping his face softly.
And then—
Unexpectedly—
She kissed him.
Sohan's eyes widened instantly.
"Where did she learn that from?!" he said in a strict fatherly tone.
"Disney movies," Anika replied casually.
Nikolai carried Lilith in his arms as they all moved inside.
Once inside, he gently placed her down.
Sohan stood with his hands behind his back.
Nikolai stepped forward.
He bent down.
Touched Sohan's feet, as per tradition.
"Bless you," Sohan said coldly.
Then Nikolai turned to Riyana, bending to touch her feet as well.
"Bless you, dear," she said softly, placing her hand on his head.
"Big bhai!" Lilith called happily as she ran to Ethan, hugging him tightly.
He hugged her back just as tight.
She went around hugging everyone.
Everyone.
Except Karolina.
In the grand hall—
"Take Lily for lunch," Sohan ordered.
"No! Lily stay with Nikki!" Lilith protested, clinging to him.
Nikolai leaned closer, whispering softly in her ear,
"Go for lunch, Bambi… I'll be here. Pinky promise."
"Mkay…" she said softly.
She kissed his lips again.
Anika took her hand, and along with Vanya and Trinetra, they led her away to feed her.
Tory and Vanya hadn't seen each other in a while.
Ishaan hadn't spoken to them yet.
Sohan sat down, holding Riyana's hands.
"Everyone leave. Nikolai and I need to talk. Alone," he said coldly.
Riyana gently rubbed his knuckles.
He smiled faintly at her.
"Tea, anyone?" Aarav asked.
They nodded.
"Good luck," Taran whispered to his brother before leaving.
"Be calm, love…" Riyana said softly, kissing Sohan before leaving to check on Lilith.
Now—
Only Sohan and Nikolai remained.
The air turned cold.
Heavy.
Their eyes locked.
The only sound—
Lilith's distant giggles.
"She sounds very happy…" Sohan said, breaking the silence.
Nikolai nodded, rubbing his hands nervously.
"You killed him, didn't you?" Sohan asked.
"Yes, I did," Nikolai replied calmly. "She is married to me. She is mine. I truly love your daughter. She has been an angel to the Devereaux family… she means a lot to me. Especially…"
He paused.
"I know what happened was wrong. A misunderstanding. And I deeply apologize. We would never hurt the angel of our house. She means everything to me. I love her very much, and I want her with me. I will treat her right. I will make sure her condition improves. There is a team of specialists working on her case back in Russia. I will protect her with my life. No harm will come before her. She is my everything."
His voice softened.
"And I promise… I will love her forever. Even in the afterlife. I will make her happy."
Sohan's face remained cold.
Nikolai lowered his head slightly.
"Please, sir… I, Nikolai Devereaux… ask for your permission to marry your daughter, Lilith Mahira Baneva. I am asking for her hand in marriage… please."
He brought his hands together in a prayer gesture.
Silence.
They stared at each other.
Then—
Sohan sighed.
"My little girl hasn't been well since I took her from you… she keeps saying your name like a prayer," he said quietly. "She doesn't sleep. She doesn't eat. She doesn't play…"
Nikolai looked down, pain evident.
"It's been hard… without her at home…"
Another silence.
Then—
"You have my permission to marry my gem."
Nikolai froze.
"R…Really?" he asked.
"Yes," Sohan said firmly. "But if a single tear falls from her eyes because of you… I will bring this big figure of yours fucking down. Got it?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you. I truly appreciate it. I will take care of her," Nikolai said sincerely.
They shook hands.
"Baba! Help!" Zafraan shouted.
They turned.
Lilith stood there—
Holding both her brothers by their hair.
"What happened?" Sohan asked.
"They took L…Lily's ice cream, Baba… so Lily punished them…" she said, still gripping their hair tightly.
Nikolai chuckled.
"Bambi, let them go. I'll buy you another ice cream, I promise," he said, gently holding her waist.
"Hmmm… okie!" she said, releasing them.
"Oh my soft baby…" Zafraan groaned, holding his head.
"How are you so strong?!" Ariz complained.
"Now say sorry," Nikolai said.
"I sowwy…" Lilith said with tiny hand gestures.
"Aww, it's fine, Lily…" Aarav said, hugging her.
The families gathered.
"I have accepted the proposal. Nikolai Devereaux and Lilith will be married in a month," Sohan announced.
Cheers filled the hall.
Karim and Anika had already gotten married through a court wedding. Anika now wore vermilion and a real gold wedding necklace.
The wedding planning began instantly.
Meanwhile—
Vanya and Troy were called forward.
They sat before Ishaan, Sohan, Rezaul, and Riyana.
"So… you've been meeting secretly?" Sohan asked, shocked.
"Yep," Ishaan replied casually.
Troy rubbed the back of his head.
Vanya nervously gripped her orange dress.
"Give us a minute," Sohan said.
Troy stood, and they stepped outside.
"Really, bro? She's 19 and you're 28," Sohan said.
"I tried to move on… I really did… but she kept pulling me back. I couldn't stand seeing her with anyone else," Troy admitted.
Sohan sighed.
"Meh… a lot has happened while I was away. Who's gonna give me all the gossip now?" he teased.
Troy rolled his eyes.
"Maybe Mihu will."
"You old ass nigga," Sohan said.
"Abe budhhe! You're the one who's old!" Troy shot back.
"Yeah yeah, whatever…" Sohan muttered as they walked back inside.
"So what now?" Riyana asked.
"I want to marry Vanya… with Ishaan's permission," Troy said.
Everyone raised an eyebrow.
Vanya looked shocked.
"Okay. Bless your marriage," Ishaan said happily.
"R…Really?" Vanya asked.
"Of course, my baby. Anything to make you happy," Ishaan said, kissing her cheeks.
"Thank you, Papa!" she said, hugging him tightly.
"Look at Lily and Nikolai…" Riyana said softly.
They turned toward the window.
Lilith was lying on Nikolai's chest as he read her a storybook, feeding her gently.
She giggled loudly.
Troy looked at Vanya, holding her hand and smiling.
Next Morning – 9:08 AM
Families discussed the grand wedding.
"Will bhai have a b…b…big wedding like Lily?" Lilith asked.
"Maybe, but we want a quiet wedding… a shhh wedding," Rafsan said.
"Shhhh…" Lilith repeated softly.
Meanwhile—
Farhan had locked himself in his room for three days, hacking into an enemy system.
"Need help?" a soft, dark feminine voice said.
Nimra.
She walked in, sitting beside him.
"You need better tech, bro," she said.
He rolled his eyes.
"Are you here to flirt or what?" he snapped.
She leaned closer.
"Watch your tone, boy… or I'll fix it for you. Now sit quietly while I help you…"
Her voice was dangerously seductive.
He blushed.
"Let's make a bet," she said. "If I crack this in 20 seconds, you do whatever I want."
"And if you don't?"
"You still won't win," she smirked.
"Fine."
He started the timer.
She was already typing.
Fast.
Faster than he could follow.
"Done."
He looked.
7 seconds.
"Woah…" he whispered.
She flipped her hair.
"Yeah."
He checked.
Everything hacked.
System destroyed.
"YES!" he shouted, lifting her and spinning her.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"You."
"Huh?"
"I want you to be mine."
She sat on his lap.
"So… yes?"
He kissed her.
She smiled into the kiss.
Later—
Nikolai dressed Lilith warmly, putting on her socks and boots.
He carried her as they headed to the mall with the family.
She clung to him, her legs wrapped around his waist.
He got her a milkshake.
She sipped happily.
They entered a shop.
"Bambi, do you like—" Nikolai paused.
She was gone.
"Lily?"
Silence.
"Has anyone seen Lilith?!" he called.
"No!"
They searched.
"Found her!" Ethan shouted.
She stood near a display.
A saleswoman pushed her.
"Hey! Go away! This is for rich people, not beggars!"
"HEY!" Sohan and Nikolai roared.
Trinetra quickly picked Lilith up.
She was crying.
"Bambi… why did you wander off?" Nikolai asked gently.
"N…Nikki… Lily saw this… wanted to get it for you…" she said, pointing.
A watch.
Nikolai's heart shattered.
"For me?"
She nodded.
"Oh, baby…" he whispered, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry…"
"Mihu, how much do you have?" Riyana asked.
Lilith opened her teddy.
Four coins.
"What the fuck?!" Sohan blurted.
"Bad word!" everyone said.
Nikolai covered her ears.
"Sorry…" Sohan muttered.
"Come, baby… there are many watches in Russia," Arina said.
"Really?"
"Yes, love. Let's go home," Zhanna added.
"Okie!"
She jumped onto Nikolai's back.
Ethan handed her ice cream.
They headed to the airport.
At the airport—
Sohan hugged his daughter tightly.
"Her birthday is in two weeks," Nikolai said. "Come to Russia."
They agreed.
Nimra kissed Farhan.
"Bye, baby…"
"Bye…" he smiled.
"BYE BABA! BYE MUMMA! BYE BHAIS! BYE EVERYONE! LILY LOVES EVERYONE!" she shouted.
"BYE MIHU! BYE NEVA!" both families called.
She ran inside.
"The wedding will be discussed during her birthday," Sohan said.
"We will take care of her. Thank you for your gem," Viktoria said.
"Good," Sohan replied.
Lilith waved from the plane.
Sohan smiled.
The plane took off.
"Are you crying?" Riyana asked.
Sohan wiped his face.
"Let's go."
He held her hand.
And they walked away.