Damian drove while Lilith sat beside him, lost in thought, her heart filled with anger and fear.
Meanwhile, Nikolai sat with his grandmother as the entire family gathered around him.
"Something doesn't feel right, Brother. I have a bad feeling," Arina said.
"Me too," Farhan replied.
Diya suddenly ran downstairs.
"Oi, what's wrong?" Vishal asked.
"I had a bad dream about Mila. She was bleeding. I'm going to pray about it," she said, covering her head before entering the temple.
Outside, a violent storm raged.
Nikolai remained seated as thunder cracked across the sky.
A car pulled into the driveway.
Lilith stepped out into the pouring rain and stared at the mansion.
Her home.
She wasn't wearing any shoes.
She was furious.
She stormed toward the entrance and shoved the mansion doors open.
"NIKOLAI DEVEREAUX!!!!"
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Standing there was the Queen of the mansion.
The Queen of the Mafia underworld.
Soaked.
Furious.
Nikolai immediately stood.
"Mhaira?" Zafraan whispered.
Lilith stepped inside with her right foot first.
The sky trembled.
A deafening clap of thunder echoed.
"The Queen is angry," Logan muttered.
"NIKOLAI DEVEREAUX!" she shouted again as she marched toward him, every step carrying anger, pain and heartbreak.
Nikolai stared at his tiny queen.
"What happened?" Ethan asked.
Without saying another word, Lilith reached him and slapped him across the face.
The entire room fell silent.
"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS!?" she screamed.
Another slap.
Nikolai didn't move.
"You did this because I wouldn't let you see Mila, so YOU TOOK HER AWAY!"
Another slap.
"Lily, stop!" Zhanna cried.
Nikolai raised his hand, stopping everyone from interfering.
Lilith grabbed his shirt.
"Y…You sent your men to attack my apartment…they hurt Mila…they destroyed everything while I was at school…didn't you?"
"Lily, I didn't—"
She interrupted him.
"LOOK!"
She held up Mila's tiny jumper.
"I…I…I wore this for her…"
"It is covered in blood…"
"Mila's blood…"
Nikolai slowly took the blood-stained jumper.
His expression darkened instantly.
"Where is my daughter?" Lilith cried.
"Please…"
"Please give my child back."
"I'll do anything you want."
"I'll come home…"
"If you just give me my baby back."
She hit his chest over and over, sobbing uncontrollably.
She struggled to breathe.
"Mahira, calm down," Farhan said gently. "Tell us everything."
"My neighbor's daughter has been helping me babysit Mila…"
"Everything was okay…"
"But today…"
"I felt restless all through school."
"I felt restless at work."
"I got seventy missed calls."
"They said armed men broke into my apartment…"
"They took my baby…"
"They said their boss wanted her…"
Lilith looked directly into Nikolai's eyes.
"You wanted her."
She slowly reached toward him.
"You want me to beg?"
She held both sides of her veil.
"What are you doing?" Nimra asked.
Lilith fell to her knees.
"Please…"
"I beg you…"
"Give this mother back her baby…"
"Please…"
"Give me my child…"
She broke down completely.
"Neva…" Zafraan whispered.
She reached toward Nikolai's feet.
He quickly stepped back before lifting her into his arms.
She cried against him.
His own heart shattered.
Still holding Mila's bloodstained jumper, he pulled out his phone and accessed the security cameras.
"Nia."
His voice had become terrifyingly cold.
"B…Boss?" Nimra answered.
"I want every camera in this city."
"Now."
"Yes, Boss."
Chand and Visran silently watched.
Grandmother had ordered them not to leave.
"M…My child…" Lilith whispered.
Suddenly—
The television interrupted.
Breaking News
"A body believed to be that of a toddler has been discovered in the northern woods outside Moscow. Authorities have not yet identified the child due to severe facial injuries."
Everything stopped.
Lilith froze.
Nikolai froze.
Lilith slowly crawled toward the television.
"Mila…?"
"No!" Addison said immediately.
"It isn't Mila."
"It isn't."
Farhan hurriedly called his mother.
"Hello?"
"Riyana…"
"Please come."
"Lily needs her mother."
After hearing everything—
"I'm on my way," Riyana answered.
Lilith remained sitting on the floor.
Lost inside memories of Mila.
Then…
She looked toward the doorway.
There—
She saw Mila.
Laughing.
Clapping.
Crawling toward her.
"Mil?"
She slowly stood.
Nikolai continued calling every one of his men.
"Mila…"
"Baby…"
"Where did you go?"
"Come to Mama."
"It's bedtime."
She smiled toward the empty doorway.
Everyone exchanged worried looks.
"She's losing herself," Sabrina whispered.
Lilith opened both arms.
Nikolai immediately grabbed her.
"Let me go!"
"Look!"
"Mila is right there!"
"She's there!"
"Snap out of it!" Nikolai shouted, gently shaking her.
She looked again.
Only rain.
No Mila.
"My child…"
She cried once more.
"Boss!"
"We found something!" Nimra announced.
Lilith suddenly collapsed.
"Lily?"
"Lily!"
Dr. Clara examined her.
"She has fainted from severe emotional stress."
Without hesitation, Nikolai lifted her into his arms.
"Nolan."
"Enzo."
"Rohan."
"Yes, Boss."
"Go to the apartment with Olivia."
"Yes, Boss."
Diya touched the feet of the Goddess before they left.
"We changed her clothes," Rima informed him.
He nodded before carrying Lilith upstairs.
Everyone followed.
Except Sarah.
She quietly watched Chand.
"Something isn't right…"
She noticed Chand's brand-new phone.
Silently—
She plugged a USB device into her laptop.
Within moments—
She hacked it.
Meanwhile—
Nikolai studied every CCTV recording.
"Here, Boss," Nimra said.
The footage showed the kidnappers taking Mila.
Camera after camera followed the vehicle.
"Nikolai…"
"You need to see this."
Sarah turned her laptop around.
On the screen—
Messages.
Between Chand.
Visran.
And another man.
"It contains Mila's location…"
"And instructions about what to do with Lily."
Chand's eyes widened.
"You…"
"You hacked my phone?"
"Yes."
Sarah nodded.
Nikolai slowly read every message.
Then looked up.
"You were planning…"
"To sell my daughter…"
"Into human trafficking?"
His voice became terrifyingly quiet.
"I…I…I…"
Chand couldn't speak.
"What?" Haira gasped.
"What kind of plan is that?" Surinder shouted.
"It was only to separate them…"
Visran stammered.
"AND THEN WHAT!?"
Nikolai roared.
"You planned to sell my daughter!"
"Ria!"
"Boss?" Rima answered.
"Addy!"
"BOSS?"
"Lock them up."
"And tear them apart."
"No!"
"No!"
"Kaal, please!"
"It was her idea!"
"I only followed her!"
"She told me to follow you to Lilith's apartment!"
"She wanted the child sold so we could marry!"
Chand cried while holding his leg.
"You contacted your father!"
"You arranged everything!"
Visran shouted back.
"Take them away."
Both were dragged from the room.
"Location?"
"By the lake."
"Shipments are leaving from there."
Nikolai clenched his jaw.
"Dada is coming…"
"Baby…"
"I'm coming."
Lilith dreamed of Mila laughing as she ran through a field.
She reached toward her.
Suddenly—
Mila fell into a deep hole.
"MILAAAA!"
Lilith jolted awake.
Everyone surrounded her.
"It's okay."
"We found her," Sabrina said.
"No!"
"I need my baby!"
"She must be hungry…"
"They didn't feed her…"
She ran from the room.
"Mihu!"
"You're hurting yourself!"
Urmila cried.
Meanwhile—
Nikolai loaded his gun.
Then—
He heard tiny footsteps.
"Mil?"
Lilith ran downstairs barefoot.
"My baby!"
Nikolai caught her before she could leave.
She struggled violently.
"Calm down."
"We're getting her."
"GIVE ME MY BABY BACK!"
He gently pinned her onto the sofa and stroked her hair.
"Shhh…"
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
"P…pretty please?"
He kissed her forehead.
"I know, love."
"I know."
"I'm coming with you," she whispered.
"My baby needs me."
"I know."
"Loaded, Boss," Brandon reported.
Nikolai nodded.
"If you bring her back…"
"I'll come home."
"I promise."
She grabbed his shirt tightly.
"If you don't…"
"I'll hate you forever."
His heart tightened painfully.
"I'm coming with you," she whispered again.
"Let's move."
The men left.
The women remained behind, connected through earpieces.
Sohan's plane landed.
He arrived carrying loaded weapons.
Riyana took Anika.
Nishi.
Amala.
The children were safely hidden inside Nikolai's mansion.
Lilith's phone rang.
It was Gloria.
"Your friend," Nikolai said.
He answered.
"Hello, Lily. Can you help me with the Financial Aid notes?"
"This is Lily's husband speaking."
"She's under a lot of stress."
"I'll let her know."
"Oh…"
"I hope she's okay."
"She will be."
"She works far too hard."
"I'll call tomorrow."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Lilith sniffled.
"What?"
"She needs your notes."
Lilith immediately opened her phone and sent everything.
"What are you doing?"
"Sending them."
Nikolai smiled.
"My Bambi…"
"You're one of a kind."
Soon—
They reached the docks.
Sohan arrived.
Lilith searched desperately.
Then—
She saw Mila.
Crying.
A woman struck her.
"Shut up!"
Mila's injured arm trembled.
Nihal aimed his sniper rifle.
Nikolai nodded.
Four shots.
Four bodies dropped.
"WHO DID THAT!?"
the leader shouted.
Lilith slipped behind old boats.
Nikolai loaded his pistol.
Then—
WHOOOO-WHEET!
His whistle echoed across the docks.
Every kidnapper looked.
Gunfire exploded.
Men fell one after another.
Children screamed.
Lilith reached the boat.
"Mil!"
Mila looked up.
"M…Mama…"
Lilith's heart melted.
"Mama is here."
She climbed aboard.
She found many frightened girls.
"Come on!"
"Go!"
"Go!"
"Run!"
Every child escaped.
Lilith picked Mila up.
"My baby…"
"Mama is here."
Nikolai fired one final shot.
The leader collapsed.
Blood spread across the deck.
Lilith hugged Mila tightly.
Her little body barely moved.
Then—
Her eyes slowly closed.
"Mil?"
"MILAAA!"
Her scream pierced the night.
Nikolai gently tapped Mila's cheek.
"Baby…"
"Wake up."
Sohan eliminated another attacker.
"Watch out!"
Vishal shouted.
A gunman aimed directly at Mila.
Without hesitation—
Nikolai threw himself over Lilith and Mila.
Two bullets tore through his arm.
Everything slowed.
"N…N…Nikki?"
"Yes…"
"Bambi…"
Lilith stared at his bleeding arm.
Then embraced both husband and daughter.
He gently cupped her face.
"Nothing…"
"Nothing will happen to either of you."
"I promise."
They were rushed into a waiting vehicle.
"FASTER!"
Lilith screamed.
She rested her forehead against Nikolai's.
He smiled weakly.
"Marry me again…"
"Bambi."
Fresh tears streamed down her face.
Nikolai dipped his fingers into his own blood.
Then gently applied it along the parting of her hair.
Her Sindoor (Vermilion).
"Now…"
"My wife…"
"You are complete."
"Nikki…"
She whispered.
He smiled.
They arrived at the nearest hospital.
Doctors rushed Mila toward the pediatric ICU.
Other doctors wheeled Nikolai into emergency surgery.
"Please wait here, ma'am."
The ICU doors closed.
Lilith stood alone.
Terrified.
Waiting for the fate of both her husband…
and her daughter.