"Come on!!!" Mrs. Gyda shouted from the sidelines.
Lily moved quickly across the court, keeping her eyes on the defense.
She spotted Dayane.
"Dayane!"
The ball flew from Lily's hands.
Dayane caught it perfectly.
She took one step.
Then another.
She jumped.
"GOAL!!!"
The entire team screamed.
"AHHHHH!!!!!!"
They clapped, shouted, and jumped around in excitement.
Dayane landed and immediately jumped onto Lily.
Lily caught her, laughing as the entire Invictus team surrounded them.
"We did it!"
"We're going to the finals!"
"YES!"
The crowd erupted.
Mila sat among the family members, clapping her little hands excitedly.
Her tiny palms smacked together repeatedly as she watched Lily.
The other team eventually accepted their defeat.
They left the court while the Invictus team celebrated their victory.
The finals would be at 4:00 p.m.
Lily wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She was exhausted, but the smile on her face refused to disappear.
Mila was holding a bottle while sucking on her pacifier.
"Awww. Hi, baby. Who are you looking for?" Edel asked.
Mila immediately pointed toward the court.
"Lily?" Ljerkan asked.
Mila nodded.
Then she began waddling toward Lily.
Lily noticed her.
"Hi, sweetheart."
Mila reached her and held out the bottle.
Lily smiled and took it.
Mila drank from it happily.
As she walked beside Lily, she swung her little hips from side to side.
Lily picked up her bag.
"See you by four," she said.
She walked away with Mila waddling beside her.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, everything had become chaotic.
"Come on! Push!" Dr. Liv ordered.
Ivelle gripped the nurse's hand tightly.
"AHHHHH!"
Her scream echoed throughout the private delivery room.
Outside, Alexio stood frozen.
He closed his eyes tightly.
"Water, Boss?" Zarek asked.
Alexio shook his head.
"No."
Then they heard two loud cries.
Alexio immediately opened his eyes.
He stood.
Two babies had been delivered.
Ivelle had pushed out two girls at once.
Both girls were crying loudly.
Alexio released a deep sigh of relief.
Inside the room, Ivelle looked down at her babies.
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
Her lips trembled.
"My babies…" she whispered.
She continued breathing heavily.
The two newborn girls cried in the nurses' arms.
Dr. Kelvin stepped outside.
"Girls," he announced.
Alexio stared at him.
A huge sigh escaped his chest.
Then Dr. Liv suddenly called from inside.
"I see a head!"
Alexio's expression changed.
He looked toward the delivery room.
Dr. Liv rushed back inside.
A few moments later, Dr. Kelvin's voice could be heard.
"Oh, shit! He's stuck!"
Alexio sat down heavily.
His hands tightened together.
Dr. Violet came outside.
Alexio immediately stood.
"As if I'm the father… Is she okay? Is the baby out?"
Dr. Violet looked serious.
"We need to perform a C-section on her. She is bleeding a lot, and her heart rate is abnormal. The baby boy's heart rate is abnormal too."
Alexio nodded.
"Do whatever you need to do."
Dr. Violet immediately went back inside.
"Alex?"
A man's voice suddenly came from behind him.
Alexio turned.
A man was standing there.
It was his father.
Don Wilbur.
The older man smiled faintly.
"Good to see you, son."
Alexio stared at him.
"You…"
The two men stared at each other.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
The silence between father and son was heavier than anything either of them could say.
Meanwhile, the family had gathered inside Zafraan Restaurant.
Everyone was eating together.
Mila was hugging Lily tightly.
"I miwss you, Mama," Mila whispered.
Lily smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Me too, sweetie."
The family continued eating.
"Lily, the wedding arrangements are done," Hammed said.
Lily looked at him.
"My suit is ready. And Farhid's dress… is it ready?"
Farhid looked toward Lilith.
"Not yet. I contacted the designer and paid for the dresses for each ceremony."
Lily nodded.
"Are the foods ready for the guests?"
"Yes, Maa," Hammed replied.
"Security?" Nikolai asked.
"Six hundred men ready," Hammed answered.
"Good," Nikolai said.
The girls suddenly appeared.
"Lily!"
The girls waved.
"Hi, guys!" Lily replied.
They greeted everyone around the table.
"Whose house is next?" Lily whispered.
"Uhmm… Cassia," Alara answered.
"She already left. And we got the appointments fixed for tomorrow. We also paid the manager to clear the mall tomorrow."
"Great."
Lily smiled.
"And oh, the brands already sent our orders. It's taking three days to get everything and pack them up. I need to pick Hani's wedding dress for the store tomorrow."
"Congratulations, Hani!" the girls said together.
Farhid shyly nodded.
"Thank you, guys."
She smiled.
"And oh, you're all coming, right?"
"Of course we are!" Nino replied.
"This is going to be amazing!"
"Ouuu, I love traveling!" Nino added excitedly.
Across the table, Brandon stared at her while eating.
His gaze burned into her skin.
He chewed slowly as he watched her.
Nino seemed completely unaware.
Meanwhile, Sohan gently held Riyana's hand.
Riyana rubbed her nose.
"Amma (mother) is on her way," Sohan said.
Rezaul looked amused.
"Apparently, she's bringing the whole stores with her."
Everyone laughed.
At another part of the restaurant, Alexio and Don Wilbur's eyes never left each other.
"Great to see you again," Don Wilbur said.
"I looked for you and your mother everywhere."
Alexio made a fist.
He rubbed his face.
Then they heard a scream from the direction of the hospital wing.
Alexio turned.
A baby cried.
He sighed.
"Congratulations on the kid," Don Wilbur said.
"They're not mine. I'm not married," Alexio replied.
"Oh," Don Wilbur said quietly.
He looked at his son.
"How is your mother?"
Alexio froze.
"I came to look for you guys after that incident. I wanted to explain myself."
"Boss?" Mordren asked.
Alexio wiped his tears.
Then he laughed bitterly.
"Why now?"
Don Wilbur looked at him.
"I love your mom with everything I have."
Alexio's jaw tightened.
"That night, I needed to save her."
Don Wilbur continued.
"I needed the cure for the poison. She was injected with a poison, Alexio."
Alexio stared at him.
"Well, you know what?"
His voice became colder.
"She called you."
Don Wilbur's face changed.
"And you told her that even if she was dying, she shouldn't call you again."
Alexio's voice shook.
"Remember?"
Don Wilbur's heart tightened.
He lowered his head.
"B… because of you, she died."
Don Wilbur slowly looked up.
"What…?"
Alexio's eyes were filled with years of pain.
"Mom went into labor."
Don Wilbur stared at him.
"She cried."
Alexio swallowed.
"The doctor said it was either her or the baby."
His voice cracked.
"She said she wanted the baby to live."
Don Wilbur stood completely still.
"She told the doctor to take care of the baby."
Alexio's eyes filled with tears.
"Unfortunately… h… her last words were…"
He struggled to speak.
"I forgive your father."
Don Wilbur's breathing became uneven.
Alexio continued.
"If you ever see him again… tell him…"
His voice broke.
"Tell him… I love him forever."
Don Wilbur's face crumbled.
"Those words were her last words."
Alexio's voice suddenly exploded.
"BECAUSE YOU!"
He grabbed Don Wilbur.
"YOU BLOODY OLD BASTARD!"
Bastian immediately stood.
"You pushed her!"
Alexio shouted.
"You killed her!"
Don Wilbur stared at him in shock.
"She died!"
Alexio's grip tightened.
"She died!"
His voice cracked.
"She died, she died, she died!"
He was trembling.
"All because of YOU!"
Don Wilbur's heart tightened.
The entire world seemed to spin around him.
Memories flashed through his mind.
His wife's smile.
Her laughter.
Her giggles.
The way she looked at him.
The way they used to dance together beneath the rain.
Her voice.
Her touch.
Her eyes.
Everything.
"Boss, calm down!" Bastian said, grabbing Alexio.
Don Wilbur held his chest.
He looked upward.
His breathing became heavier.
Then his body suddenly collapsed.
Alexio blinked.
"Aurex!"
Aurex rushed over and checked Don Wilbur.
"Boss?"
Dr. Liv suddenly came out.
"What happened?"
She immediately knelt beside Don Wilbur.
She examined him.
"Get a bed!"
The guards rushed forward.
They moved Don Wilbur into another room.
Alexio sat down.
His breathing was heavy.
His hands were trembling.
"Call my sister now," he ordered.
"Yes, Boss," Mordren replied.
It was 3:54 p.m.
The basketball finals were only minutes away.
Sohan tightened Lily's shoelaces.
"Ready, cupcake?" Karim asked.
Lily looked down.
She was slightly nervous.
"Ready," she said.
Anika mixed glucose into her water.
"Drink all of it."
Lily took the bottle and drank everything.
Riyana was now healthy.
"You got this, Baneva!" Shivin shouted.
"Yeah!" the others replied.
"Good luck, Mhaira," Vanya said while rubbing her bump.
It was her second pregnancy with Tory.
"Remember the dunks we taught you, Tory?" someone reminded her.
"R… right, Uncles!" she replied.
Ishaan tied Lily's hair into a bun.
Nikolai held Mila.
"Whoa!?" the girls exclaimed.
"Yeah," Nikolai said.
"They're all basketball family, sort of."
Everyone laughed.
Then Sohan took off his mask.
The moment his face became visible, everyone froze.
"Oh my God!" Aram exclaimed.
Their eyes widened.
Both father and daughter looked toward the group and smiled at the same time.
The resemblance was impossible to ignore.
Their green eyes.
Their facial features.
Their expressions.
They looked incredibly alike.
Valan stared at Lily.
"T… that means you're the Gem of the Obsidian Trail…"
Lily instinctively held her shirt.
Sohan stood behind her.
"She is the Gem of the Muard Empire," he said.
Yamini blinked.
"No wonder. I said she looked familiar at first."
Sohan looked toward Aram.
"Why, hello, Ram."
Aram's eyes widened.
"Great to see you again. It's been what… thirteen years?"
Aram opened his mouth.
But no words came out.
"Wait."
Lily looked between them.
"You know him, Baba?"
"Yeah."
Sohan smiled faintly.
"He's actually your cousin, Mhaira."
"What!?"
The entire Obsidian Circle reacted at once.
"What!?"
Sohan continued.
"He ran away from home. He left his family and came to Russia."
He looked at Aram.
"Your mother has been going crazy for years looking for you."
Aram looked away.
His expression became heavy.
Sohan's voice softened.
"After this game, you will come to me. We have a lot to discuss, boy."
He paused.
"For now, cheer your sister on."
"Yes, sir," Aram answered.
He lowered his head.
"Let's go, girls!" Mrs. Gyda shouted.
The entire Invictus team looked at each other.
They brought their fists toward their chests.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
They hit their chests six times.
"INVICTUS!"
Their voices echoed throughout the stadium.
They ran onto the court.
Lily suddenly stopped.
She turned.
She saw Mila.
She saw Nikolai.
Her face immediately brightened.
She ran toward them.
"Mama!"
Mila opened her arms.
Lily hugged both of them tightly.
Nikolai kissed Lily's forehead.
"Good luck, Bambi."
"Luck, Mama," Mila said.
"And we love you," Nikolai added.
He slowly kissed Lily.
Mila kissed her cheeks.
"I love you guys," Lily whispered.
Then she turned and ran back onto the court.
The crowd roared.
The teams stood opposite one another.
Both teams were sweating.
The rival school was the academy that had dominated the championship for years.
Valtheris Academy.
Their basketball team was known as The Valkyries.
The Valkyries had won the cup nine years in a row.
"Oh no," Nino whispered.
Nikolai held Mila in his arms.
Mila was eating snacks.
She looked adorable.
Nikolai adored her more than anything.
"Dada, wook," Mila said, pointing toward the court.
Nikolai looked.
"Dada, look at Lily?"
He smiled.
"Yeah."
He gently cleaned her mouth.
"Mama?"
Mila nodded.
Then she giggled.
On the opposite side of the court stood the Valkyries' team leader.
Elysia.
She had won all the cups.
She looked at Lily.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Looks like they have a new player," she said.
A dark smile formed on her face.
"Crush her, girls," the coach ordered.
The Valkyries nodded.
The whistle blew.
Elysia immediately moved.
She passed the ball quickly.
She was fast.
Extremely fast.
But before she could get far, Lily moved.
Elysia bounced the ball once.
Twice.
Three times.
Lily suddenly reached out.
She grabbed the ball.
"What the fuck!?" another Valkyries member shouted.
The principal stood up in shock.
Lily dribbled.
She moved past one player.
Then another.
Then another.
Her teammates spread across the court.
One of them threw the ball back to her.
Lily caught it.
She dribbled again.
The entire stadium watched.
Then Lily suddenly threw the ball upward.
She jumped.
She performed a self-lob.
Her body spun through the air.
A 360-degree dunk.
The ball slammed through the hoop.
"GOAL!!"
The entire school screamed.
The rival team blinked.
It wasn't even a minute into the match.
"AMMAA! (MOTHER!)" the children shouted.
Nikolai immediately clapped.
"YES!"
Sohan jumped up.
"YES!"
"Woah!!!!" Owen shouted.
"Now Elysia is gonna lose!" Laetitia exclaimed.
The game continued.
Meanwhile, Alexio sat quietly at the hospital.
His phone suddenly rang.
"Boss, it's her," Aurex said.
Alexio looked at him.
He picked up the phone.
"Brother?"
A soft, low voice came through.
Alexio's expression softened.
"Hey, my star."
"Hi, my dearest brother! How are you? I missed you so much!"
"I miss you too, my little star."
He smiled faintly.
"How is the tour going?"
"Ugh, ass brother," she replied playfully.
"But I got billions, and I'm coming back tomorrow!"
Alexio chuckled.
"Great."
He paused.
"Uhmm… I have something to tell you."
"Yeah?"
Alexio explained everything.
The hospital.
Ivelle.
The babies.
Don Wilbur.
Their confrontation.
His mother's death.
Everything.
There was silence on the other end.
Then his sister spoke.
"Oh, brother."
Her voice softened.
"I'm very proud of you."
Alexio looked down.
"And brother… don't hurt that man yet."
Alexio raised his eyes.
"Let us hear from him."
He took a deep breath.
"Alright, my little star."
"I'll see you soon."
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too," Alexio replied.
The call ended.
Alexio lowered the phone.
He sat there silently.
His mind returned to everything that had happened.
His father.
His mother.
The past.
The present.
And the future.
He stared ahead, thinking.
Outside, the hospital continued moving around him.
Inside another room, Don Wilbur was fighting to remain conscious.
And across the city, Lily was fighting for something completely different.
Victory.
The stadium erupted again as the Invictus team charged forward.
The Valkyries had dominated the championship for nine years.
But today, they had met someone they had never expected.
The Gem.
And the game had only just begun.