By midnight, Lilith had finished making a cupcake. The kitchen was quiet until Nikolai entered.
"Hey, Bambi," he said in a clear English accent. Over the years, his Russian accent had become slightly mixed, but his English accent had grown much clearer.
Lilith was still angry. She looked at him.
He was holding a cake.
The Red Order had gone back underground under Nikolai's orders, but they would return.
Together, they went upstairs.
Both parents gently opened the bedroom door and saw Mila yawning while rubbing her sleepy little eyes.
"Hi, Sweetie," Lilith said.
"H…H…Hi Mama," Mila replied in a sleepy voice.
"Happy Birthday, my sweet baby," Lily said.
"S dnyom rozhdeniya, moy malen'kiy angelechek." (Happy Birthday, my little angel.) Nikolai said.
Mila immediately broke into a giggle and clapped her tiny hands happily.
"Make a wish, Mimi," he said.
Mila closed her eyes.
"I wish Mama Dada an' me stay togevver foreber. I wan more babies to pway wif. I be stwong wike Dada!"
Lilith and Nikolai looked at each other.
Mila blew out the candles.
She immediately took a huge bite of the cupcake.
Yellow icing covered the tip of her little nose.
Her parents laughed.
At the dining table, Lily blew her nose.
She had cried throughout the entire night.
Nikolai handed her another tissue.
"All done now… more?" he asked.
Everyone laughed.
Just then Mila waddled into the dining room.
"Good Mownin," Mila said while yawning.
"Good morning, Mila!"
"Happy Birthday, Mil!"
Everyone greeted her.
"Happy birfday Mimi!" the toddlers shouted together as they hugged her.
"Awww," Olivia smiled.
Ezekiel gently held Mila's little hand.
Maira had given birth to a baby boy named Rian.
Darya absolutely adored him.
Rosie hugged Mila warmly.
Anna and Olga handed Mila cupcakes.
"Wish!" they both said.
Mila closed her eyes, made another wish, then happily fed everyone little pieces of cake.
"Mahira, please come," Sarah called.
Lily walked over.
"Yeah?"
"Godmother wants to speak to you. Please come."
Lilith followed Sarah.
They entered another room.
"Good morning, Mahira," Vajrakali greeted.
Lilith respectfully bent down and touched her feet.
"Bless you, dear," Vajrakali said.
She took a deep breath.
"We need to leave tomorrow. Your father is there, and everything has been arranged, but we have a few problems."
Lilith listened quietly.
"Some goons are close to the mountains. They are her men. They arrived two days ago. We need to get there."
Lily sat down.
"Hmm…"
She thought for several moments.
"Okay. We go tomorrow then."
"Great. Let her start packing," Vajrakali said before leaving the room.
As Lilith stepped outside, she accidentally bumped into Chandrak.
"Sorry," he said.
"No problem," Lilith replied.
He looked directly at her.
"Are you happy with him? If you're not… I can make you happy."
While speaking, he reached over and touched her arm.
Lilith immediately removed his hand.
"Don't touch me again."
She walked away without looking back.
Chandrak slowly licked his lips before leaving.
By noon, the hall had been beautifully decorated.
Mila was already dressed.
"Ready, Baby?" Yulian asked.
"Ywes."
The Red Order entered carrying gifts.
Lily carefully placed the birthday cake on the table.
Nikolai tied balloons around the hall.
Lilith started a group video call.
"It looks so, so pretty!" Ksenia exclaimed.
"I wish I was there!" Gloria added.
Lily chuckled.
"Why didn't you tell me to bring them here, Bambi?" Nikolai asked.
"Yes, Lily! We are offended!" Wiktor complained.
Nikolai took the iPad.
Everyone on the call finally saw his face.
"No… Fucking… WAY!?" Ksenia shouted.
Her father stood behind her.
"Nikolai Devereaux!?" Gloria gasped.
"Why, hello, Lily's friends. Don't mind your friend. She's too shy. She didn't tell me. Otherwise, all of you would have been invited by me. Right, Baby?" he asked while looking at Lily.
"Wait… Lilith is your wife!?" the twins exclaimed.
"Yes. She has been my wife for three years now, until she left and came back home," Nikolai answered before gently kissing Lilith.
Gloria's mother had heard everything.
Her name was Ms. Flávia.
She was half Brazilian and half Russian.
She was the CEO of her late husband's technology company.
"Why didn't you tell us, Lily!?" Wiktor complained.
"Mila! Here!" Meghan called.
Everyone turned.
Mila shyly waddled into the hall.
She was wearing a beautiful short lavender-purple birthday dress with soft layered tulle, a sparkling bodice, delicate floral embroidery, puffy sleeves, a satin bow around the waist, and a twirl-worthy skirt that created a sweet, elegant, magical princess look for a three-year-old girl.
Lilith's eyes immediately filled with tears.
Nikolai's eyes also became watery.
He bent down.
He kissed Mila's forehead.
"Happy Birthday, my little princess."
Lilith gently cupped Mila's face.
"Happy Birthday, my big baby."
Mila tightly hugged her.
"I wuv you biggggg Mama."
"I love you so much," Lily whispered while crying even harder.
"Come, come, come! Let's cut the cake!" Sarah called.
Mila waddled toward the cake while holding both of her parents' hands.
"Awww, Mil looks adorable!" Tatiana smiled through the video call.
Everyone began singing.
"Happy Birthday to you…
Happy Birthday, Mil…"
Nikolai lit the candles.
"Make a wish, Baby."
Mila clapped her tiny hands together.
She closed her eyes.
"Happy home… Happy famiwy… More babies… Me pway wif dem… Mama an' Dada wuv each uvver foreber."
Only Nikolai and Lily heard her wish.
She blew out the candles.
Everyone clapped loudly.
Mila carefully cut the cake.
One by one, she fed every toddler.
"Here," she said to Kalma.
"Thank you, Baby," Kalma smiled before taking a bite.
She kissed Mila's forehead and hugged her.
The tiny toddler then happily fed members of the Red Order.
"Boss," Kalma called.
Nikolai quietly stepped aside with the group.
"Tell me."
"She offered nine hundred million dollars and half the gold she promised from that mountain. She's not going to give up, Boss. She's the most dangerous woman in Russia."
"Yes, Boss," Crya added.
"She broke Tsillah's leg."
"What?" Lilith suddenly asked.
Everyone turned.
She was standing at the doorway.
"Uhmm… Lily…" Seris muttered.
"She threw stones at Mila in the park. She hurt my daughter. Aren't you the King? Why can't you order her?" Lilith demanded.
"Boss can… but she's the topest bitch in Russia. She can do anything she wants. Last week she burned down eighteen companies over just one thing. Now she has made you a target in the underworld. Nobody dares cross her path. She's smarter than everyone… even Boss. You need to hide from her. Be safe," Kalma warned.
Lilith slowly shook her head.
"No. I will not hide. I will make her pay for Mila… and Nikki. Nobody messes with my family. She hurt Mila yesterday. I will make you feel the pain my daughter went through. Her tears… every single drop. That's why I'm leaving for India tomorrow. Baba is there."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Nikolai asked.
"I was going to tell you by nightfall after the party. Vajrakali told me her goons are already on the island."
"They are?" Nikolai asked.
"They are," Lilith answered again.
"What is her group's name? How can I get to her?" Lilith asked.
"You can't get her, Lily. Her group is the most illegal organization in Russia. They're called The Nocturne Matriarchate. The darkest group. Their leader, after you, is the Supreme Matriarch. She will do everything to get you into her bloody hands," Kalma explained.
Lilith tightly gripped her veil.
"But there is a way," Nikolai said.
"What way, Boss?" Kalma asked.
"One thing I know about The Nocturne Matriarchate is this… the leader's title can be taken away by the strongest person willing to challenge them. Either the challenger dies… or the leader dies. If the leader dies, the entire organization belongs to the victor. The whole underworld falls at their feet. I know she killed the last leader herself. They're all bitches. If the leader dies, the group bows. They have no choice. They follow commands. They obey orders. She dared touch me and my family. She crossed the line by touching my daughter."
He looked ahead coldly.
"She will pay."
"With her life," Lilith said.
Everyone slowly turned toward her.
"Her life. She will pay with her life… dearly."
Her green eyes burned with rage.
Meanwhile…
A chained man sat silently.
"Hi, Baby," the Supreme Matriarch said.
Her women removed his chains.
He spat blood onto the floor.
She grabbed his face.
"We're going on a trip. But first… since you've been such a good boy, I'll let you see your mother once. Meet her. Just give her some flowers. My men will be watching you. One wrong move and you'll be shot and locked up again. Got it, Baby?"
He stared at her silently.
"Got it?" she repeated.
He slowly nodded.
"Good boy."
She forcefully and roughly kissed him.
She smiled.
"Let it begin."
She smirked.
"Now… the real war begins."