The Devil And The Maid.

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Nora was still asleep, her breathing steady as the twins lay beside her. But Lysander, ever curious and full of energy, was already awake. He giggled quietly, crawling toward his mother and patting her face gently with his tiny hands, trying to wake her and Seraphina.

Just then, Maverick stepped into the room and paused when he saw the baby boy attempting to rouse his sleeping mother and sister. A faint smile tugged at his lips, but concern returned just as quickly. He gently lifted both babies and placed them into their stroller. Leaning in, he touched Nora's forehead—she was even hotter than before.

Worry tightening in his chest, Maverick didn't wait. He left with the twins and drove straight to Zayan's company, heading directly into his office and waiting quietly. While they waited, Maverick fed the twins and played with them, making silly faces and telling soft jokes that had both babies laughing joyfully.

Meanwhile, Zayan was in a meeting, but his mind was elsewhere. He was deeply worried about Nora. The memory of when he was sick for three weeks haunted him—how, even then, despite her own fragile condition, Nora had cared for him tirelessly. She had fed him, given him his medications, and stayed beside him every single night. He remembered everything.

After the meeting, he stepped into his office and was immediately greeted by the sweet sounds of giggles. His eyes lit up as he saw his babies crawling and laughing around Maverick.

He smiled slightly and scooped Seraphina into his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Then he kissed Lysander as well. "Is Nora awake?" he asked, his voice soft with concern.

"No," Maverick replied. "She's still resting. But her fever… it's not good."

After finishing work, Zayan rushed straight to the hospital. He pushed the door open and froze in shock.

Nora was standing on the bed—one leg stretched up, touching the ceiling—her body bent in an impossibly flexible position.

"Nora?" Zayan called out, stunned.

She turned her head, eyes half-lidded and dreamy. "Z!!! Look, my leg is up!" she giggled at their stunned expressions. "Why do you all look like ghosts?"

"Get down. Now," Zayan ordered, stepping forward.

She giggled again and gently lowered her leg, hopping down from the bed. "What were you doing up?" he asked.

"Practice makes perfect!" she said with a grin.

Then her face softened, her eyes distant. "Oh, Z… I had a dream. It was all black and white. I was working as a maid before? And I saw you too… Shaw, Asher, Mommy… everyone."

They all went quiet.

"You… didn't see it clearly?" Zayan asked hesitantly.

She shook her head. "No, not really. But look…" She pointed at the bed. There was blood—on the sheets.

Blood had come from her nose and mouth.

Asher stepped forward, alarmed. "Really?"

Nora nodded and calmly collected the food in his hands, sitting down to eat. She fed the twins cheerfully while chatting with them.

Arion entered with a few doctors, carrying her blood test results.

"She's going to be sick for some time," Arion said grimly. "The operation went well, but her blood results… they're bad. Very high fever, severe anemia, and thrombocytopenia."

"Thrombocytopenia causes internal bleeding," he added, "so we have to be extremely careful not to trigger her body too much. We'll begin treatment immediately."

Zayan went pale. His legs almost gave out, but Sora and Zira rushed to his side and helped him steady himself.

Back in the room, Nora giggled as she helped Lysander and Seraphina take their first shaky steps. "Careful now, okie?" she said softly.

"Yayyyyy! Alright, come to mama!" she cheered, holding out her arms.

The twins wobbled uncertainly, and just as Lysander began to tilt, he turned and reached out to hold Seraphina's hand. Together, hand in hand, they reached their mother.

Everyone watching through the window was stunned. Asher even caught the beautiful moment on video. Nora beamed with joy, while Zayan's chest swelled with pride.

Three hours later, they all shared a large family meal. Nora ate happily, but then—she started coughing. Hard.

She quickly grabbed Zayan's white handkerchief and covered her mouth, then wiped it clean.

Zayan's eyes widened. She handed him the cloth—and when he unfolded it, it was soaked with blood.

They all went still.

"Z?" she asked, confused by his expression. "What's wrong? Are you okie?"

He touched her cheek. "Y…Yeah, I'm fine, darling. Keep eating." He forced a smile and hid the cloth behind his back.

Asher's eyes glistened with tears, but he held himself back. He was a man, after all.

Zayan wanted to cry too, but he swallowed the lump in his throat.

That evening, Zayan drove to his grandmother's house. He walked in, sat on the floor, and placed his head on her lap, tears pouring down his face.

Lady Kim gently stroked his hair. "My dear child, don't cry. She will be fine."

"B…but she's not, Grandma," he wept. "Why can't she just heal… once and for all? She keeps getting worse, every day. I don't want to lose her again. The twins… if anything happens to her, they'll grow up without their mother."

Lady Kim looked him in the eye.

"You are ZAYAN KAI. The strongest man I know. You love her. And she loves you. She is your wife, the mother of your children. Stand by her until the end. Even in her condition, her eyes shine with love—for you. Trust the process, and I promise you… she will be fine."

Zayan nodded slowly. "Yes, Grandma… thank you."

He hugged her tightly, and in his heart, he made a vow:

I will do everything for my Nora and my children. I swear it.

Nora was discharged from the hospital, but her treatments would continue. That night, she was sleepy but refused to sleep until she bathed the twins. She dried them, dressed them, and yawned deeply, smiling through her exhaustion.

Zayan walked in just as the twins clapped and giggled upon seeing him. They stood up on shaky legs, wobbling toward him.

He knelt, arms wide open. "My babies are walking now!" he exclaimed with joy.

He tickled them, and they giggled uncontrollably. When he looked up, he saw Nora had fallen asleep, sitting on the floor.

He carried her gently to the bed, covered her with a blanket, and kissed her forehead.

As he changed clothes and turned around, he caught the twins crawling toward their mother again.

Zayan chuckled. "You two want to sleep beside Mama?"

They both looked up at him and giggled in response.

He lifted them up and laid them beside her. Lysander curled up against Nora, and Seraphina laid her tiny head on Zayan's chest.

Zayan stared at Nora's sleeping face, love pouring from his eyes.

He smiled softly and whispered, "I'm here, Nora. I'm always here."

And finally, surrounded by his precious family, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.