The Devil And The Maid.

Zayan woke up to the peaceful sight of Nora asleep with the twins nestled close to her. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he sat up, brushing a strand of her hair aside. Careful not to wake them, he got dressed and made his way to the rooftop.

There, he found the surprise Nora had prepared for him — a rooftop covered in dark blue and black flowers, arranged in the shape of their initials: "N + Z." He stood in silence, watching the petals flutter under the early morning breeze. For forty minutes, Zayan stayed there, soaking in her effort and love — despite her condition.

Eventually, he left and walked into her art room. The moment he stepped inside, his heart clenched. The room was a mess. Black paint stained the walls and floor… but what chilled him was the trail of blood smeared along the corner. He crouched and touched it. Blood.

"Nora…" he whispered, fury and guilt swelling in his chest. She had done all this — for him — even while she was still dangerously ill.

He immediately dialed Arion.

"Have you found any solution yet?" Zayan's voice was deadly calm, but it carried the weight of a thunderstorm.

"N-No, sir. We're still researching," Arion stammered.

"Make it fast."

Meanwhile, Meira and Melanin had taken the twins to visit their grandmother, Lady Kim. Upstairs, Nora stirred awake. Her body was burning with exhaustion. Too weak to walk, she sank into the bathtub, letting the water ease her pain. Zira sat beside her, holding her hand in silence.

Downstairs, Zayan and his men waited for Mr. Arians and his wife, Mrs. Iris. The atmosphere was tense. When the couple entered, their faces were pale with shame.

"You saw what your daughter did the first time," Zayan began, voice cold. "And now she tried to kill my wife — knowing her condition."

The room went still.

"Bring them in," Zayan ordered.

Lane, tied up and gagged, was dragged in alongside her accomplices. Mrs. Iris lowered her head, hiding her tears, while Mr. Arians looked at Zayan with regret.

"Take your mad daughter," Zayan said, voice sharp as a knife. "And get out. If I wanted to end her, I could. Now leave."

Mr. Arians bowed deeply. "Our deepest apologies, Mr. Zayan."

Just then, Shaw's phone rang. He stepped out to answer it. When he returned, his face was drained of color.

"We have a problem," he said to Rex in his Polish accent.

"What kind of problem?" Rex asked.

Shaw looked around. "It's… Grandma. And the Grand Aunt. They're in London."

Everyone fell silent.

"She knows about Nora," Shaw continued, "and the babies. She's not happy."

Zayan stood frozen. Asher furrowed his brow. "What's so bad about your grandmother?"

"When Nora was born," Shaw explained, "Lady Zofia ordered her death. She feared Nora's claim to the Lilith family empire. A midwife helped Aveline escape to London, lying that the baby had died. Zofia believed it. Until now."

The room filled with dread.

"She bought back the family estate in Poland," Shaw said. "She knows everything. And she's here."

"We're done," Neal muttered.

"Completely finished," added Damian.

Without hesitation, Zayan deployed a million-level security upgrade across the entire estate — advanced systems, surveillance, armed guards, drones.

Nora, now out of the bath, was helped into blue cargo pants, socks, and Zayan's oversized sweatshirt. Her strength was fading, but she held on.

Zayan called his sisters. "Bring the twins home. Now."

He also summoned Aveline, Sora, and Frya.

Ten minutes later, everyone had gathered. Nora rocked the twins to sleep in her chair. Shaw stood before Aveline and explained everything. Her face turned pale with fear.

Then the sound of cars pulling up made everyone turn.

Eight figures entered the mansion. They were all searched — and multiple weapons were confiscated.

"Shaw," a voice called.

Lady Zofia.

Beside her was her sister Lady Kasia and their daughters, Saskia and Yasia. Four men followed — Boris, James, Henry, and Salvius.

"I want the girl," Zofia demanded in her thick Polish accent.

"No," Shaw said, standing his ground. "Leave her alone. Why do you even want the empire? Just go."

No one noticed Zayan sitting calmly in the corner, observing.

"I just want to see her," Zofia insisted.

"You stay away from my daughter, for fuck's sake!" Aveline snapped.

Zofia's eyes narrowed. "Ah, the stupid maid. Used your beauty to trap my son, how pathetic."

Lady Kasia interjected gently, "Please, we only want to see her. We don't mean harm."

Upstairs, Nora couldn't sleep due to the noise. Irritated, weak, and furious, she demanded a gun.

Zira hesitated but eventually handed it to her. Nora stormed downstairs and, without warning, fired at the chandelier. It came crashing down.

"ARE YOU ALL FUCKING MAD?!" she yelled.

The room froze.

Zayan jumped slightly at the sudden explosion.

"Why is there so much fucking noise?" Nora asked, storming in. She tossed the loaded gun to Zayan and collapsed beside him. "Who are they?"

Zofia and her entourage stared in shock. Zayan gently patted her head.

"Are you okay, love?"

"Dirty rice and blueberries, just?" Nora asked, giggling. "You want some, Z?"

She ran off to the kitchen with Zira, acting like a child.

"She's… she's acting like a kid," Yasia said.

"She had an accident," Shaw replied quietly. "She's not the same. That's Nora. Please… don't hurt her."

"Are we done?" Zayan finally stood, towering.

He walked over to Zofia, his gaze sharp and unforgiving.

"I'm Zayan Kai. Nora's husband."

Zofia and the others froze. Their mouths hung open.

"Y-You're… Mr. Zayan Kai?" Zofia whispered.

"Yes. And now let me give you a very clear warning: If you ever touch a single strand of her hair — I will end you. And send you to your grave early."

They all went silent.

"We need to stay," Zofia said coldly. "To keep an eye on this… born-by-mistake child."

Before anyone could respond, Asher lost it.

"She's the most amazing woman I've ever met. She's not a mistake — you are."

He pointed his gun at her.

"Asher," Zayan said calmly. "Let it go."

Zayan walked into the kitchen.

Nora was waiting, holding up a spoon of dirty rice.

"Z, look!" she smiled brightly.

He took the bite, and his anger slowly melted.

"I love Nora's cooking," he said, kissing her forehead.

The twins began to stir, and Nora lovingly fed them both. Zayan helped her, arms wrapped around them all.

Neal turned to the intruders. "Don't even think of doing anything stupid. He'll wipe you all out."

Lady Zofia, despite her fury, remained silent.

Yasia and Saskia stepped forward hesitantly.

"I'm Yasia. And this is Saskia. We're your sisters too."

Nora blinked. "Sisters?! YAY!" she clapped happily.

They smiled softly — not with malice, but a calm, sincere warmth.

"What happened to you?" Saskia asked.

Nora tilted her head. "Nora doesn't know. I can't remember… but Z does!"

She giggled, cuddling the twins close. Zayan watched them quietly.

And that night, the mansion, despite everything, settled into a rare peace — one guarded fiercely by love, steel, and shadows.