It was the day before Liam's birthday, and excitement filled the mansion. The twins were out shopping with Zayan, each trying to find the perfect gift for their little brother.
Liam, as usual, was a ball of energy—running around the house barefoot, giggling wildly.
"Liam! Stop running!" Seraphina shouted, chasing after him.
"Jezzz!" she groaned when he dodged her again.
Nora stood at the hallway entrance, watching her children with a soft smile. It was healing to see Liam so full of joy again after the terrifying incident. Her heart, still shaken from that day, found peace in his laughter.
Plans were in motion for a garden-themed picnic party, just like the one Nora had. It would be filled with family, friends, laughter, flowers, and love.
Early that morning, Zayan stood by the window sipping coffee when he saw Liam and Max in the garden. Liam was collecting flowers, running joyfully with Max barking playfully behind him.
Zayan stepped outside.
"Hi Dada!" Liam shouted as he spotted him.
"Hey love," Zayan replied warmly.
Liam sprinted into the house again, arms full of flowers. He kissed Seraphina and Lysander on the cheeks, giggling proudly. Then he handed a flower to everyone in the room.
"Awww, thank you, Liam," Aaila said sweetly.
"Here!" Liam said, giving one to Asher.
"Thank you, Li-Li," Asher smiled.
"This boy is full of joy," Kiernan whispered to Maia.
"I agree," she replied with a knowing smile.
Liam climbed onto the bed where Nora lay, gently placing the flowers on her belly before curling up and falling asleep on her bump.
Nora patted his back lovingly. "He's so full of energy."
Zayan sat beside her. "Yeah, he is. I'm just glad to see him like this again." Then his tone deepened. "But I swear, I'll make Finn pay for what he did."
Nora's eyes hardened. "Good."
Zayan took the twins to the mall for Liam's gifts while Nora headed to work.
As she arrived, Meeri hugged her.
"Congratulations on baby number four!" she grinned.
"Yeah, congrats," Ciro added.
"Thank you," Nora replied warmly.
"How's Liam?" Ciro asked.
"Running around like crazy, giving everyone flowers. Oh—and here, he wanted you both to have this."
Nora handed them tiny flower bundles with little invitation cards tucked in.
"Awwww, thank you," they both cooed.
Nora later made her way to Mr. Smith's office, only to find Finn standing beside him. Her entire body tensed, but she masked her emotions.
"Mr. Smith," she said calmly, handing him a flower bundle. "Liam wanted you to have this. Also… you're invited to the birthday picnic."
"Aww, thank you, Mrs. Nora. And I heard you're expecting again—congratulations. Once the baby's born, feel free to take nine months off."
"I love working. I'll take the leave, but if anything urgent comes up, I want to be notified."
"I love your dedication," Mr. Smith smiled.
Nora gave Finn a sharp, cold glare before walking out.
"I'm going with you to the party tomorrow," Finn said to Mr. Smith as soon as she left.
"Finn, behave yourself," Smith warned. "You owe them an apology. That man—Zayan—is dangerous."
"We'll see about that," Finn muttered.
But Mr. Smith had already been recording.
Later that night, he replayed Finn's voice from the hidden office recorder:
"Yes, I want you to arrange 10,000 men. We're going to kidnap a woman. I want her, pregnant or not. In front of her family—I don't care. Understood? Good."
With one click, Smith forwarded the recording directly to Zayan, who was in the gang's inner chamber with Maverick, Asher, Kian, and others.
Maverick growled, "Let's light him on fire."
"Shoot his brain out," Asher muttered.
Kian turned to Zayan. "Looks like the devil's got a plan."
Zayan gave a dark smile. "Let's make it unforgettable."
That evening, Nora returned home with boxes for the party.
"Hey Mommy!" Seraphina called.
"Hi, Lily," Nora smiled, setting things down.
In Nana's garden, they began setting up the decorations. It would be a small but lavish event. Zayan, however, had other secret plans—he had hired 700,000 trained guards, each paid £4 million to keep his family safe.
The family chose matching black outfits—Zayan and Liam with Lysander, and Nora with Seraphina.
At 4:47 AM, Zayan and Nora crept into Liam's room.
"Hi baby," Nora whispered, gently stroking his hair.
"Happy birthday, darling," she said softly.
Liam stirred, rubbing his eyes. "Mama…" he mumbled sleepily, placing his face next to hers and kissing her cheek.
Then he looked at Zayan, who was waiting with open arms.
"Dada!" he beamed.
"Happy birthday, my big boy," Zayan whispered, pulling him in for a tight hug.
Zayan cherished these moments. His kids were his world—and Nora, the light that kept him breathing.
That morning, the twins ran into Liam's room.
"Happy birthday, Li-Li!" they said in unison, hugging him.
He clapped excitedly, laughing with joy.
Catalina arrived shortly after. "Hi, Li-Li! Happy birthday, my grandbaby," she said, hugging him tight. Liam giggled again.
At noon, Kenna arrived with Eryx.
"Hi Mama Nora," Kenna said, hugging her.
Zayan shook Eryx's hand, giving him a half-smile. He was still watching the boy.
Liam fell asleep in Kenna's arms as the family gathered in the garden. Nora quietly walked to the bench where she and Nana used to sit. She sat down and cried softly.
Zayan joined her and rubbed her shoulder. "Why are you crying, darling?"
She sniffed. "Liam's two. He's not my little baby anymore. He's… a big boy now."
Zayan chuckled gently. "He'll always be our big baby. And he loves his mama and his new sibling."
Nora looked over and saw Liam peacefully sleeping in Kenna's arms.
"It's hard… watching them grow up," she said with a tearful smile.
"It's a mother's habit to cry," she laughed lightly.
Zayan leaned in and kissed her gently. "That's why I love you."
As they continued with preparations, Zayan caught Kian's eyes and gave a subtle nod.
The signal was clear.
The plan was in motion.