Zayan and Nora lay wrapped in each other's arms, peacefully asleep. The quiet hum of the plane had lulled them into rest, and even the gang was unusually silent—watching, waiting.
Xandria lifted her phone and took a picture of the couple.
"They look like something out of a damn painting," she whispered. One by one, the rest of the gang followed, snapping their own photos of the quiet, rare moment. It wasn't every day they saw the Demon King and his queen so calm.
When they landed in Poland, the airport was already swarming.
Seventeen black cars lined the curb, engines humming, doors open. A full security unit flanked the road.
The Heir had arrived.
Shaw and the rest of the Polish family stood waiting. They bowed their heads slightly in respect.
Zayan stepped out of the plane with Nora still fast asleep in his arms. Her arms were around his neck, eyes shut, her cheek resting against his chest.
"A sight," Shaw murmured.
But then—
"Hey, who's that?" Azara asked sharply, pointing at a figure slipping through the cars.
Shaw squinted. His eyes widened. "Oh, shit. That's not one of ours! COVER EVERYONE!"
The gang moved instantly, creating a wall around Zayan and Nora.
But it was too late.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots rang out.
Zayan gasped, his body jerking as both bullets hit his back. His arms tightened around Nora—and then he dropped.
Nora woke with a violent jolt, falling to the ground with him.
"ZAYAN!!!" she screamed, grabbing him as blood pooled beneath them. "Z! Z, baby, stay with me!"
"I'm okay, love… get inside the car," Zayan whispered weakly, trying to keep her calm. But his body trembled.
Nora's eyes snapped to the shooter.
Big mistake.
She stood, shaking, pulled out her gun, aimed it straight at the hitman's head—and fired. The man collapsed in an instant.
Still furious, she turned back and dropped to Zayan's side, blood all over her hands. "MY Z!!!!" she screamed, holding him close.
The gang rushed them into a car, speeding straight to the hospital.
Zayan was rushed into emergency surgery. Nora didn't leave the hallway. She didn't sit. She didn't speak.
She just stood—her eyes fixed on the operation room doors, her hands trembling, lips whispering prayers.
"Nora, dear," Melanie said gently, approaching her. "Zayan will be fine. He's strong, you know that."
Nora sank to the floor, her arms limp at her sides. "I… I should've woken up. I should've known," she whispered.
An hour later, the doctor finally came out. "The bullets have been successfully removed," he announced. "He'll be okay. He'll wake up soon."
The family exhaled.
Nora, still sitting on the floor, looked up slowly.
"Shaw," she said.
"Yeah?" he asked, kneeling beside her.
"Call that man," she said darkly. "And give me the phone."
Shaw didn't question. He dialed Don Jakub.
He picked up after a ring. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he said solemnly.
Nora laughed—cold, furious, unshaken.
"Loss? No one's lost anything, Don. But you? You hurt my Z."
Her voice darkened. "Now I'm going to use your head to play football. You wanted me dead? Cute. Nora's going to send you straight to hell. Okie—bye-bye."
She ended the call before he could reply.
An hour later, Zayan jolted awake.
"NORA!" he shouted, eyes wild.
Shaw and the others were at his bedside.
"She's outside," Shaw said gently. "She's been crying since we arrived."
Zayan sat up despite the pain. "She shouldn't cry. Crying's not good for her."
"Mate, you need rest," Atreus said.
But Zayan was already out the door.
He found Nora by the window, her face buried in her arms. Her shoulders shook violently.
"M-My Z got hurt… because of me," she sobbed.
Zayan's heart broke. He knelt beside her.
"My darling Nora," he whispered, cupping her face. "It wasn't your fault. None of this was."
She leaned into him, her tears still falling.
"Shaw, tissue," Zayan called.
He took the tissues and gently wiped her face, stuffing a few up her nose where blood was trickling.
She let him guide her back to the room.
They sat together on the bed, her head on his chest.
"You cried a lot, darling," he said, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"I shot the fool," she whispered. "And I called the man. Told him he hurt my Z. Now I'll kill him."
Zayan chuckled. "My Nora sounds so… feisty."
She giggled through her sniffles, melting into his touch.
Zayan was discharged the next morning.
Back at the mansion, he joined a video call with the twins.
"Dada miss you both," he said, grinning as they babbled endlessly into the camera. Nora leaned over and blew kisses. The twins squealed in return.
Soon after, the convoy pulled into the Grand Lilith Mansion—larger and more majestic than their home estate.
Nora stepped out of the car, still helping Zayan.
But as she looked at the building, something inside her stirred.
A memory.
A flash.
Her hand slowly lifted, pointing toward the estate. "Z… I've been here before," she whispered.
Zayan looked at her carefully. "Really?"
"Yeah. I… I remember this place," she said, her voice filled with wonder.
Azara held Levi, nodding slowly. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Then let's go inside."
Inside, the mansion buzzed with life.
"NORA!!" came the chorus of voices.
"EVERYBODY!" Nora cried back, laughing.
Zayan smiled, watching her bloom again.
Several little girls—Zofia's granddaughters—ran to her, excited.
They began brushing and braiding her deep cherry-red hair into two neat braids, their voices laced with Polish accents.
"All done!" one of them beamed.
Downstairs, Zayan was mid-conversation with Shaw when Nora appeared at the top of the stairs.
His heart stilled.
"My goodness," he mumbled under his breath.
The gang turned to see her.
"Woah," Atreus said.
"Nora!" Rose called.
"Rosieeeeeee!" Nora ran into her arms.
Zayan quietly took out his phone and snapped a photo of Nora with the girls. He smiled and made it his wallpaper—on both his phone and iPad. His other wallpaper was the twins with Nora. His entire world in two pictures.
That night, Zayan lay in bed.
Nora sat beside him, gently rubbing his back and his head as his eyes fluttered closed. He kissed her hand, and soon, he was fast asleep in her arms.
Down the hall, Rose tucked little Levi into bed. Azara checked on him, then leaned in and kissed Rose deeply.
For the first time in a long time…
…the mansion was quiet.
And for the first time in a while—
peaceful.