It had been two days since the fleet had continued its journey across the sea.
Inside one of the most heavily secured areas of the private marina fleet, Nikolai sat alone at his enormous desk, surrounded by several screens, documents, phones, tablets, and files.
For the past two days, he had barely stopped working.
Every property he owned, every company connected to his name, every investment, every account, every piece of his enormous empire was being reorganized.
But this time, he was doing something different.
He was moving everything.
One by one, Nikolai transferred ownership of his properties and companies into a newly created name.
White Lily.
The name belonged to the woman he loved most.
Lilith.
New bank accounts had been created under the new structure, and Nikolai continued transferring enormous amounts of wealth into them.
More than $900 trillion was moved into the accounts.
Then another figure appeared on his screen.
$3 octillion.
Nikolai leaned back slightly and stared at the numbers.
He took another sip of his coffee.
His eyes remained cold and focused as he continued checking every document.
Nothing was allowed to be wrong.
Not one signature.
Not one account number.
Not one property.
Not one company.
He continued working until every transfer, every document, and every legal arrangement had finally been completed.
Nikolai leaned back in his chair.
A slow smirk appeared across his face.
"Finally," he murmured.
He closed his laptop.
His body was exhausted after days of almost nonstop work.
Nikolai leaned his head against the back of the chair.
Within minutes, his eyes closed.
And the man who controlled an empire larger than anything most people could imagine finally fell into a heavy, long sleep.
Meanwhile, inside the medical section of the fleet, Lilith was sitting beside Ramira.
Ramira was resting on the hospital bed, but something suddenly changed.
She gasped.
Lilith immediately looked at her.
"Ramira?"
Ramira grabbed the bedsheets.
"My water…"
Lilith's eyes widened.
"Your water broke?"
Ramira nodded quickly, breathing heavily.
"Lilith…"
"I'm here."
Lilith held her hand.
"You're going to be okay."
Before anyone could say anything else, Vishal came running into the room.
"Mira!"
Ramira looked toward him.
Vishal rushed to her side and immediately grabbed her hand.
"Breathe," he said softly. "Mira, breathe. Look at me."
Ramira followed his breathing.
Dr. Clara and Dr. Liv entered the room moments later.
They immediately began preparing everything.
The monitors were switched on.
The room became filled with the sounds of medical equipment.
Vishal remained beside Ramira.
But after several minutes, Dr. Clara looked at him.
"Vishal, please step outside for a while."
He looked at his wife.
Ramira was frightened, but she nodded.
Vishal slowly stepped out.
However, he did not go far.
He stood behind the glass and watched his wife.
"Come on, Mira," Lilith said, holding Ramira's hand. "Push!"
Ramira gripped Lilith's hand tightly.
"AHHHHH!"
Vishal closed his eyes.
His wife's screams broke his heart.
Tears slowly came down his face.
He pressed his hand against the glass.
"Please be okay," he whispered.
Inside the room, Ramira continued pushing.
"Again!" Dr. Clara instructed.
Ramira screamed.
Lilith continued encouraging her.
"You can do this! You're almost there!"
Then suddenly—
A baby's cry filled the room.
Vishal opened his eyes.
He released a long breath of relief.
A smile appeared through his tears.
But Dr. Clara suddenly frowned.
"There's another one!"
Vishal froze.
"What?"
Dr. Clara looked toward him.
"There is another baby coming, so hold on!"
"Huh? What!?"
Dr. Clara immediately turned back toward Ramira.
Ramira screamed again.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Vishal covered his mouth.
He could barely believe what he was hearing.
Another baby.
Another child.
Another blessing.
Minutes later, another tiny cry echoed through the room.
Dr. Clara smiled.
"Twins."
Vishal stared through the glass.
His mouth fell open.
"Twins…"
He covered his mouth with both hands.
Tears streamed down his face.
He cried quietly.
Five minutes later, Lilith stepped outside.
Vishal immediately looked at her.
"Amma?"
Lilith smiled through her own tears.
"Congratulations, baby girl."
Vishal looked confused.
"Congratulations?"
Lilith smiled wider.
"You have a baby girl and a baby boy."
Vishal's eyes filled with tears again.
"M…Mira?"
"She's sleeping," Lilith said. "But you can go ahead and see the children."
Vishal immediately rushed inside.
He washed his hands carefully before approaching the babies.
Both newborns were wrapped in soft blankets.
Vishal stood there silently for a moment.
He looked at his son.
"Hi," he whispered.
He carefully picked him up.
The tiny baby moved slightly.
Vishal smiled.
He kissed his son's forehead and gently rocked him.
"My little boy."
After a moment, he carefully placed his son back down.
Then he picked up his daughter.
She moved slightly, her eyes remaining closed.
Vishal smiled.
"Oh, my precious."
He kissed her forehead.
"My little princess."
He looked at both children.
His heart felt completely full.
Elsewhere aboard the fleet, Yulian and Virsa were resting together.
Virsa held Yulian close while gently combing through his hair with her fingers.
Yulian softly rubbed her waist.
The atmosphere around them was peaceful.
Nearby, Nino and Brandon were fast asleep inside the fort.
The Dante twins, however, were wide awake.
They waddled around the fleet, searching for someone.
"Hmmm… where we find her?" Joao asked with a pout.
"Hey, guys," Hector said as he spotted them. "What are you doing outside?"
"We looking for pwetty auntie," Joana said.
"She gave us big toys!"
"Pretty auntie?" Hector repeated.
Before he could ask another question, Edward approached.
"Hi, guys."
Then the twins suddenly saw someone.
Joao's eyes widened.
"Look! Pwetty aunty!"
Wazir came out of a restaurant carrying several boxes of takeout.
She stopped when she saw them.
"Hi, guys!"
The twins immediately ran toward her.
Wazir crouched down and hugged them.
"I was just about to look for you guys!"
She lifted the food boxes.
"I got some food for you guys."
She opened one of the boxes.
The smell immediately reached the twins.
Their eyes widened.
"Come on," Wazir said. "Let's go eat."
She guided them toward a table.
Dante watched them from above, leaning against the wall.
Wazir fed the twins several different foods.
There were dumplings, Pizza Bianca, beef pot pie, and Oreo milkshakes.
The twins giggled and chatted while eating.
They were completely fascinated by Wazir.
Meanwhile, somewhere else on the fleet, darkness surrounded Nikolai.
The Apex Monstrosity sat alone.
His legs were crossed.
His fingers tapped slowly against the arm of his chair.
Then his phone rang.
He picked it up.
"Tell me."
He listened carefully.
Every word.
Every detail.
His expression slowly changed.
"Phase One," he said.
A darker smile appeared on his face.
He ended the call.
In Russia, a woman sat inside a dimly lit room.
She calmly inhaled from her cigarette while her eyes remained fixed on the man standing before her.
An older man walked into the room with a cane.
Someone followed behind him.
"My dear," the older man said, "I got him for you."
The woman looked at Nikolai's former employee.
She blew smoke into the air.
She stared at him.
"What's your name?"
The man swallowed.
"Blackstorm."
She stood up.
She walked toward him.
She touched his chest lightly.
"Tell me."
Blackstorm looked at her.
"Nikolai isn't paying me well."
His voice became angry.
"I need money for my daughter's surgery."
The woman remained silent.
"He spent all his money on his wife and daughter," Blackstorm continued. "And I was here before her."
He clenched his fists.
"I killed. I buried. I did all his dirty work for him."
His voice cracked with anger.
"Yet he didn't even give me a dime."
The woman's eyes narrowed.
Blackstorm continued.
"I can tell you where his mansion is."
He paused.
"And I have papers connected to his company."
Her eyes widened.
"He has up to $4 trillion," Blackstorm said.
The woman's expression changed.
"And I know the school his wife goes to."
The older man smiled.
"I will give you these," Blackstorm said. "What will I get in return?"
The woman stepped closer.
"I need proof first."
Blackstorm reached into his pocket.
Several papers were brought out.
She took them.
She carefully read every document.
Then she stopped.
"This…"
She stared at one of the papers.
"This is his signature."
A slow smile appeared.
Then she began laughing loudly.
She snapped her fingers.
Several men entered the room.
They opened suitcases.
Inside were gold, diamonds, and stacks of cash.
"These are yours."
Blackstorm's eyes widened.
He looked like a greedy dog who had finally been handed everything he wanted.
He smiled.
Then bowed.
"Am at your service."
The woman smirked.
But neither of them noticed something.
The man's ear contained a tiny hidden earpiece.
A miniature camera had also been concealed inside one of his buttons.
Every word was being recorded.
Every movement was being watched.
Every secret was being transmitted.
The betrayal had already been discovered.
Back aboard the fleet, Nikolai eventually found his wife.
"Baby?"
Lilith turned toward him.
She placed his food down.
"What happened?" Nikolai asked.
Lilith looked thoughtful.
"Clara was telling me about us having a baby for Mila."
Nikolai listened.
"I was thinking about school," Lilith continued. "And how it will affect me. I don't know what to do."
Nikolai immediately opened his arms.
"Come here, love."
Lilith walked toward him and sat on his lap.
He gently held her.
"My love," he whispered.
He kissed her.
"You are the strongest woman I know."
Lilith looked into his eyes.
"And I am here."
He gently touched her face.
"I love you."
He kissed her forehead.
"I love Mila."
His hand rested gently against her lap.
"And if you get pregnant again, I will take such good care of our baby."
Lilith smiled softly.
"Promise me something," he said.
"Hm?"
"You will build your career."
She looked at him.
"No distractions."
Lilith nodded.
"Yes."
They hugged.
Around them, everyone quietly watched.
Ethan sighed.
"God, I hope this doesn't make any more complications between them."
Amelia crossed her arms.
"That bitch is gonna pay."
The group nodded.
Ramira was now holding both babies.
Vishal stood beside her.
He took a picture of his wife with their newborn twins.
Then he made the picture his phone wallpaper.
He immediately sent the picture to his mother.
Ramira kissed both babies.
She quietly began crying.
"Vishu…"
Vishal wiped her tears.
"O…our babies."
He kissed her forehead.
"Our double blessings, Mira."
Ramira smiled.
She looked lovingly at both children.
By nightfall, Nikolai and the groups gathered together.
They spoke about their plans.
Everyone shared ideas.
Everyone listened.
Everyone nodded.
"Boss," Damian said, "the mansion has been brought."
"Good," Nikolai replied.
"Brother," Zhanna said, "this will hurt Neva."
"Abit," Nikolai said. "But she will understand. I hope."
"Understand what?"
Everyone suddenly turned toward the entrance.
Lilith walked inside carrying Mila.
Nikolai quickly changed the subject.
"The mansion."
Lilith looked at him.
"What happened to it?"
"It caught fire last night," Arina said quickly. "Everything burned, so it's under renovation."
Lilith's eyes widened.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah," Yulian said. "There was too much power and it overloaded, causing a major power burst. The wires were twisted."
"Oh no…" Lilith whispered.
"Don't worry," Daira said. "We got another one ready when we get back."
"Yes, Bambi," Nikolai said.
Lilith sighed sadly.
Mila rested peacefully in her mother's arms.
The fleet continued moving.
By then, every store and supply area had been fully restocked.
Everything they needed was aboard.
Kalma walked back and forth.
"This is fucking bad."
"I know," Nikolai replied.
"That's why I'm doing this."
Lily looked at him.
"Lily's life is at stake."
Nikolai nodded.
He spoke to her in Russian.
Lily stood silently, listening to every single word.
When he finished, she nodded.
Then she bowed respectfully.
Nikolai sat like a king.
Meanwhile, Desmond and Dr. Violet were becoming closer.
He smiled whenever she was around.
The two chatted quietly.
Desmond eventually told her about his wife and son who had died.
Violet told him about her divorce and her husband leaving her for her stepsister.
They looked at each other.
"You want to move on?" Violet asked.
Desmond nodded.
She reached her hand out toward him.
He stared at her hand for a moment.
Then he placed his hand in hers.
Both of their hands tightened around each other.
Aarav secretly took a picture.
Then he sent it to the family group chat.
Suddenly, Nikolai received information about a heavy storm approaching.
He immediately gathered everyone.
"Everyone, prepare!"
Workers rushed around.
Mila and Lilith were secured safely.
The children were strapped in.
The babies were secured.
The workers were strapped into their safety positions.
Vittoria placed Kalma on her lap and strapped them both together.
Kalma giggled.
"Everyone done?" Nikolai shouted.
"YES!" everyone answered.
Nikolai pressed a button.
"Ready?"
Lily looked at Mila.
"Three…"
"Two…"
"One!"
Mila excitedly pressed the button together with her mother.
A red light appeared across the entire fleet.
Then something enormous began moving beneath the private marina fleet.
A large titanium, indestructible glass structure rose from underneath.
It expanded.
It covered the entire private marina fleet.
The storm intensified.
Rain hammered against the structure.
The ship began shaking.
Ella screamed.
Ethan covered his mouth and laughed.
Mila stared at the window.
Her eyes squeezed shut as the vessel descended beneath the water.
Slowly, the entire ship became completely submerged.
Then—
The shaking stopped.
Silence.
Mila buried her face against Nikolai's chest.
Nikolai smiled.
"Baby, look."
Mila slowly opened her eyes.
She looked toward the window.
Nikolai carefully placed her down.
Mila waddled toward the glass.
Her tiny hands pressed against the window.
She stared.
Fish swam past.
Sea creatures moved through the dark blue water.
The entire fleet was now traveling beneath the sea.
Nikolai reached for Lilith's hand.
He kissed it gently.
Behind Mila, the other children gathered.
"This is so beautiful," Yasmine said.
"Yeah," Yasmin replied.
Mila's eyes filled with tears.
"So…so…pwetty," she whispered.
She tapped the glass.
"Wook! Sharky!"
A shark swam past the window.
Ella gasped.
Then suddenly Dmitry began dancing.
"We are under the seaaaaaa!"
He continued singing and dancing.
"Under the seaaaaa!"
Logan burst into laughter.
"UNDER THE SEAAAAAAA!"
The children began dancing too.
They were imitating the famous song from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid.
Mila wiggled her little body happily.
Lilith held Nikolai's arm.
He lifted her gently and held her close.
The children laughed as the underwater world moved around them.
For a moment, the entire fleet forgot about the danger waiting above.
They were simply a family enjoying something beautiful.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the woman sat comfortably while her workers began transferring Nikolai's properties into her name.
The older man stood behind her, smiling.
Blackstorm stood nearby with his arms behind his back.
The woman giggled while smoking.
"Nick, my darling," she said.
She smiled greedily.
"You lost everything."
She lifted her glass.
"Now everything belongs to me."
She paused.
"Everything."
She smiled.
"Including you."
She took another drink.
But the security cameras throughout the building continued recording.
Every word.
Every transaction.
Every document.
Every betrayal.
Nothing escaped the eyes of the Apex Monstrosity.
Back aboard the fleet, Nikolai calmly sipped his drink.
His third phone rang.
He picked it up.
"Yes?"
The woman on the other end spoke.
Nikolai listened.
A smirk slowly appeared.
Then he ended the call.
He said nothing.
He simply continued drinking.
The Dante twins remained with Wazir.
Nikolai watched them for a moment.
"Cute?"
Dante looked at him.
"Who is she?"
"My Indian cousin," Dante replied.
"Is she single?"
Dante stared at Nikolai.
"Why do you ask?"
Nikolai raised an eyebrow.
"My kids like her," Dante explained. "She put them to sleep and fed them."
He looked toward Wazir.
"She's been through shit."
Nikolai's expression became more serious.
"Dante, she didn't get the chance to study because she is a girl."
Dante remained silent.
"Her Punjabi family didn't treat their daughters well," Nikolai continued.
Dante nodded slowly.
They both watched Wazir interacting with the children.
Mila stayed beside the window for most of the day.
She couldn't stop watching the ocean.
Fish continued swimming past.
Every new creature excited her.
Eventually, night came.
"Bedtime, sweetie," Lily said.
Mila waddled toward her.
Lily picked her up and carried her toward the bed.
Mila looked at her mother.
"Mama?"
"Yes, my princess?"
"I wuv you."
Lily smiled.
"I love you so much too."
She held Mila's tiny hand.
"Oh, my sweet baby."
Mila slowly closed her eyes.
Within moments, she fell asleep.
"Darling, let's go," Nikolai whispered.
Lilith looked at him.
"Nick, look at our baby girl."
Nikolai bent over.
He gently rubbed Mila's cheeks.
Both parents stood together, silently admiring their daughter.
Lilith smiled.
Nikolai looked at his wife.
Then at their sleeping child.
For that moment, everything was peaceful.
But far away, another plan was already beginning.
The betrayal had been exposed.
The enemy believed Nikolai had lost everything.
She believed his empire belonged to her.
She believed she had won.
But she had no idea that the Apex Monstrosity had been watching every move.
And Nikolai had never truly lost anything.
Not his empire.
Not his wealth.
Not his family.
And certainly not his crown.
The game had only just begun.