234. LILLY'S BIRTHDAY - III

234. LILLY'S BIRTHDAY - III
A boy cried and bolted to his dad, clutching his leg. “He is so scary. I think he is going to eat me.”
Kirill didn’t even bother to soften his face. He stood rooted, broad-shouldered and cold, that same unshakable stern look carved into his features.
The boy’s father gave him an awkward, apologetic smile.
Kade, for once, drifted out of the shadows and appeared at his side like a ghost.
"I heard a girl scream after seeing you."
Kade smirked at his words.
“They are crying after seeing me,” Kirill declared, tone flat but oddly proud, as though collecting fear like trophies.
“That’s not a fucking competition,” Layla’s voice cut in sharply from behind them. Her arms crossed, her glare rivalling his. “Stop scaring kids.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Kirill countered, stiff as stone.
“Exactly. You’re not doing anything.” Layla stepped closer, her words clipped. “How about you pretend to smile, act like you’re happy to have them here, the way my man is doing—” she nodded toward the far side of the lawn, “—instead of glaring at every human being like they owe you blood money?”
All eyes turned.
Zaley stood with Spencer, freshly clean-shaven, his dark brown hair brushing the back of his collar. In the sunlight, his blue eyes carried a depth that was almost disarming. Crisp yellow shirt, white pants, an ease about him that most men in the room would kill to fake, he looked… approachable, almost gentle.
Which explained why one of the waitresses kept drifting by his side of the room, her tray never quite steady, her eyes sneaking over him far more than they should. Every few minutes, she found another excuse to pass him, smiling too long, lingering too much.
Layla noticed.
"Who is glaring now?" Kirill teased.
Her jaw tightened. The last straw was when the waitress bent slightly to refill Spencer’s glass but made sure to look Zaley over from head to toe.
Layla’s glare cut across the room like a blade. Without a word, she walked straight up to Zaley and slipped beside him.
“Why are you so tall?” she muttered, half-complaint, half-claim, tipping her head back to meet his.
Zaley bent down slightly, obliging, his blue eyes steady on hers.
Layla rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, quick but deliberate, staking her claim, silencing the women who were looking at him without even glancing their way.
Zaley froze for a fraction, then the corner of his mouth curved, just enough for Layla to know he understood exactly what she’d done.
"Baby, you gotta wait until we get home. It's really getting hard for me to concentrate, especially when you are in that dress."
Layla shook her, "I won't. I'll miss my man whenever I want and wherever I want."

It was finally time for everyone to greet the guest of honour.
Jenna marched up with Dylan (Lilly’s no-more-sish-best-friend) tailing her reluctantly behind.
Lilly greeted Jenna with a smile, but she didn’t even spare Dylan a sideways glance.
Dylan returned the favour, standing stiff as if the floor was far more interesting.
“Did you know what happened between them? He even refused to wear yellow,” Jenna whispered to Layla.
“I have no clue either,” Layla admitted, keeping her voice low. “Lilly didn’t tell me why they fought. All I know is that they’ve been fighting every single day. And anyway, the dress code wasn’t for kids. My friends just… exaggerate things.”
“That’s fine. Dylan, come wish Lilly,” Jenna urged.
He didn’t.
Lilly turned her head the other way.
So did he.
From across the room, Zaley and Spencer watched the showdown as if it were prime entertainment. They grinned and shared a high-five.
“On your face, Dylan,” Kirill thought smugly. “I’m the sixth best friend now.”
“What did you bring?” Remi’s voice cut into his victory lap.
“Many. But the important one, superhero clips,” Kirill answered proudly.
“I brought the same,” Remi said casually.
Kirill’s head snapped to him. “Where did you buy them?”
“It’s hard to get those superhero clips. No one sells them. My son’s an artist. I bought the plain colored ones and asked him to paint over them. Finding the Hulk green was a headache, though. It’s that simple. Where did you buy yours?”
It’s that simple.
Those three words echoed in Kirill’s head like a curse.
“Kirill?” Remi nudged.
Kirill straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. “I have my ways.” That was all he managed.
The last guests drifted away, leaving the venue quiet at last. Crumbs of cake still clung to the tables, and a few balloons swayed lazily in the breeze. Only Zaley, Layla, and Lilly remained.
Lilly, standing proudly in her giant yellow dress, clapped her little hands. “I am six years old!” she announced.
"Yeah, you are all grown up now," Layla said.
That made Lilly giggle so hard her crown tilted sideways.
When the laughter settled, she suddenly turned to her mom. “Mommy, are you happy?”
Layla’s heart softened at the unexpected question. “Yes, baby. I’m happy.”
Lilly blinked, then looked at Zaley. “Do you think Daddy is happy?”
Before Layla could speak, Zaley answered firmly, his blue eyes warm. “I’ve never been happier.”
“I’m very, very happy too,” Lilly declared, nodding as if it sealed the deal.
“The party’s not over yet,” Layla said, and with a snap of her fingers, someone wheeled out a brand-new bicycle with a bright ribbon tied around it.
Lilly gasped so loudly it echoed. She ran to it, stumbling in her oversized dress, and threw her arms around the handlebars like it was treasure.
But Zaley wasn’t done. He crouched down beside her. “Want to see something even better?”
Lilly’s eyes went wide. “Better than a bicycle?”
Zaley stood, offering his hand to both of them. He led Layla and Lilly a little farther from the venue until the world around them transformed. Golden lights shimmered through hidden panels, waterfalls spilled over stone walls, and strange, glowing plants dotted the ground. Towers of glass and metal rose in the distance, futuristic yet beautiful, bathed in purple-blue light.
Lilly’s jaw dropped. “It’s Wakanda…” she whispered, her red hair glowing in the lights.
Layla turned to Zaley, stunned. “You did this?”
Zaley kissed her hand. 
"Why didn't you tell me?" Laylas asked.
"Because there is a surprise for you too."
Lilly squealed, racing forward with her crown bouncing.

A few days before Lilly’s birthday :
Kirill had tracked down a small accessory manufacturer of clips on the outskirts of Ylumia.
When he asked for superhero-themed clips, the owner laughed him off.
 “They won’t sell here. We don’t do novelty pieces for kids. Not in Ylumia. Which girl would buy them anyway? The Hulk green is hideous.”
Kirill didn’t waste time arguing. He pulled his gun from his coat, pressed the cold barrel against the man’s forehead, and said in his flat, chilling voice:
“You’ll manufacture them. Right away."
The man’s hands shook as he nodded rapidly.
"You mean, right now, sir? We need to design and ..."
Kirill pressed the barrel further, and the man started to get up.
"Of course, sir. Right away, sir."