The vast master bedroom of the mansion was now wrapped in absolute silence. Outside, the moon was hidden behind thick clouds, but inside, dim red lighting cast a haunting, almost hypnotic glow.
Soha and Adrik lay on the bed.
Soha's entire body was covered by a thin white silk sheet, but her bare shoulder felt Adrik's hot breath against it. Both were exhausted—yet sleep had not touched Adrik. He lay half-reclined on the bed, his muscular body bare. A lit cigarette burned between the fingers of one hand, while the other held his phone.
Suddenly, Adrik began speaking on the phone.
What shocked Soha was that he wasn't speaking Bengali or English—he was speaking fluent, harsh Russian.
Soha instinctively pulled the sheet tighter against her chest and looked at him. She didn't understand Russian, but the tone of Adrik's voice made her blood run cold. His voice now sounded far more brutal, mechanical—almost inhuman.
Adrik (in Russian, on the phone):
"Да, убери его. Мне плевать на последствия. Если он не отдаст долг до рассвета, его семья должна исчезнуть. И передай Ивану — девчонка у меня, она никуда не денется."
(Translation: Yes, eliminate him. I don't care about the consequences. If he doesn't repay the debt before dawn, his family should be erased. And tell Ivan—the girl is with me. She isn't going anywhere.)
Soha didn't understand the words, but she felt it—Adrik was ordering a murder, speaking casually to a Russian mafia lord. While talking, Adrik glanced at her once. That twisted smile on his face looked even more grotesque in the moonlight. He turned the phone to speaker mode.
From the other end came the deep laughter of a Russian man.
After ending the call, Adrik blew a thick cloud of smoke directly into Soha's face. He ran his fingers through her disheveled hair and spoke in a low voice.
Adrik:
"Curious who that was? That was Russia's biggest arms dealer. He wanted to know how my new 'bird' was doing. I told him—my bird has stopped fluttering and is lying quietly in my cage."
Soha's voice trembled.
"Are you going to sell me, Adrik? Who are those people?"
Adrik pressed a finger to her lips. His eyes were filled with cruel satisfaction.
Adrik:
"No one on this earth has the power to sell you, Ira. You're my most valuable possession. But if this act you're putting on—lying beside me like this—is a trick, then remember something: those Russians are experts at skinning people alive. I won't hand you over to them… but I will make sure you spend your entire life wrapped in a sheet inside this dark room."
Soha rested her head on Adrik's chest. She could feel it now—he was entangled in a massive international conspiracy, and she was trapped at its very center, a lonely witness with no escape.
Adrik put the phone away and stared at her as if he had reached a final decision. The atmosphere grew heavier. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a small velvet box.
Soha watched in fear and confusion. Inside wasn't jewelry—but a high-tech automatic tattoo gun.
Adrik moved closer. Beneath the sheet, Soha's body stiffened in terror.
Adrik (whispering):
"Soha, you tried to escape me again and again. Three years ago, you declared yourself dead. But today… today I will carve a mark into your body—one that stands above every identity you've ever had. Above 'Kim Ara.' Above 'Soha.'"
He gently pulled the sheet down from her shoulder. His cold fingers slid along her collarbone. Soha tried to resist, but beneath the weight of Adrik's towering 6'4" body, she couldn't move.
Adrik:
"This isn't a gang symbol. It isn't tied to my business. This is my personal seal. Whoever carries this mark— even if they reach hell, Death itself sends them back. Because that soul is already registered under the name Adrik."
He switched on the tattoo gun. A low buzzing sound filled the room. Soha squeezed her eyes shut.
A sharp, searing pain tore through the left side of her neck—right over her collarbone. With precise, merciless control, Adrik etched a black sun surrounded by razor-like thorns into her skin.
Soha's nails dug into Adrik's back in pain—but he didn't stop. He wiped the mix of blood and ink with his thumb, savoring it with perverse satisfaction.
When it was over, Adrik pressed his lips near her ear.
Adrik:
"Look in the mirror now. From this moment on, every breath you take, every drop of blood in your body belongs to me. This mark will remind you—forever—who you belong to."
Soha staggered to the mirror. Against her pale skin, the fresh black tattoo glistened. She understood—it wasn't just ink. It was an invisible chain.
Her neck still throbbed with pain as Adrik wrapped his arms around her. Soha stared into his eyes—the sharp structure of his face, the steel-gray irises. She had suspected something for a long time. Hearing him speak Russian fluently finally pushed her to ask.
Soha (whispering):
"Who… who are you really, Adrik? The way you speak, the way you look… You're Russian, aren't you? Or a mix of Korean and Russian?"
Adrik fell silent for a moment. Then that familiar enigmatic smile returned. His fingers traced the fresh tattoo on her neck.
Adrik:
"You're smart, Ira. You're right. My father was a powerful figure in the Russian underworld. My mother was Korean. My blood carries both—elegance and cruelty."
He leaned in close.
Adrik:
"That's why no law in Seoul can touch me. I'm not fully Korean. Not fully Russian. I'm the dark bridge between two worlds. And from now on—you are part of that bridge."
Soha shuddered. Now she understood why Adrik was so untouchable—his power ran through bloodlines.
Her voice broke.
"Then why brand me like this? Why make me part of your world? I just wanted to be a normal girl."
Adrik bit her lower lip lightly.
Adrik:
"I have no interest in ordinary girls. I wanted you to be extraordinary—like me. This tattoo makes you 'untouchable' in the Russian mafia world. From now on, no Russian assassin, no Korean gangster will dare look at you."
He pulled her tighter into his arms.
Soha realized she had entered a labyrinth so deep that she herself had sealed the exit.As morning arrived, at Adrik's command, the maids prepared Soha. Today she wore her familiar light grey school co-ord set. The short skirt and the slightly low-cut collar of the fitted shirt left the fresh tattoo on her neck fully exposed. The deep black ink burned against her fair skin like fire.
Chapter 27: The First Day of School and the Birth of Fear
Adrik himself dropped Soha at the school gate. Before she got out of the car, he traced a finger over the tattoo on her neck and warned her:
Adrik:
"Everyone will stare at you today. Remember if anyone asks whose mark this is, just take my name. You'll see… the entire school will fall beneath your feet."
The moment Soha stepped into the classroom corridor, a deadly silence fell. Everyone stared, wide-eyed, at her neck. Even the school bullies stepped aside in fear upon seeing the sun-and-thorns mark—because in Seoul's underworld, this symbol belonged to only one man: Mafia Don Adrik.
As Soha sat down, her closest friend Ara whispered in terror:
Ara:
"Soha… what is that on your neck? Is it some punishment from Adrik sir? Do you know what that tattoo means? It means you're his personal property now!"
Soha remained silent. She looked out the window and saw Adrik's black Mercedes still parked at the gate. He was watching her.
Suddenly, in the middle of class, a student ran in and said,
"Soha, the principal has called you immediately. Adrik sir is there too. Looks like something big has happened!"
Soha stood up. She realized the tattoo wasn't just on her body—it had branded her entire social existence with fear and disgrace. As she walked toward the principal's office, whispers followed her:
"The mafia don's queen is coming."
When Soha pushed open the door to the principal's office, the atmosphere inside was suffocating. Principal Mr. Park was sweating, while Adrik sat comfortably in front of him, a lit cigarette in his hand—despite smoking being strictly forbidden on school grounds. No one dared stop him.
The principal shouted as soon as he saw Soha:
Principal Park:
"Miss Kim Ara! How dare you violate the school dress code and come here with such a disgusting tattoo on your neck? Do you realize what a serious offense this is? I can expel you right now!"
Adrik exhaled a cloud of smoke and slowly looked at Soha. Then, playing with the nameplate on the principal's desk, he said calmly:
Adrik:
"Mr. Park, that mark on her neck is not disgusting. It's my protection seal. Do you know who actually owns the land this school is built on? Would you like this school to become a shopping mall before tomorrow's sunrise?"
The words stuck in Mr. Park's throat. He couldn't meet Adrik's eyes.
Adrik stood up, walked over to Soha, and placed his finger on her tattoo.
Adrik:
"Soha is not an ordinary student of this school. She is one of its key stakeholders. Trying to expel her is the same as signing your own death warrant. So tell me, Mr. Park—do you still think she violated the dress code?"
Stammering, Mr. Park replied,
"N-no, Adrik sir… I was mistaken. The tattoo is actually quite beautiful. It's… art."
Soha watched in shock. The same principal who scolded her for trivial reasons yesterday was now trembling in fear.
She felt it clearly—the tattoo had set her apart. She was no longer an object of ridicule. She had become a princess of terror.
Adrik adjusted her collar slightly lower and said to the principal:
Adrik:
"Make sure I don't have to come here again. Whatever Soha does here—is the law."
He kissed Soha lightly on the forehead and hugged her in front of the principal before leaving the room. Outside, all the students stood with their heads lowered in fear.
Soha understood—today, Adrik had proven to everyone that she wasn't just his possession.
She was the city's new, unstoppable queen.
Yet despite his dominance, Soha felt no peace—because today was her final exam.
As Adrik walked her down the corridor, Soha suddenly stopped.
Gripping Adrik's hand tightly, she said,
Soha:
"Adrik, I have an exam today. Your power games and tattoo theatrics are destroying my future. I need to go to the exam hall now."
Adrik stopped. He looked at her with his familiar devilish smile, pulled an expensive pen from her bag, and placed it in her hand.
Adrik:
"Take the exam, Soha. But remember—you're not just writing on paper. You're signing the first step of becoming a queen. My bodyguards will stand outside the hall. If anyone disturbs you, they'll be dead before you submit your answer sheet."
When Soha entered the exam hall, every student's eyes fixed on the dark tattoo on her neck. The invigilator approached her to check her collar—as per exam rules.
The moment he saw the mafia mark, his hands began trembling. He placed the question paper on her desk and nearly ran away.
Soha started writing, but her mind kept drifting—to Adrik's Russian deals, to her father's helpless face. Through the glass window, she saw Adrik still standing outside, smoking and watching her without blinking.
Midway through the exam, a student tossed a small note toward her.
It read:
"Soha, if you want to live, contact us. We are the ones opposing Adrik."
The moment Soha picked it up, she saw Adrik's eyes turn red outside the window. He pulled out his phone and gave an order.
Within seconds, two bodyguards dragged the student out of the hall. Panic spread instantly.
Soha realized—even the exam hall had become Adrik's battlefield.
She couldn't write anymore. She submitted her paper, stood up, and walked straight toward Adrik.
Soha (angrily):
"Don't you want me to take one exam in peace? Why do you bring your darkness everywhere?"
Adrik grabbed her collar and pulled her close.
Adrik:
"Peace was never written in your fate, Soha. Because after this exam, you're coming with me to Seoul Airport. Our Russian guest arrives today."
At Seoul Airport's private terminal, a massive black Russian jet landed. Adrik stood by the runway, gripping Soha's hand tightly. Her neck tattoo glowed brighter under the sunlight.
From the jet descended the terrifying Russian mafia don—Ivan Petrov. A 6'5" monster of a man, his face covered in scars.
Chapter 30: Don vs. Don
Ivan didn't shake Adrik's hand. His gaze locked onto Soha.
He walked slowly toward her. Seeing her short school skirt and knee socks, a flicker of demonic lust flashed in his eyes.
Ivan reached for the tattoo on her neck—
But Adrik grabbed Ivan's wrist at lightning speed.
The air froze.
Ivan (in Russian-accented broken English):
"Adrik… you said you had a priceless diamond. But this isn't a diamond—this is a goddess. I think instead of weapons, I should take this girl to Moscow. The deal would be far more exciting."
Adrik's jaw tightened. He shoved Ivan's hand away and pulled Soha behind him, one hand firm on her waist.
Adrik:
"Ivan, our deal is about weapons—not my personal property. Touch her again, and your hand won't remain attached to your body."
Ivan burst into laughter and leaned closer.
Ivan:
"You'd go to war with Russia over a schoolgirl? Think carefully. She's just flesh and blood. In exchange, I'll give you complete control of the European market."
Soha clutched the back of Adrik's shirt in terror. She realized—she was trapped between two monsters.
Adrik stared into Ivan's eyes, pulled out his gun, and pressed it directly to Ivan's forehead.
Adrik:
"I know how to take Europe by force. But no one takes Soha from me. Deal's off. Get back on your jet—now. Or Russian blood will spill on Seoul's soil today."
Ivan's smile vanished. His bodyguards raised their guns. At the same time, red sniper lasers appeared on Ivan's head—Adrik's men had him locked in.
Soha whispered desperately,
Soha:
"Adrik, don't ruin yourself for me. He'll kill you!"
Without looking at her, Adrik replied:
Adrik:
"Stay quiet, Soha. Today, I'll save you from this Russian vulture—even if I have to burn the entire city to do it."