In the serene, mystical calm of the mountain evening, Soha felt as if she had drifted into another world with her small child in her arms. The baby had just finished drinking milk and now lay nestled against its mother's warmth, eyes closed in deep comfort. The little face was still slightly flushed, and in sleep the baby occasionally made a soft, sweet "hmmm" sound.
With profound tenderness, Soha gently touched the baby's chin. In that moment, she felt as though she was holding the most precious treasure of her life. All her anger, hatred, and grievances toward Adrik faded before the innocence of this tiny face.
Soha (in a very soft voice, rubbing her nose against the baby's):
"Hmmm… my heart. You look just like your father, my little love. That nose, those lips… and even this stubborn little 'hmmm' sound—you've inherited that from him too."
She began rocking the baby gently. Tears of happiness filled her eyes. She understood now that even though Adrik had tried to destroy her, through these children he had given her a new reason to live—a new strength to survive.
Soha (whispering):
"You're not just my baby. You're a piece of my soul. If your father could see you today, he might forget everything else. My precious one… all of Amma's love is only for you."
She held the baby tightly against her chest, as if shielding the child from every evil eye in the world. Outside, the roar of the sea could be heard, but inside the room there was only a mother's deep affection and the soft rhythm of a sleeping child.
As the little one in Soha's arms drifted off completely, murmuring "hmmm", memories flooded her mind—the day her life's path had changed forever. It had been a strange yet royal "dum dum"–style wedding, nothing like an ordinary marriage.
Flashback: That Terrifyingly Beautiful Wedding Night
That night was one of the most talked-about and mysterious nights in all of Seoul. Adrik was at the peak of his power. He had decided to claim Soha forever—not quietly, but in a grand spectacle that would make the entire city a witness.
1. Royal Arrangement (Dum Dum Style):
The vast penthouse hall was decorated in red and black. Thousands of candles burned alongside rare, expensive orchids. Adrik had brought a special red velvet gown from Paris for Soha, intricately embroidered with diamonds. As she was being dressed, tears filled her eyes—while Adrik's gaze held only a demonic sense of possession.
2. Adrik's Royal Entrance:
When Adrik entered the hall wearing a black tuxedo, fireworks exploded outside—dum! dum! dum! The sky trembled, and the sound seemed to merge with Soha's own heartbeat. He walked up to her and took her hand, his grip firm—telling her there was no escape.
3. That Moment:
When the time came to say "I do" before the officiant, Soha remained silent at first. Adrik leaned close and whispered,
"Soha, from today onward, you are mine. Let the whole world know that Adrik has found his queen."
When Soha finally gave her consent, Adrik slid the diamond ring onto her finger. At that exact moment, thousands of red rose petals rained down from the ceiling. Outside, bodyguards fired celebratory shots into the sky—again, the thunderous dum dum echoed.
4. First Union and Oath:
After the wedding, Adrik lifted Soha in his arms and carried her to their bridal suite. She was trembling, but that night Adrik was gentle. He kissed her forehead and said,
"From today, you are not just my wife—you are half of my soul."
That night, Soha felt she had been trapped by a beast. But now, four years later, recalling that memory brought a faint smile to her lips. Those same dum dum wedding beats had returned to her life—this time as the laughter and existence of her three children.
The flashback faded. Soha looked down at the baby in her arms and smiled softly.
Soha (murmuring to herself):
"No matter what kind of man your father was, if that 'dum dum' wedding had never happened, I would never have had you—my precious pieces of my heart."
A new storm loomed over Soha's once-peaceful life. After three years of solitude, Arian entered her world—a man who knew her past and still wished to marry her with respect. But this marriage was never going to be easy for Soha.
The wedding day was royal in every sense. Soha wore a massive, pure white wedding gown. The dress was so heavy and expansive that she could barely walk on her own; the long train dragged across the floor behind her. Her trusted maid carefully held the train, while cradling Soha's youngest child in her other arm.
Soha's other two children, now a little older, walked ahead of her down the aisle with mischievous smiles. Dressed in royal outfits, they looked like tiny angels.
The "Dum-Dum" Moment of the Wedding
The entire hall was lavishly decorated with flowers. Arian stood at the altar, waiting to take Soha's hand. As she moved forward slowly, an unnatural tension suddenly filled the air.
Just as they were about to take their vows—
The doors burst open!
"DUM! DUM! DUM!"
Gunshots thundered through the hall. Guests screamed and ran in panic. The maid quickly shielded the baby and crouched in a corner. Struggling with her massive gown, Soha turned around. The fire of the old tigress burned once again in her eyes.
Through the smoke, armed men stormed in. They hadn't come to kill Arian—they had come to drag Soha's past back into the present. The smell of blood-soaked ground seemed to rise once more beneath the hem of her wedding dress.
Soha (shouting):
"Stop this massacre! I will not tolerate bloodshed in front of my children!"
But the attackers kept advancing toward her. Arian stepped forward to protect Soha—but the gunshots, the chaos, the dum-dum echoes—it all felt like Adrik's shadow.
Had Adrik returned? Or had his enemies come for her children?
The massive gown became a hindrance. With one sharp motion, Soha tore off the long train so she could fight. The hidden silver knife in her hand glinted once again.
Then—everything froze.
As the smoke slowly cleared, Soha saw something that shattered her entire world.
A tall shadow stood at the massive doorway. That familiar walk. That bone-chilling presence. Each step he took seemed to make the hall tremble.
Soha tried to scream—but her voice failed her.
Because standing there was none other than Adrik.
He wasn't dead.
The deep scar across his throat—the one Soha herself had carved—was still visible. Yet he lived. That same demonic obsession burned in his eyes, unchanged after three years.
Adrik raised his revolver and fired once more into the ceiling.
DUM!
Adrik (terrifyingly calm):
"What did you think, Soha? That you could kill me and become another man's wife? That my blood would run through your children while you wore another man's name? Adrik does not learn to lose—not even to death."
Behind him stood his old bodyguards.
When Arian tried to shield Soha, Adrik shot him in the leg without hesitation. Arian collapsed, screaming in pain.
Soha (screaming):
"Adrik! Stop! Why have you come back? Why spill blood in front of my children?"
Adrik said nothing. He walked forward, stepping over the fallen white gown, and stopped directly in front of her. Then he bent down and snatched the baby from the maid's arms—a child who looked exactly like him.
Adrik (smiling at the baby):
"Hmmm… my little love. Just like me. Soha, did you really think I'd let my children belong to someone else?"
Soha was trapped—her children's lives on one side, her cursed past on the other. Adrik had returned to reclaim both his empire and his "property."
Seeing the blood-chilling look in his eyes, Soha knew one wrong move could cost Arian his life.
Her white gown was now stained with dust and blood.
She stepped forward and signaled Adrik to stop hurting Arian.
She knew there was only one way to calm him—surrender.
Soha silently agreed to go back with him, on one condition: Arian must be spared.
Adrik smiled cruelly at his guards.
Adrik:
"Remove this trash. Break his bones so he never dares look at my queen again—but keep him alive. Since Soha begged for his life, I'll be merciful today."
Arian was dragged away, screaming in pain. The wedding hall collapsed into ruin. The wedding never happened.
Soha stood motionless, holding her ruined gown. Her children cried beside her. Adrik stood like a conqueror, holding her baby.
Adrik (whispering near her ear):
"See, Soha? No one can take you from me. I lived in hell for three years for this day. Now come—it's time to go home."
Soha didn't resist. Holding her children's hands, she followed him. The colorful dream of a new life faded before her eyes, replaced once again by darkness.
But seeing her baby in Adrik's arms ignited something fierce inside her.
The helpless Soha was gone.
She stepped directly in front of him, her eyes blazing.
Soha (cold and sharp):
"Enough, Adrik. Give me my child. Now."
Adrik frowned, surprised by her ferocity.
Adrik (smirking):
"So much fire? Don't forget—my blood runs through this child."
Soha didn't hesitate. From beneath her gown, the silver knife flashed—the same blade that had once slit his throat.
Soha:
"I killed you once. I won't hesitate to do it again. Hurt me all you want—but if my children are touched, I will burn your entire empire to the ground. Give me my baby."
Adrik saw it then—no love, no hatred—only a tigress ready to kill.
Slowly, he handed the baby back.
Adrik (muttering):
"Hmmm… you've become a true tigress. Fine. The child stays with you. But remember— you and your three children now live inside my cage."
Soha snatched her baby and held the child tightly to her chest. The baby stopped crying and murmured softly, "hmmm", clinging to her.
She gathered her other two children close.
The wedding was destroyed. The dream was gone.
But Soha was ready to face any hell for her children.
Morning light filled the old penthouse with an eerie silence.
Adrik had reclaimed his lost empire—and his "property."
Soha sat on the bed, wearing one of Adrik's oversized white shirts. Her hair was messy, her face tired but firm with motherhood.
In her arms, her youngest child drank milk peacefully, making that familiar "hmmm" sound.
Adrik stood by the window, watching.
Adrik (softly):
"I returned from hell just to see this again. You… my children… in my bed, in my shirt. It feels like I'm alive again."
Soha looked at him calmly.
Soha:
"You have our bodies, Adrik. Not our hearts. I'm no longer the weak twenty-year-old you broke. For my children, I will cross any limit."
The baby sighed in satisfaction and held her finger tightly.
Adrik reached out—but Soha pulled back.
Adrik (smiling):
"You hate me. I know. But when that child says 'hmmm,' you see me in him. You can't break this bond."
Soha looked at the blue sky beyond the window.
Her wedding was destroyed. Arian lay broken. She was back in the cage.
But in her arms were three lives—proof that even in darkness, new life is born.