The rays of the morning sun fell upon Aanya's face. Today, she had left her old clothes behind and tried to look a bit "Professional"—a Grey T-shirt and Black formal pants. She neatly styled her hair and adjusted her glasses.
As soon as she reached downstairs, her brother, Lu Wei, looked at her from head to toe. "Wow! Today 'Jungkook's Wife' actually looks like a human being. Look, sister, don't get rejected this time, or else all the dishes in the house are waiting for you!"
Her mother also called out from behind, "Aanya, go carefully and don't be nervous. All the best!"
Aanya smiled and waved her hand as she started her scooty. "Selection is guaranteed today!"
Z.Y Empire: A Beautiful Deception
When Aanya stood in front of the 100-story building of Z.Y Empire, her neck started to ache from looking up. "Such a big building? All of Korea could fit in here!"
She nervously walked inside the entrance. The lobby was so shiny that Aanya could see her own face on the floor. She moved toward the reception desk, where a receptionist was having a long conversation with someone on the phone.
"Excuse me..." Aanya said softly.
The receptionist kept the phone to her ear and asked without looking, "Yes, tell me?"
"I have an interview for the Designer post, Miss Aanya Lu."
The receptionist quickly looked at her system and, without thinking, said, "Fine, Miss Lu. Go straight to the 17th Floor via Lift B. They are waiting for you there."
Aanya said a sweet 'Thank you' and ran toward the lift. As soon as the receptionist hung up the phone, her eyes widened with horror. She remembered that she had accidentally sent Aanya to the 17th Floor—the place where Zain Yan settled scores with his enemies. She tried to stop the lift, but it was too late. She stood there praying for Aanya, "Dear God, protect that innocent girl."
Inside the lift, Aanya called Huan Jing. "Huan Jing, I'm in the lift and going to the 17th floor. Wait for me, I'll be back just after giving the interview!"
Huan Jing asked frantically, "17th floor? Aanya, stop—!" but the lift's signal cut off.
Horror Movie Setup
'Ting!' The lift door opened and Aanya felt as if she had walked onto the set of a horror movie. The lights were slightly dim and there was silence everywhere. As soon as she stepped out, the lift door closed with a 'BAM' and the lift locked.
Aanya turned back to look, "What? Why isn't the lift opening?" Her heart began to throb loudly. She slowly moved forward in the hallway. Just then, she heard a screaming sound from a room.
The moment Aanya stepped onto the 17th floor, an unnatural chill crawled down her spine. The lights were dim and tinted blue. The silence was so heavy it raised goosebumps.
"H-Hello? Is anyone here? Jing… are you here?" she called out, her voice trembling.
She walked cautiously down the corridor when she heard desperate pleading from behind a closed door.
"No… please! Zhen sir, forgive me! I did nothing… ah!"
Aanya froze. Slowly, she peered through the crack in the door. What she saw made her blood run cold. Inside, the scene was horrifying. Blood was splattered across the floor. A man writhed in agony. Standing before him was Zhen, sleeves rolled up, eyes devoid of mercy.
He grabbed the man by the collar and spoke in a cold, lethal tone. "Anyone who betrays me—I don't just kill them. I make them feel death… moment by moment."
Darkness clouded Aanya's vision. She clamped both hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Jing was right. He truly was a ferocious wolf. She turned to run. But the sharp clicking of her professional heels echoed loudly through the silent corridor.
"Who's outside?" Zhen's voice thundered like lightning.
Aanya ran toward the lift, frantically pressing the button. Aanya lift ki taraf pagalon ki tarah bhaagi. Wo baar-baar button daba rahi thi, "Someone open this! Please… save me! Is anyone there? I need to get out!" she cried.
Then she felt it— A shadow stopped behind her. Warm breath brushed against her neck. A strong masculine hand slammed against the wall beside her, trapping her completely.
"So… you saw something you weren't meant to see?" Zhen's voice whispered near her ear.
She tried to turn and run but collided blindly in the darkness. Suddenly— A firm, cold hand grabbed her wrist. With one swift movement, Zhen pulled her toward him and pinned her against the wall. One hand secured her waist, preventing her escape. The darkness concealed their faces, but their breaths collided in the narrow space between them.
"Where are you rushing off to?" he asked coldly. "What did you see? Speak."
Tears welled up in Aanya's eyes. Her entire body trembled. She wanted to speak, but her throat refused to cooperate. Zhen couldn't recognize her in the darkness. Consumed by anger, he assumed she was a spy sent by an enemy.
"L-Let me go… I didn't see anything… I just lost my way… please," she sobbed.
His grip tightened. "No one comes to this floor by mistake. Tell me the truth. Who sent you?" He leaned closer. Even in the darkness, his eyes gleamed like a predator's.
"Lying doesn't suit you. The fear in your eyes is screaming the truth."
Summoning courage, she pointed a trembling finger at him. "Stay back! If you touch me, I'll call the police! You're a criminal! What I saw—you'll get life imprisonment for it!"
A terrifying smile curved across his face. "Police?" His voice deepened dangerously. "The police of this city are in my pocket. And the law… I am the law."
He placed his hand on the wall beside her face, trapping her entirely. Their eyes locked. In that corridor filled with deathly silence, something else began to thicken the air—an intense, suffocating pull. Her hatred-filled, fearful eyes tangled with his cold, obsessive gaze. Time seemed to freeze. His eyes no longer held only cruelty—there was something darker, something magnetic.
"You can't leave now," he whispered near her ear. "You've seen the face I hide from the world. And anyone who knows my secret… never walks away from me."
She forced strength into her trembling voice. "I'll do something that will make even you afraid."
For a split second, he faltered. Did she have proof? Was she planning something bigger?
But the next moment— She screamed. "Help! Someone help! This man is trying to kill me! Please, somebody help!"
Her cries echoed through the empty corridor. Zhen chuckled softly and stepped closer. "Scream all you want. Without my permission, not even a bird can flap its wings here. No one is coming."Aanya tried her best to escape from there, but she failed against Zain's agility. As soon as she turned, Zain grabbed her wrist with a jerk and pulled her toward him. Aanya lost her balance and crashed straight into Zain's strong chest.
At that moment, Zain felt as if time had stopped. The same heartbeat echoed in his chest that had echoed 5 years ago. The same fragrance, the same innocence. An old image flashed in his mind—a 17-year-old girl crying in his arms. "Aanya...?" his heart screamed.
Suddenly—FLASH!
The lights of the entire floor turned on at once. Zain narrowed his eyes slightly and looked down. Before him was that same round face, those same stylish glasses, and those same eyes filled with fear. This was the same Aanya Lu he had been searching for for years. Zain's stone-like heart melted for a moment, but he immediately gained control over his emotions. The same old 'Ice Block' hardness returned to his face.
At that moment, the sound of rapid footsteps came from the corridor. Qian had arrived. Huan Jing had caused a commotion down at the reception and pleaded with Qian to save Aanya. Qian had stopped Huan Jing downstairs and rushed up himself.
"Boss! This girl... she came up by mistake," Qian said, panting for breath.
Zain looked at Aanya; his eyes still held that same old yearning, but his mind held only revenge. He let go of Aanya and said in a cold voice, "Take her away from here."
Zain turned and began walking toward the lift. Aanya stood there watching him leave, her breath still ragged. She thought, "Thank God! This wolf is leaving."
But then, Zain stopped. He turned back again and came toward Aanya. Before Aanya could understand anything, Zain grabbed her Grey T-shirt from behind in his fist, as if catching a child.
"Where are you going?" Zain asked.
Aanya looked back in panic, "You... what are you doing? Let go of my t-shirt! It's expensive, it'll tear!"
Zain pulled her a bit more toward him; in front of his 195 cm height, Aanya looked absolutely tiny. Zain leaned near her ear and said, "Don't you want to go for the interview? Or has your courage vanished after seeing the sight of death?"
Out of anger and fear, Aanya tried to hit his hand with her bag. "I am going! But don't grab my clothes like that, is this any way to talk to someone?"
Zain let go of Aanya's T-shirt, but his gaze was still locked onto her. Zain pressed the lift button, and both went inside. Qian tried to enter, but Zain stopped him with a gesture. The lift door closed.
Aanya huddled in the corner of the lift. Her heart was beating so loudly she thought Zain would hear it. She started saying to herself in her mind, "No! I don't want this job. Where has Huan Jing trapped me? This boss seems like a total psycho!" The more she tried to distance herself, the more the small lift cabin made her feel close to Zain.
Zain stood leaning against the wall. His 195 cm tall stature cast a shadow over Aanya. He was silent, but his eyes were scanning Aanya's every move, her nervousness, and the fear hidden behind her glasses.
Suddenly, Zain stood up straight and took a step toward Aanya. He came so close to her that there was only a gap of a few inches between their faces. Zain leaned down slightly so he could look deep into Aanya's eyes.
Aanya nervously turned her face back; her back hit the lift wall. She asked fearfully, "W-What are you doing?"
Looking into her eyes, Zain said very softly, "I'm just seeing... are you really the one?"
The lift slowly moved upward—toward the 27th Floor. Zain didn't take his eyes off Aanya for a single moment. Aanya tried to push him away, but she didn't have the courage.
'Ting!'
The lift door opened on the 27th floor. Outside was a crowd of candidates and employees. As soon as the door opened, everyone was stunned. Their 'Heartless Wolf' boss was standing so close to a strange girl!
Huan Jing stood there, stopping her mouth from falling open. Aanya saw her, and tears came to her eyes, as if saying, "her dream of going to Korea is gone, now just save her life!"
Gossip started in the office:
"Look, how the boss is staring at this girl, like a predator looking at its prey."
Another said, "Poor thing... she won't survive now. The boss has seen her."
Zain didn't care about anyone. He was just looking at Aanya, as if in the crowd, only the two of them being there was the truth.