As soon as Aanya entered the office floor, she felt a strange heaviness and terror in the air. There was no usual hustle and bustle; instead, there was a silence like the one before a storm.
Aanya sat at her new desk and put down her bag. She saw that the faces of Huan Jing and all the other co-workers were pale. Everyone was walking on tiptoe and talking to each other in whispers.
Aanya (In surprise): "Huan? What happened? Why is everyone so scared? Is this an office or a graveyard?"
Huan Jing immediately grabbed Aanya's hand and pulled her down slightly; her face was drenched in sweat.
Huan Jing (Softly): "Aanya... today it's not the 'Wolf Boss,' today the 'Devil' has come to the office! As soon as he arrived this morning, he fired 3 senior managers without any reason! His anger is at its peak today."
Just then, two other employees (co-workers) standing nearby gathered fearfully near Aanya's desk.
Employee 1: "Miss Lu, stay safe! Today the Boss's eyes are red like blood. Whoever goes before him, he talks to them as if he will eat them alive."
Employee 2: "I heard he kicked and broke his expensive glass table in his cabin this morning. His roar could be heard across the entire floor. I don't know what happened last night that he has changed so much!"
Aanya's heart began to beat rapidly. She immediately remembered her 'Cat Smile' and that blush from last night, but now she was starting to feel scared. She felt maybe all this was happening because of that coffee mistake.
Aanya (To herself): "Is all this happening because of me? Is he really that dangerous? Yesterday he seemed so funny..."
Just then, Qian entered the floor. Everyone immediately sat in their seats as if they were statues. Qian walked straight to Aanya's desk; there was no empathy on his face today, only a cold, machine-like silence.
Qian (In a flat voice): "Miss Lu... the Boss is waiting for you. And yes, take all your belongings with you, because it's going to be very late before your work is finished today."
Aanya swallowed hard. She saw that the others were looking at her as if they were seeing her for the last time.
As soon as Aanya heard Zain's heavy and dangerous voice over the intercom, her heart sank. Silence fell over the entire floor and everyone's eyes fixed on Aanya, as if they were looking at a sacrificial lamb.
Huan Jing (Grabbing Aanya's hand): "Aanya... don't go! My heart says that today that wolf will eat you alive. I feel like stopping you."
There was genuine worry in Huan Jing's eyes. Aanya looked at her as if it were their final meeting. She took a deep breath and, getting emotional, hugged Huan Jing tightly.
Aanya (Crying with a dramatic flair): "Huan! If something happens to me... remember my last will. All those Jungkook edits I've hidden in the pen-drive, you keep them. And yes... all the shirtless photos of Jungkook on my mobile, delete them immediately or my reputation will be ruined! And also erase those weird 'cheese' photos of ours!"
Huan Jing nodded while crying and laughing. Aanya fixed her messy hair, adjusted her glasses, and moving with great effort to hide her fear, headed toward the lift.
CEO Cabin: The Silence of Death
Aanya opened the door with trembling hands. It was dark in the cabin; only the light on Zain's desk was on. Zain was sitting back in his chair, his sleeves rolled up and those coffee-soaked documents in his hand.
Zain didn't even look at Aanya, but his voice echoed throughout the room.
Zain: "Miss Lu... you gave me many 'surprises' last night. But today... today it's my turn to give a 'surprise'."
Zain slammed the stack of 500 pages onto the table with a jerk.
Zain: "All these pages must be rewritten by you by hand (handwritten) by tonight. Until these are finished, you will not leave this cabin. And remember... I know your 'Uncle' very well, so don't try to run away."
Aanya froze right there. She looked into Zain's eyes; the old mischief was no longer there, only a deep hatred and the fire of revenge.
Aanya opened the door with trembling hands and asked in a very low voice, "May I come in, Sir?"
Zain said in a cold and rigid voice from his chair, "Yes."
Aanya entered. Her fear was clearly visible. In her panic, she adjusted her glasses and tried to tuck the hair reaching her shoulders behind her ear. She was rubbing her hands together, like a child does out of fear of punishment.
Zain (In a flat voice): "Come here, near me."
Aanya walked slowly toward his desk. Zain slammed that heavy document of 500 pages on the table with a jerk—the one on which coffee had spilled yesterday.
Zain: "Rewrite this. Every single word, every single line... must be perfectly clear. And yes, you have to write all this by hand (handwritten)."
Aanya's eyes remained wide open in shock. She said fearfully, "B-But Sir... these are 500 pages! I cannot do this much work in one day. This is impossible!"
Zain suddenly moved his chair forward and came so close to Aanya's face that her breath hitched. He slammed his fist hard on the table.
Zain (Roaring): "I don't like hearing 'NO,' Miss Lu! Because of your mistake, I could have suffered a loss of millions of dollars. So now, quietly start your work."
Aanya (Crying): "But Sir... how can I—"
Zain (Cutting her off, with a deadly gaze): "If you don't complete this work by tomorrow morning... then remember, I will leave you nowhere. Neither in this office, nor in this city. Even your 'Uncle' won't be able to save you from me."
Aanya froze. She couldn't understand how the Boss who made her say 'Oppa' yesterday had become so heartless. Crying, she picked up that pen and, sitting at a small side table in the corner, began to write.
Aanya held that pen and the documents in her trembling hands. In her eyes now, there was neither the old pain nor any anger, but a deep confusion. She couldn't understand how the Boss, who until yesterday was joking by making her call him 'Oppa,' had suddenly become so heartless.
Aanya (Softly): "Alright Boss... I will try."
Aanya bowed her head and walked out of the cabin. Her steps were heavy. As she moved toward the lift, she saw that Huan Jing and Qian were waiting for her there.
Atmosphere Near the Lift
Huan Jing's condition was bad; she was so worried that the color had drained from her face. As soon as she saw Aanya, she ran toward her.
Huan Jing (Panicking): "Aanya! What did that monster say? Did he fire you? Why are you so silent?"
Aanya only shook her head and showed the stack of 500 pages in her hand. "I have to complete this by tomorrow, Huan... otherwise, he won't let me go."
Standing a little distance away, Qian was watching Aanya silently. There was a strange pain and sympathy in his gaze, but he was helpless. He knew how old and deep Zain's anger was, but Aanya's innocence was shaking him from within too.
Qian (To himself): "Miss Lu... you have no idea what kind of storm you are trapped in. The Boss wants to hate you, but his heart is perhaps still stuck in that same 5-year-old memory."
Huan Jing grabbed Aanya's hand in panic and said, "Aanya, so much work! How will you do it alone? Wait, I'll stay here and help you. Both of us together will finish it quickly."
Aanya had just opened her mouth to say thank you when Qian's cold and flat voice came from behind.
Qian: "Miss Jing... if you try to help her, the Boss will give you the same punishment he gave to the other managers. You will be fired from the office this instant."
Aanya's Decision: The Sacrifice of Friendship
Upon hearing the word 'punishment,' Aanya's ears perked up. She didn't want her best friend to lose her job or get into any trouble because of her.
Aanya (Pushing Huan Jing away): "No Huan! You go home. I... I will manage. It will just take a little while, but I will do it. You don't worry."
Aanya gave a forced fake smile and turned toward her desk. She put that heavy file on the table and, picking up the pen, started writing the first page. There was a slight shiver in her back, but she didn't look back.
Huan Jing stood there; there was sadness and helplessness in her eyes. She didn't want to leave her friend at the mercy of this 'wolf.'
Qian and Huan Jing: A Secret
Huan Jing turned toward Qian in anger and surprise. "Sir! What has suddenly happened to the Boss? Until last night he was so close to Aanya... his behavior was so soft. Why is he behaving so badly today?"
Qian took a deep breath and looked at Aanya, who was leaning over and writing rapidly in the distance. There was a strange secret on his face.
Qian (Softly): "I can't tell you everything, Miss Jing. Just understand that some old wounds have turned fresh again. And now, someone will have to pay the price for those wounds."
Before Huan Jing could ask anything else, Qian left.
The Silence of the Night: Alone in the Office
It is 10 PM. The entire office is empty. Only the small lamp on Aanya's desk is lit. Aanya's hand is aching; she has only written 80 pages so far and 420 are still left.
Suddenly, she felt someone standing behind her. She turned around and saw Zain standing there, his coat off and that same old hatred sparkling in his eyes.
Zain saw that in Aanya's face now, instead of fear, a strange courage had emerged. She threw the pen down and stood up.
Aanya (In an angry and crying voice): "What do you think? Am I some robot? It's impossible to write 500 pages in one day! You just want to take revenge on me because I spilled coffee on you. But this is cruelty, Sir!"
Zain's eyes turned red with anger. He didn't waste a moment and, with a jerk, grabbed Aanya's wrist and pulled her very close to himself. Aanya collided hard with Zain's firm chest.
Zain (Looking into her eyes, in a deadly voice): "Don't talk back to your Boss, Miss Lu! You think this is just revenge for the coffee? You have no idea what your family has snatched from me."
Zain's grip was so strong that Aanya began to feel pain. One of his hands was on Aanya's waist and the other on her wrist. The distance between them was so small that Aanya could feel Zain's warm breath on her face.
Aanya (In pain): "What... what are you saying? What did my family do? Let me go, you're hurting me!"
Zain leaned in further and said near her ear, "Pain? The pain hasn't even started yet. You will stay here tonight, and if even one page is missing... then your Uncle won't see tomorrow's morning."
Zain released her with a jerk, causing Aanya to fall back into the chair. Zain rolled his shirt sleeves up further and turned toward his cabin, but stopped and looked back.
Zain: "Start writing. And remember, I am watching you every moment."
Aanya held her reddened wrist and, crying, picked up the pen again. She couldn't understand what her Uncle had done to Zain that made him hate her so much.