Anya frantically searched for the remote and switched off the TV with a jerk. Her heart was pounding wildly, like a thief caught red-handed.
"I... I was hungry," Anya stammered, trying to wipe the chocolate from her lips with her fingers. Her innocence and nervousness were enough to melt anyone, but Zain had other intentions.
Zain slowly stepped out of the shadows and into the light. His damp hair was now mostly dry, and in his loose T-shirt, he looked even more rugged and captivating. He fixed his deep gaze on her lips, where a small trace of chocolate still remained.
"Don't you remember Rule Number 4, Anya?" Zain's voice was so low it vibrated through her very soul. "You have no right over your own body. And you've just stolen chocolate from 'my' fridge without my permission."
Anya began to back away, but the sofa blocked her path. "It... it was just a little bit of cake, Zain! You can't punish me for that!"
"Punish?" Zain said with a slanted smirk. "No, this isn't a punishment. This is just a way of asserting my 'right'."
Before Anya could react, Zain moved with lightning speed, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her toward him. Anya's hands landed on Zain's broad chest. Zain ran his thumb over her lips, right where the chocolate was smeared.
"There is another way to clean this," Zain whispered.
He brought his face so close to hers that their breaths mingled. Anya squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. Very slowly and with absolute authority, Zain brushed against her cheek and the corner of her lips, as if he were truly cleaning the chocolate, but his touch was so deep and filled with passion that a bolt of electricity shot through Anya's body.
"Next time, before you eat anything... control your tongue, or else I know exactly how to tame it," Zain said, pulling back. There was a strange glint in his eyes—as if he thoroughly enjoyed tormenting her this way.
Anya stood there, completely numb. Her face was flushed with shame, and her heart was racing.
Zain said with a cold smile, "Come on, it's time to sleep."
Zain led the way, and Anya followed behind him on tiptoes. Her mind was still racing with those old drama plots—how she could trick Zain and escape or cause him some harm. But Zain seemed to read the conspiracy hidden in her silence.
As they reached the room, Zain suddenly turned and grabbed Anya's hand with a jerk. Anya's breath hitched. Zain dragged her toward the bed and forced her to sit down. Anya could only stare at him in shock and terror.
"You remember Rule Number 7, don't you, Anya?" Zain's voice was now deeper and more dangerous than before.
Anya simply nodded her head in fear. she didn't have the strength left to speak. The next moment, Zain shoved Anya onto the bed and hovered over her. He pinned both her hands to the bed firmly so she couldn't move.
Zain's face was so close that Anya could feel his heavy breathing on her skin. Staring into her eyes, Zain said, "Sleep, Anya... or I will lose my control. And if I lose my senses today, you won't be able to handle it. The beast inside me will be far too much for you."
Anya was shivering uncontrollably. She was about to open her mouth to say something when Zain gave her one final reminder:
"Rule Number 9... your brother's safety lies in your sleep. Now, close your eyes."
Zain moved off her and lay on the other side of the bed, but he kept a firm grip on one of Anya's hands so she couldn't go anywhere during the night. Anya closed her eyes in fear, but she knew this was going to be the longest night of her life.
Morning: The Maid-Wife & The Office Entry
The first rays of the sun filtered through the windows of the Yan mansion. Anya woke up early because she knew that 'Punctuality' in Zain's house was paramount. She showered and got herself ready.
She wore a long skirt that reached her feet, topped with a short T-shirt and an expensive waistcoat that perfectly accentuated her slim waist. She left her shoulder-length hair open and, putting on her glasses, headed toward the kitchen.
According to the rules, she also had to oversee the household chores. She began making breakfast, but her mind was seething with anger. She muttered to herself while flipping the tongs:
"I feel more like his maid than his wife. He should have just made me a servant instead of slapping this 'Mrs. Yan' label on me. My dream was to go to Korea, marry a sweet and innocent 'Oppa'... and here, this Chinese Wolf has caged me in his prison!"
In her anger, Anya thrashed her hands and legs in the air as if she were delivering a powerful kick to Zain. She felt like clawing his face with her nails, but then she remembered that terrifying face from last night.
"No... if I scratch him, he'll eat me alive. He's already looking for excuses to 'claw' at me," she thought, trembling, and quietly went back to flipping the omelet.
Suddenly, that same cold, heavy voice came from behind, sending a shiver down Anya's spine.
"If thrashing your limbs in the air could make breakfast, Anya, I would have fired the chef long ago."
Anya spun around. Zain was standing there, now in his full businessman avatar—an expensive black three-piece suit, perfectly styled hair, and that same lethal glint in his eyes. He scanned her from head to toe, as if measuring the length of her skirt.
"The skirt length is fine," Zain said, sitting at the table. "But get those thoughts of 'going to Korea' and 'cute boys' out of your head. Because now, you only have one choice of man... and he is sitting right in front of you."
Anya slammed the plate in front of him. "Your breakfast, Boss!"
Zain took a bite and then checked his watch. "It's 7:00 AM. You should be in the car in 20 minutes. Remember, in the office, you will call me 'Sir' and keep your eyes down. There, you are not my wife; you are my most ordinary employee."
Zain finished breakfast, stood up, and started to leave. Anya thrashed her hands and legs behind his back in the air as if fighting him, but Zain ignored her completely. Just as he reached the door, he stopped and said, "I've had your scooty parked in the parking lot. You will come to the office just as you did before."
Anya gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, sir."
Zain looked back one last time and said sternly, "Finish the housework and get to the office quickly."
"Fine," Anya whispered softly, "Don't give too many orders, you crazy wolf. A day will come when I make you work like a servant."
After Zain left, Anya quickly finished breakfast and started washing the dishes. She was just finishing up when her friend Huan Jing called.
"Anya! Where have you been all these days?" Huan Jing's voice was full of concern. "Your phone hasn't been reachable since that night! I was so scared."
Anya took a deep breath and lied, "Well... I was just a bit tired and wasn't feeling well, so I kept my phone off."
Huan Jing said over the call, "Anya, you're coming to the office, right?" Anya hung up the phone.
At the Office: Whispers & The 100th Floor
Anya arrived at the office parking lot on her old scooty. Her mind was still entangled in Zain's 12 rules and the 'more maid than wife' feeling from the morning.
Kian was already present in the parking lot. Zain had specifically sent him down to keep an eye on Anya and to stay close to Huan Jing to learn Anya's secrets. Huan Jing was standing by her scooty, waiting impatiently for Anya.
Just then, Anya parked her scooty. As she got off and adjusted her glasses, Huan Jing was stunned to see her. Anya looked tired today, but there was a strange glow on her face (the 'Mrs. Yan' radiance given by Zain) and a slight nervousness in her eyes.
Huan Jing: "Anya! Where... where did you disappear to yesterday? Kian and I have been waiting for you forever. And why do you look so exhausted today? Did you not sleep all night?"
Anya looked at Kian in a panic. Kian had a calm, mysterious smile on his face. He knew everything, yet he was playing dumb.
Kian: "Good morning, Miss Lu. It seems you woke up a bit late today. Sir Zain has already reached his cabin on the 100th floor. He is in a very... 'stern' mood today."
Huan Jing playfully nudged Kian. "Oh Kian, don't scare her! Anya, tell me, what happened?"
Anya hid her helplessness and, looking at Kian, thought to herself— "That bastard wolf's right-hand man! He knows everything, yet he's enjoying this."
Anya: "Huan, I... I just got caught up in household chores. And last night, I was having some 'strange' dreams, so I couldn't sleep." (She was labeling the night spent with Zain as a dream).
Then Kian stepped closer to Huan Jing, making her blush slightly. Kian said very smoothly, "Miss Jing, since your friend is here, shall we head inside the office? Besides, I still owe you a cup of coffee."
Huan Jing smiled, but Anya's attention was elsewhere. She was looking up at the glass windows of the 100th floor, where Zain was likely watching her with binoculars or his sharp eyes.
The quiet atmosphere of the parking lot was suddenly filled with Huan Jing's mischievous laughter. Kian stood leaning against the hood of his car, his deep, steady eyes reading every changing expression on Anya's face.
Huan Jing put her hand on Anya's shoulder and whispered, "Anya, doesn't the boss look extra 'handsome' today? Plus, neither he nor you showed up yesterday. Were you two sitting at home thinking of baby names like 'Byeon Woo-seok'?"
Anya's face suddenly turned white. The reel of her memories spun back rapidly—that night when, in a drunken state, she had mistaken Zain for her favorite Korean actor. She had grabbed Zain by the collar and told him, "You will be my husband, and we will have two cute children!"
Anya face-palmed in embarrassment. A scream echoed in her mind: "Oh God! My luck was so bad that I mistook that stone-hearted man for an 'Oppa.' That bastard took my nonsense so seriously that now he's actually acting as my husband and wreaking havoc over my head!"
Huan Jing teased her, "Hey, why are you blushing? The way he put his coat on you at the party that night and danced with you in front of everyone... that scene was like something out of a movie!"
Just then, Kian, who had been silent until now, took a step forward. There was a mysterious depth in his voice. Looking into Huan Jing's eyes, he said slowly, "Miss Jing, who knows, your words might actually come true. Perhaps they have already thought of the names."
Huan Jing's eyes went wide. "Mr. Kian! You're joking, right? I thought you were always serious!"
Kian didn't reply, just gave a faint smile that didn't reach his lips. He turned and headed for the elevator, but his walk had that 'sharp' style that testified to him being Zain's right-hand man.
The Atmosphere: The Gossip Mill
As soon as Anya moved toward her desk, she felt whispers floating in the air. The girls in the office were standing in corners, staring and gesturing toward her.
"Look at her... she was missing yesterday and look how she's glowing today."
"I heard Mr. Yan keeps calling her to his cabin. There's definitely something big going on."
Anya lowered her head and walked briskly toward her desk. She was used to those hateful glares, but today, the burden of being 'Mrs. Yan' felt even heavier. She placed her hands on her desk and interlaced her trembling fingers.
Just then, the intercom on her desk rang loudly. In the silence, the sound was like a crack of lightning.
Anya picked up the receiver with trembling hands. There was no voice on the other end, just Zain's heavy, cold breathing. After a few seconds of silence, Zain's voice echoed, sharp as a naked blade:
"100th Floor. Cabin. Now."
Beep... beep... beep...
Anya put the receiver down. She looked at Huan Jing, who was giving her a 'best of luck' sign. Anya stood up, straightened her long skirt, and headed for the elevator. She felt as though she wasn't going to the office, but directly into the wolf's den to be sacrificed.
She saw herself in the elevator mirror—an innocent face, glasses, and that hidden 'wildcat' anger in her eyes. She clenched her fists.