Anya looked at Jungkook's smiling image on her laptop.
Then she gazed out at the glittering city skyline—somewhere within it, Zain Yan sat in the shadows of his empire, weaving a web far darker than she could imagine.Anya leaned closer to her laptop screen as she searched for ZY Empire and its enigmatic CEO. The results loaded—and her eyes widened.
Profiles. Business magazines. Award ceremonies. Headlines that sounded unreal.
Zain Yan: A Ruthless Prodigy
Name: Zain Yan
Age: 26
Milestone: Became CEO at just 21, shaking the corporate world with an aggressive expansion strategy.
"CEO at 21?!" Anya muttered, adjusting her glasses. "I'm almost 22 and I can't even land a receptionist job."
She opened a high-definition photograph.
For a moment, her heartbeat stuttered.
190 centimeters tall. A sharply sculpted face that looked carved from marble. Eyes cold enough to pierce through a screen.
This wasn't just charisma.
It was dominance.
The Comparison Game: Idol vs Predator
Anya quickly split her screen.
On one side: Jungkook and Byeon Woo-seok.
On the other: Zain Yan.
"Visually? Total K-drama villain energy," she murmured, scratching her shoulder-length hair.
"Jungkook has that soft, heart-melting smile. Byeon Woo-seok's eyes are so innocent… but this guy?"
She zoomed in again.
"His height matches Woo-seok. But that face… uff. It's like God didn't sculpt him with love—He took His time out of pure intensity. Ridiculously handsome. And equally terrifying."
She glanced at Jungkook's wallpaper and grinned.
"Sorry, Kookie. This guy is serious competition. If he wasn't such an arrogant ice block, I might've become his fan."
She had no idea that tomorrow, she wouldn't be comparing faces on a screen.
Aanya adjusted her fashionable steel-frame glasses and smoothed her shoulder-length hair neatly to one side. She wore stylish baggy pants paired with a long t-shirt, then picked up her bag, ready to step out. The glasses added a strange innocence and charm to her face—she looked like a stylish nerd.
The moment she stepped out of her room, her brother Lu Wei was already seated, as usual, fully prepared to tease her.
"Oh ho! So today our 'Jungkook's bride' is dressed all fancy, huh? But with those glasses on, you look like a total bookworm!" Wei said, laughing loudly.
Without wasting a second, Aanya kicked the air sharply, her foot passing dangerously close to Wei.
"Shut up, idiot!" she snapped, swinging her bag onto her shoulder with attitude. "Today is the day my fate changes. I'm going to ZY Empire. Once I get that job, I'll book a direct flight to Korea. And you—keep teasing me. I'll bring you back a terrifying Korean wife who'll make you wash dishes day and night!"
Wei clutched his stomach, laughing harder. "First come back alive! I've heard the boss there isn't human—he's a wolf!"
Aanya took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses on her nose. Her heart trembled slightly, but her eyes were full of dreams. Little did she know that this so-called "wolf"—Zain Yan—had been searching for her for the past five years.
She stepped out of the house, started her scooty, and headed toward her destination—ZY Empire.
As soon as Aanya reached the towering building of ZY Empire, her eyes widened in disbelief. From the outside, it already seemed to touch the sky, but the interior was even more breathtaking. Glass walls gleamed everywhere, polished marble floors shimmered, and the employees were dressed so fashionably that Aanya felt as if she had stepped backstage at a fashion show rather than into an office.
"Oh my God… this much money?" she whispered, adjusting her glasses nervously.
Gathering courage, she approached the reception desk. A stunning receptionist sat there, busy on a phone call. Aanya hesitated, then softly asked, "Excuse me, where should I go for the interview?"
Without even looking at her, the receptionist pointed casually in one direction and said hurriedly, "17th floor… take the lift over there."
The receptionist had made a mistake in her rush. She meant to say the 27th floor, where the interviews were scheduled, but her tongue slipped.
"Miss Aanya, please go to the 17th floor."
Aanya's anxiety unknowingly led her toward the mouth of death.
The receptionist suddenly realized her mistake and shouted, "Ma'am! Wait! That lift isn't for the 27th floor!"
But Aanya had already stepped inside.
Floor 17 was not just another level of the building—it was the most terrifying section of ZY Empire.
It was where Zhen punished his enemies.
The lift doors slid open.
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.
Suddenly—
The entire building went dark.
The lift system locked.
In the suffocating darkness, she heard the heavy sound of Zhen's footsteps approaching her slowly.
She began pounding on the lift door.
"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?"
A single tear fell onto his hand.
That cold droplet made him pause for a fraction of a second.
A forgotten memory flickered in his mind—but he crushed it instantly.
Aanya's back pressed against the icy wall.
Zhen's towering presence surrounded her completely. Her heart pounded so violently she feared it would burst from her chest.
"I swear… I didn't see anything!" she stammered.
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."
In her panic, she stumbled over something and lost her balance. Instinctively, she grabbed his collar tightly.
Zhen reacted swiftly, wrapping his arm around her waist to prevent her fall.
She collided straight into his chest.
Her glasses tilted slightly.
She was pressed against his heart.
Silence fell.
Only the frantic rhythm of their heartbeats filled the corridor.
The moment her touch registered, something shifted inside him.
His heartbeat accelerated—just like it had five years ago.
A memory he had buried deep struck him like lightning.
Their eyes locked again.
The anger in his gaze dissolved into confusion… into turmoil.
Suddenly—
The building lights flickered back on.
In the harsh brightness, Zhen finally saw her face clearly.
His lips parted.
"Aanya…"
At that exact moment, Kiyan rushed down the corridor.
"Boss!" he called, breathless—then froze upon seeing Aanya in Zhen's arms.
"Boss… this girl came here by mistake. It was the receptionist's fault—she told her the wrong floor. She's Jing's friend."
Zhen slowly loosened his grip.
But his eyes never left Aanya's face.
What was that secret from five years ago?
And why did his stone-cold heart start beating uncontrollably the moment she came close?The blurred memories of the past had ignited a tempest within Zain's mind. The same rain, the same screams, and that innocent face—the face of the girl he had held protectively in his arms five years ago. Today, that same Anya was standing before him in the exact same manner.
Zain fought to regain control over his emotions. He did not want Anya to realize that he had recognized her. With a sudden, cold movement, he withdrew his hand from her waist.
"Fine," Zain said in a frigid tone, stepping toward the elevator. Anya remained rooted to the spot, watching him go, her breath still hitched in her throat. She couldn't fathom what she had just witnessed in the eyes of this terrifying man.
As Zain stepped into the elevator, he reached out, grabbed the back of Anya's oversized T-shirt collar, and practically hauled her inside.
"You aren't going down yet," Zain commanded. Anya tried to protest, but the sheer dominance in his grip and the authority in his voice were so overwhelming that she could only nod her head in silent submission.
At that moment, Qian came running toward them. "Boss! That meeting—"
"See me later," Zain cut him off brusquely, and the elevator doors slid shut.