The evening at the office had begun to fade, and a soft orange glow filtered through the glass walls. Anya and Huan Jing were packing up their belongings at their desks.
For a brief moment, Anya paused. Her hand stopped midway on the zipper of her bag as she glanced toward Zayn's cabin. The lights were still on.
Her hand remained frozen.
Suddenly, her mind replayed that terrifying moment when she had mistakenly wandered onto the 17th floor for the first time. The cold blue lighting. Zayn's frightening aura. That contract.
The memory alone should have sent chills down her spine—but instead, a mischievous smile spread across her lips.
And she burst into laughter.
Huan Jing: (startled) "Hey! What happened to you? Why are you laughing like a lunatic while packing?"
Anya: (wiping tears of laughter from her eyes) "Jing… I just remembered the day I first met Zayn. I accidentally went to the 17th floor instead of the 27th. I genuinely thought I had fallen into the clutches of a devil who tortured people. I had no idea that that 'ferocious wolf'—the one who scared me half to death—would one day become my husband!"
Huan Jing: (bursting into laughter) "Seriously! You were trembling like you had seen a ghost. And look at you now—you're sitting here as the 'mistress' of that wolf!"
The two friends laughed heartily, their laughter lightening the otherwise heavy atmosphere of the office.
Just then, Qian approached them briskly, his usual expression of loyalty mixed with urgency.
Qian: "Huan Jing, the boss wants you to check some data files. Please come quickly. He's in a bit of a hurry today."
Huan Jing gestured a quick goodbye to Anya and left with Qian.
Now Anya was alone on the large floor.
Silence slowly deepened again.
She pushed her chair back and walked toward the window, gazing out at the city lights.
Her thoughts drifted—inevitably—back to Zayn.
Zayn… no matter how dangerous you may be to the world, to me you are the same man who frightened me in that dark corridor… and then became my shelter. But do you truly love me… or do you still have another motive?
A strange unease settled in her chest.
It felt as though someone was watching her.
She turned around.
No one.
Just the silent office—
—and then the elevator doors opened with a sharp ding, slicing through the stillness.
Zayn and Ruan Jian stepped out.
Their clothes were slightly disheveled. Faint bruises marked their faces.
As they exited the elevator, they deliberately bumped shoulders. A silent deal had already been struck between them.
Zayn: (through clenched teeth, in a low voice) "She must not find out a single word about this fight. Understood?"
Ruan Jian: (wiping blood from his lip) "Don't worry. I don't want her to see me like this either."
But the moment their eyes landed on Anya standing by the window, their anger melted like wax.
She was smiling faintly, lost in her own memories, gazing at the city lights.
Then she turned—
—and saw them.
Her eyes immediately caught the fresh injury on Zayn's face.
She hurried toward him, completely ignoring Ruan Jian's presence. Her soft hand rose instinctively and gently touched Zayn's cheek, right near the wound. Ruan Jian watched this, jealousy burning in his chest, his jaw tightening.
Anya's fingers brushed dangerously close to Zayn's lips. Her eyes were filled with concern.
Anya: (anxiously) "Zayn! How did you get this injury? You were perfectly fine earlier… and this blood—"
Zayn looked into her eyes. There was pure worry there.
And guilt.
He gently held her hand in his.
For a moment, he felt peace.
Then Anya's gaze shifted toward Ruan Jian, who was adjusting his shirt buttons. Bruises marked his face as well.
Suddenly, office protocol—and Huan Jing's earlier warning—flashed in Anya's mind.
She quickly withdrew her hand and straightened her posture.
Anya: (hesitating, switching into 'boss mode') "Oh… sorry, Boss… and Mr. Ruan… did something happen? Were you both in an accident? I mean… the marks on your faces…"
Zayn and Ruan exchanged a glance.
The same lie floated in both their eyes.
Zayn: (clearing his throat stiffly) "Nothing. There was a minor technical glitch in the elevator. We accidentally collided."
Ruan Jian: (with a fake smile) "Yes, Anya. Just a coincidence. We got a little too 'close' over a file discussion."
Anya narrowed her eyes.
She knew they were lying.
The war between the wolf and the hunter had clearly begun.
Ruan was about to say something further—
—but Zayn's patience had completely run out.
He wanted Anya away from this poisonous atmosphere.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her hand firmly and began pulling her toward the elevator.
As he passed Ruan, he deliberately slammed his shoulder hard into Ruan's.
The impact forced Ruan a step back.
Zayn: (whispering, locking eyes with him) "Remember what I said. You are now beyond my tolerance."
Zayn moved ahead with Anya.
She glanced back once.
Ruan Jian stood there, not with anger in his eyes—but with deep regret, as though there were words he had never been able to say to her. He offered her a faint smile.
Zayn noticed she was still looking back.
A sharp wave of jealousy surged through him.
He abruptly pulled her closer. As they reached the elevator, his strong hand wrapped firmly around her waist.
He drew her so close that her body pressed completely against his.
He wanted the world—and especially Ruan—to see that Anya belonged to him alone.
Ruan Jian's face darkened at the sight of Zayn's hand around her waist. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
His heart burned—
—but he was helpless.
Inside the Elevator
The doors slid open.
Zayn guided Anya inside and turned, locking eyes with Ruan one final time before the glass doors shut.
Even inside the elevator, Zayn did not release her. His grip around her waist remained firm.
Anya: (softly) "Zayn… you're holding me too tightly."
Zayn: (in a heavy voice) "Sometimes I feel like never letting you go. Do you even realize how it feels to see him looking at you like that?"
Anya studied his rigid expression.
She understood.qq
Mr. Wolf was feeling deeply insecure today.
In the Parking Lot
As they reached the car, Zayn's restraint finally broke.
The parking area was silent, cold wind brushing through the dimly lit space—but inside Zayn, a storm raged.
Without warning, he pulled Anya toward him and wrapped her in an incredibly tight hug.
She barely reached his chest due to the difference in their height. Completely enveloped in his arms, she disappeared against him.
Zayn lowered his face to the curve of her neck and held her as though he wanted to hide her from the world.
She could feel the heat of his body.
His racing heartbeat.
Ruan's words echoed in his mind—
"She still loves me."
The old fear of losing her resurfaced.
Anya: (muffled, worried) "Zayn… what happened? Are you okay?"
She gently stroked his back with her small hands, trying to calm him.
Zayn: (forcing his voice steady) "Nothing… I just felt like it."
He hid his face, but the pain and heaviness in his voice were unmistakable.
His throat was tight.
He could not tell her how insecure he felt.
He did not want her to see him as weak.
After a few moments, he loosened his hold slightly—but did not fully let go.
He cupped her face between his hands.
His eyes were red.
Not from anger—
—but from an unspoken fear.
Anya: "Zayn, your voice… you're hiding something. Did Ruan say something to you?"
Zayn inhaled slowly, coldly.
Then he sealed his emotions back behind the mask of the stone-hearted man.
Zayn: "I told you—nothing. Let's go home. I'm feeling very tired."
He opened the car door and helped her inside.
Anya kept watching him.
She understood now.
The arrogant, domineering façade was just armor.
Inside, he was still the broken boy who had once lost everything.