Zain's entire night had been spent on a bed of thorns. As the first light of dawn broke, he sped to Kaiya's house, clutching a fresh bouquet of flowers. His eyes were heavy with a longing for forgiveness.
He took a deep breath and rang the bell, hoping that the moment he saw Anya, he would pull her into his arms and erase his mistakes with a single embrace.
The door opened, but it wasn't Anya. It was Kaiya. She wore a calculated, artificial smile, her eyes glinting with the sheer joy of delivering Zain's 'punishment.'
Zain tried to peer past her, his voice uncharacteristically unsteady. "Kaiya... where is Anya? I've come to take her home."
Kaiya blocked the doorway with her arm, her tone casual yet piercing. "Oh, sorry brother-in-law! You're a bit late. Anya left for the office quite a while ago. She said her work is piling up and she doesn't want any 'distractions' in her life anymore. She left early with Huan Jing."
The flowers in Zain's hand seemed to wither instantly. He checked his watch—this early? He knew Anya was ignoring him, and this was clearly part of Kaiya's 'plan.'
Zain: "The office? But her health... she had a high fever last night..."
Kaiya: (Cutting him off) "She has plenty of people to care for her now, Zain. She doesn't need you. By the way, the flowers are nice... feel free to toss them in the trash or take them back with you."
Kaiya relished the look of defeat on Zain's face and slammed the door shut.
Left alone on the street, Zain clenched his fists. He realized Anya had begun her counter-strike. He drove straight to ZY Empire, his mind racing with two thoughts: how to appease Anya, and how to reclaim his dignity.
When he arrived, he saw Anya already at her desk. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, but her expression was as cold as stone. She didn't even lift her head when he entered the floor.
Zain retreated to his 50th-floor sanctuary, but his thoughts remained pinned to the desk below. Every passing minute fueled his restlessness. He stood up, straightened his coat, and stepped out in full 'Alpha' mode.
"If I keep passing by her, how long can she possibly ignore me?" he thought.
The Failed Tactics:
Attempt 1: Zain walked slowly past Anya's desk, a file in hand, his expensive cologne lingering in the air. Every employee bowed with a "Good afternoon, Boss," but Anya? She didn't even blink, focused entirely on her calculator.
Attempt 2: He stood right behind her with his team, conducting a loud, boisterous business meeting. "This deal must be finalized today!" he barked in his deep, masculine voice. He expected her to flinch or look up in irritation. Instead, Anya simply put on her headphones and shared a laugh with Huan Jing.
Attempt 3: Fuming, Zain went to the pantry directly opposite her desk under the guise of getting water. He stood there stylishly, glass in hand, staring at her intensely.
Anya knew exactly what he was doing. She remembered Kaiya's advice—"Let him squirm." Just then, a junior employee approached Anya with a question. She looked up at the boy and gave him a smile so radiant and warm that the glass in Zain's hand nearly shattered from his grip. His face flushed red with jealousy. The smile he was starving for was being gifted to a mere junior staffer.
Zain marched to Anya's desk and slammed his hand down on the surface.
Zain: (In a low, dangerous whisper) "Miss Lu, are you permitted to gossip during work hours?"
Anya stood up slowly, picked up her file, and without meeting his eyes, replied in a chillingly professional tone.
Anya: "My apologies, Boss. I was merely explaining the task. If you don't require anything else, I need to go to the printer."
She brushed past his shoulder, leaving him standing there—completely and utterly ignored. Behind him, Qian facepalmed. He never thought he'd see the great Zain Yan acting like a toddler desperate for his mother's attention.
By afternoon, the corridors were deserted. Zain, frustrated by his wife's indifference, went looking for Qian. Turning a corner, he found Qian and Huan Jing in a quiet, romantic moment.
Zain let out a frustrated sigh. "Wonderful! My wife won't even look at me, and you two are busy having a romance? Does no one care about the Boss's problems?"
Qian scrambled back, blushing, but Zain's eyes had already caught Anya in the distance. She was stifling a laugh at the scene, her eyes sparkling with the old mischief he adored.
But the moment Anya saw him heading toward her, she bolted. She ran for the elevator, frantically pressing the 'Close' button to escape him.
She forgot one thing: who owns this building.
Just as the doors were about to shut, a powerful hand blocked them. Zain stepped inside with a triumphant smirk. The doors hissed shut, leaving them alone in the confined space.
Zain pinned Anya against the elevator wall, leaning in until his breath fanned her ear. "Where will you run now, Mrs. Yan? How long will you hide behind 'Boss'? This elevator stops only when I say it stops."
Scene 5: Alpha vs. Iron Will
Anya's breath hitched, but she kept her gaze lowered, sticking to Kaiya's 'Ignore' rule. In the silence of the rising lift, the tension was suffocating. Anya, in her professional attire—white shirt, dark skirt, and a blazer—looked every bit the empowered woman.
Zain didn't loosen his grip. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his expensive suit.
Zain: "The more you pull away, the closer I will get. You aren't leaving this elevator until I allow it."
Anya wasn't the helpless girl she once was. She placed both hands on his broad chest and pushed back with all her might.
Anya: (Firmly) "Mr. Yan, do not forget your boundaries. I am an employee of this company before I am your 'Mrs. Yan.' Your behavior is making me uncomfortable!"
Zain's 'Alpha' instinct flared, but he was losing his grip on the situation. He tilted her glasses down and looked into her eyes. "Uncomfortable? Or scared? Because you know that in this elevator, no one can save you from my rage... or my love."
Anya lifted her chin, her eyes devoid of fear. "I wasn't afraid of you when I had nothing, and I certainly aren't now that I have my own identity. You won't win me back through fear, Zain. You win me back by earning my trust. And right now... you're losing it."
Zain's grip faltered. He realized she had evolved. She was a woman who could stand toe-to-toe with the 'Alpha Wolf.'
Scene 6: The Wounded Wolf's Research
Without warning, Anya reached out and slammed the Emergency Button. The lift jolted to a halt, and a siren began to wail.
Looking him dead in the eye, she spoke in a voice like ice. "Mr. Yan, you think you're an Alpha who owns everything? To me, you're just a Boss I'm unfortunately stuck in a lift with. Your old tricks don't work on me. Know your place, and respect my boundaries."
Her words were like daggers to his heart. He was the king of this empire, yet she had just put him in his 'place.'
Scene 50: The 50th-Floor Crisis
Zain stormed into his cabin, slamming the door so hard the glass rattled. He collapsed into his leather chair, fuming.
Zain: (Muttering to himself) "Who does she think she is? I'm trying to appease her, trying to show her I care... and she talks to me about 'boundaries'? She's acting like I'm a complete stranger!"
He hurled a file across the desk in a fit of rage. But as the anger cooled, the desperation returned. He was terrified of losing her. He drank some water to calm down and then, looking around to ensure no one was watching, he pulled out his phone.
He had no idea how to handle this 'Strong' version of Anya. So, he did what any desperate man would do. He opened a search engine.
Search Query: "How to win back an angry wife? (Korean Drama style moves)"
Videos and reels flooded his screen. One showed a hero standing in the pouring rain; another showed a husband singing a soulful song to his wife. Zain Yan, the most feared businessman in the city, sat in his high-tech office, taking notes on K-Drama romance.