Here's a revised, expanded version of your Chapter 2 of Redo Requiem, with enhanced pacing, deeper atmosphere, and a more immersive, dramatic style:
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Chapter 2: The Tipping Point
A week later, the fluorescent lights of the office flickered like an omen as Shan Wolf ascended the elevator to his department floor. The hum of the motor and the sterile silence within the metal box did nothing to calm the unease that had been growing in his chest all morning. When the doors parted, that unease evolved into something darker.
A crowd had gathered. His co-workers—usually scattered across their desks or hidden in their cubicles—stood clustered near the notice board like moths drawn to flame. Murmurs crackled in the air, subdued yet unmistakable: confusion, gossip, and above all, shock.
Shan pushed forward, his brows furrowed. The moment he saw the white letterhead pinned to the board, he felt his stomach knot.
NOTICE OF TRANSFER
Effective immediately, Mr. Shan Wolf will be relocated to the Rural Division.
Report to HR within 48 hours.
His name. Bold. Cold. Final.
A surge of disbelief coursed through him, quickly giving way to white-hot fury. What the hell was this? No warning. No discussion. No justification.
Jaw clenched, Shan stormed past the gossiping crowd, down the hall to the Team Leader's office. He didn't knock. The door flew open with a force that startled Mei Yoo Jun, Ingrid Mikage's assistant, who looked up from her keyboard with a small gasp.
"Where is Ms. Mikage?" he barked.
"Uh… s-she's out. At a meeting. A restaurant. With the chairman," Mei stammered.
"Give me the address," Shan demanded without hesitation.
Within minutes, he was in a cab, the city blurring past him as his mind raged. His fists trembled. Betrayal. That was the only word echoing through his mind.
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In a private room of an upscale restaurant downtown, Ingrid Mikage sat gracefully across from the company's chairman, Eh San Won—a man whose age-spotted hands rested lazily around a crystal cup of soju while his eyes lingered elsewhere, specifically on the hired woman at his side. The girl, barely out of her teens, laughed at his slurred jokes, unaware or uncaring of the power he wielded.
Ingrid, ever composed, reported coldly, "Of the 8.0% resignation rate this quarter, only 3.0% were involuntary. We're still operating within government limits."
The chairman didn't seem to care much. He waved a dismissive hand. "Good, good. Don't give those ants any more than crumbs. If they can't keep up, they crawl back to the dirt. Hehehe… You did well, woman. Now have a drink with me."
He poured soju into Ingrid's teacup. She accepted, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you, Chairman."
As the chairman turned his attention back to his escort, one of the executive directors leaned over to Ingrid with a pleased expression. "The chairman's impressed. That scandal with Shan? It'll disappear once the transfer's finalized. And… congratulations, Head Manager Mikage."
Ingrid smiled faintly, just as a shadow fell over the room.
Shan burst through the entrance, his presence like a blade slashing through the hush. The E.D. blinked. "Perhaps we opened the champagne a little too early."
"Ingrid—Ms. Mikage—why?! Why am I being transferred?!" Shan shouted, every syllable laced with fury, betrayal, and desperation.
Ingrid's eyes met his, unreadable. "We'll talk. Come with me."
Confused, Shan hesitated, but followed. Outside, they got into her car, and the silence stretched until the engine roared to life.
"Do you know who that was in the room?" Ingrid finally asked.
"I don't care. I'm being exiled in two days!" Shan snapped. "I was proven innocent. I did nothing wrong!"
Ingrid pulled the car abruptly into a secluded forest trail, far from the city's noise, far from witnesses.
"This isn't a punishment," she said, shutting off the engine. "It's a lifeline. Can't you see this is to protect you?"
Shan narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Ingrid exhaled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Her tone grew colder. "Every woman in the office thinks you're a pervert."
His breath caught. "The hell? This is about that stupid bathroom incident?"
"It doesn't matter what you think," she said firmly. "Even a tiny misunderstanding can ruin you. Your name, your career—gone. You've already lost the office's trust."
"So that's it?" Shan spat. "You're throwing me to the dogs?"
Ingrid leaned closer. Her blouse slightly unbuttoned, the glint of her silver necklace drawing attention to the exposed curve of her cleavage. "You know," she whispered, "I've seen how you look at me. Since day one."
Her voice turned sultry. "I had a few drinks. Maybe I'm feeling generous. Think of this… as a farewell gift."
Shan blinked, stunned, torn between disbelief and desire. Her scent filled the cabin. His hand, driven by instinct, brushed against her breast.
The slap was sharp and immediate.
"You disgusting brute!" she screamed. "You just tried to rape me!"
"W-what?! You were the one—"
"Are you saying I seduced you? That I came onto you?" She pointed at the dash-mounted camera. "It's all recorded."
Panic rose in his throat.
"It caught you, Shan," she hissed. "Touching me. Lunging at me."
Shan's voice cracked, "Then it caught you luring me—"
"No audio. Just video. Who do you think they'll believe?"
He fell silent. His future, his name, his life… about to be ruined by this elaborate trap.
"You'll be blacklisted. Sent back to Malaysia. No one will hire you—not after being labeled a predator."
Then she leaned back, smiling. "So what's your choice? Take the transfer… or lose everything."
She kicked open the passenger door. "Get out."
Shan stumbled out into the forest, watching as she sped off, her car disappearing into the winding trail like a specter.
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Alone, surrounded by silence and leaves whispering in the wind, Shan stood still. He could barely breathe.
His hand reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, gleaming pocket knife.
"I don't get it," he whispered. "Why does everyone hate me? What did I do to deserve this?"
Memories flooded back—fractured visions of his past, dark and blood-stained.
As a baby, his mother had tried to sacrifice him in a black rite, desperate for power. The Vatican and local police had intervened in the dead of night. Chaos. Blood. Screams. Before she was shot, his mother hurled him into the river.
He had survived, washing ashore near a Shiva temple. The priests had taken him in. That night, a forbidden power had awakened within him—the ability to rewind time… but only through death.
He clenched the blade near his neck, steeling himself.
Just as he was about to press in, a screech tore through the forest air.
His eyes snapped toward the road—Ingrid's car had struck a woman on a scooter. A pregnant woman. The impact flung her like a ragdoll.
Instead of stopping, Ingrid reversed and ran over her again, wheels crushing.
Shan froze in horror. Then instinct kicked in.
He lifted his phone. Hands trembling. The lens focused. Shutter clicked. He took photos, videos—capturing everything.
Ingrid didn't notice. She sped off, her face pale, panic replacing her elegance.
Shan stared at the footage.
His despair melted. In its place—clarity.
She had tried to destroy him.
Now he had her.
The rules had changed. The game had begun.
And Shan Wolf—once prey—was now the predator.
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Chapter 2 — End.