Flowers Are Bait

Chapter 181:

Lee-yeon hurriedly left the garden with quick steps, clutching her thumping heart.

“What, what is this…!”

Ever since she set foot in the mansion, or perhaps even since she packed her belongings to temporarily leave Hwaido, she had considered the possibility of encountering Kwon Chae-woo.

But she never expected to come face to face with him so suddenly like this, not even in her dreams.

“Gasp…!”

Yeon quickly moved away from the spot without running, gasping for breath. Her shoulder and hand, which had been held by him, felt hot and tingling.

She brushed over them as if trying to rub off any invisible marks, as if trying to brush away any lingering traces.

The moment she faced the man, still without a single blemish, Lee-yeon felt like the past month had flown by like a shooting star.

The presence of time she had overcome seemed even more precious than his towering existence. Though she momentarily felt surprised, her heart quickly regained its composure.

She brushed it off, labeling him as someone who only shared superficial similarities.

“It’s wise to strike fast and make a swift exit.”

Like someone fleeing, she had the urge to glance back, but Lee-yeon clenched her fist and restrained herself.

Throughout her journey from Hwaido to this place, she had felt discomfort, yet she received an exceptional chauffeur.

This morning, passing through a grand gate that resembled a fortress, traversing a long and lush tree-lined street that seemed astonishingly endless, and passing through the main gate and another inner gate, Lee-yeon finally arrived at the well-positioned mansion nestled beneath a scenic mountain.

In the meantime, Lee-yeon managed to gather some trivial information about the Kwon family. The second son was a primary school teacher who had long severed ties with this household, and the third son had become independent by pursuing an entertainment business.

Therefore, only the eldest son, Kwon Ki-seok, and the youngest, Kwon Chae-woo, were currently responsible for the family affairs and maintaining the estate.

The chauffeur had strongly advised the newcomer never to get involved with those two individuals, but Lee-yeon could only manage an awkward smile in response.

If only he knew.

As she approached the mansion, the gradually revealed garden appeared vast and lush. In particular, the enchanting display of blooming flowers left Lee-yeon with no choice but to immerse her hazy mind in their intoxicating fragrance.

Among all the gardens she had seen, this one stood out as the most vivid and splendid. She requested a momentary pause, seeking permission to step onto the grass without hesitation.

It resembled the meticulously maintained gardens of foreign palaces. Usually, gardens designed in such a manner were shaped according to people’s preferences, with trees meticulously pruned.

Fortunately, contrary to such concerns, the garden looked exceptionally healthy at first glance.

Who took care of it? What kind of fertilizer did they use? Look at their skillful craftsmanship… Lee-yeon wanted to quickly open their work logs and find out. But unexpectedly, she ended up encountering Kwon Chae-woo…

She abruptly interrupted her train of thought and hastened her steps.

“Have you seen enough?”

The chauffeur, who had been leaning against the car, casually asked as Lee-yeon approached in a hurry.

“Yes, thank you for waiting…!”

“But is someone chasing you? Why are you in such a rush–”

“Sir, hurry!”

“Huh?”

“Quickly, let’s go!”

Lee-yeon forcefully urged, opening the car door and acting impatiently.

To her surprise, Kwon Chae-woo, who had belatedly regained his composure, was chasing after her with a fearsome expression.

While Lee-yeon had been gradually distancing herself with her occasional strides, witnessing Chae-woo sprinting like a wild horse with his long legs made her heart race uncontrollably and her lips dry up.

“Sir!”

“Y-yes, I got it!”

The chauffeur, trembling with sudden anxiety, started the car. Just as they blinked, Chae-woo approached them, bending his waist and peering into the backseat. His large palm stuck firmly to the window, his pupils scrutinizing the interior, and his hunched posture with a twisted head somehow seemed inhuman.

“Ah!”

Startled, Lee-yeon involuntarily let out a gasp, and the corners of the man’s mouth lifted. Despite the heavily tinted windows of the car, making it impossible to see anything, he instinctively seemed to sense Lee-yeon’s presence.

The muffled voice from behind the thick car body pierced Lee-yeon’s ears with precision.

“Lee-yeon, come out quietly before I break this and drag you out.”

Silently, the car’s frame shook relentlessly as he forcefully pounded on the roof. The chauffeur, bewildered, tightly gripped the steering wheel, while Lee-yeon held onto the door handle.

“Lee-yeon, let’s have a talk.”

Though the familiar tone sent shivers down her spine, she mustered the courage to shout back in a trembling voice.

“Step on the accelerator, sir!”

“But, what about the young master—”

“He’s insane, so just step on it!”

As if those words were a trigger, the chauffeur swiftly pressed down on the accelerator. Then, faintly, came a furious curse, “Damn it!” But Lee-yeon didn’t have the courage to look back.

Thump, thump, thump! The trunk rattled violently under the aggressive hands of the man.