Flowers Are Bait

As the exit door neared, the anxiety reached its peak. Eventually, Jo Kyung-cheon presented a security card and pushed Lee-yeon forward. She took a step, whispering to him.

“Directopr, please. Just make sure that boy doesn’t get hurt. His name is Gyu-baek, Lee Gyu-baek. He’s eight years old and smart, so if you explain the situation, he’ll understand. I’ll come back. I have connections at Suguk Pharmaceutical, no, within the Kwon family. I won’t end it like this.”

“What?”

As Jo Kyung-cheon’s mouth began to open wide, she spoke as if piercing through him.

“Kwon Ki-seok will pay for his sins.”

“You…!”

“I’ve been around that house until this morning.”

“…Lee-yeon, what on earth are you talking about—”

“Professor, it’s time for you to leave Kwon Ki-seok behind and consider someone else.”

Although her tone was calm, her eyes had a sharp edge, almost like a threat.

“If you listen to my request, at least nothing bad will happen.”

Jo Kyung-cheon stared at Lee-yeon, looking deeply concerned. His gaze seemed to question not only the absurdity of her words but also her mental state.

“I know because I almost became that house’s daughter-in-law.”

Jo Kyung-cheon could only watch her, dumbfounded, as she walked away.

***

As Lee-yeon climbed the emergency staircase, she glanced at the CCTV cameras hanging from the ceiling corners. With each flight of stairs she passed, she was haunted by the groundless illusion that the black lenses were watching her.

An uneasiness, as if something or someone would ambush her from behind, gripped her throat. The place Lee-yeon was in was a staggering eight floors underground, making it even more impossible for her to stop her legs.

“…!”

At that moment, the door below opened, and the sound of its closing echoed. She stopped walking and heightened her senses, but unfortunately, the harsh clattering of hard footsteps rapidly caught up with her.

‘…Darn it, it’s not time yet!’

Lee-yeon immediately went to the ground floor, navigating through the artificially constructed forest path, searching for the entrance, and finally emerged above ground.

The joy of being back on the surface was fleeting, perhaps due to the determination that she couldn’t be dragged back. Her heart throbbed as if it would burst with each breath she took.

While inhaling and exhaling, the refreshing scent of grass entered her nostrils, but it felt ominous rather than pleasant. In moments of danger, the forest had never concealed her, so she couldn’t trust it.

But when she turned around…

Lee-yeon’s lips were like desert. She trembled, and her chest fluttered. Men in black clothes were roaming around, chasing her.

“Ugh…!”

However, even though she knew she had to run, her legs wouldn’t move. Suddenly, a strong cramp seized her lower abdomen, making her entire body stiffen.

“Ah!.”

Moans of pain escaped her lips as if her lower belly convulsed with pain.

She grit her teeth while persistently taking steps forward, her face contorted with pain. A damp sensation, like something wet, seeped through her underwear.

“No….”

Chae-woo, Kwon Chae-woo, where are you?

She clutched her stomach with a contorted face. The faint red stains appeared on her light-colored pants. Overwhelmed by cascading tears, Lee-yeon couldn’t think at all.

She tremblingly took the phone that Jo Kyung-cheon handed her. Upon reaching the surface, it indicated an area where calls were possible.

Lee-yeon immediately pressed eleven digits of a familiar number. Trtr, trtr. The signal tone began to connect at last, but the pursuing agents overwhelmed her just as it started.

“Ugh…! Let go of me, let go! How could you!”

Her arms were bent behind her, and the phone was thrown far into the thickets.

“Put something in her mouth.”

At someone’s command, Lee-yeon struggled even more.

“Here, not here. Please, to the hospital, take me to the hospital…!”

However, Lee-yeon’s pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Did you bring the injection?”

“Yes.”

“Hurry up and administer it.”

They continued their conversation, completely ignoring Lee-yeon’s cries.

“Are you people from the Kwon family? Are you the ones who grew up in that doghouse?”

“…!”

Lee-yeon’s curse rendered the surroundings momentarily silent.

“If anything happens to me, ugh, huff, I will truly set this place on fire. I’ll burn it all down…! I really won’t stay still! Ugh…!”

The momentarily silent men forcefully shoved a cloth into Lee-yeon’s mouth, cutting off her cries.

Lee-yeon thrashed in despair, but her cries and struggles seemed to have no impact on them.

“Did you hear her? If something happens, she’ll set everything on fire.”

Ignoring her, the men continued their conversation as if nothing happened.

Lee-yeon, desperate to preserve the flicker of hope in her heart, opened her eyes wide. She was determined to memorize each of their faces.

“…!”

As she scanned the unfamiliar faces, tears fell from her eyes.

This man with the big eyes—what was his name? Jang… Jang. He was undoubtedly someone she had seen several times in the Kwon family.

When Lee-yeon stared at him without blinking, the man seemed to sense her gaze and brought his index finger to his lips.

“Jang-jangchangchangchang―!” She struggled to speak with the gag in her mouth.

In the next second, the dome-shaped glass suddenly shattered.

“――!”

Despite the resounding and screeching sounds of the impact, Lee-yeon heard a familiar sound…

Kwon Chae-woo’s ringtone rang from afar.

***