Flowers Are Bait Chapter 251:

Exhausted from several awakenings, Lee-yeon drifted back to sleep as the clock passed midnight into the early hours of the morning.

Though she searched for Kwon Chae-woo with sleepy eyes a few times, he remained nowhere to be seen.

Yet, while half-asleep, she felt a gentle warmth from the careful strokes on her belly, the soft sweeping of loose strands from her face, the light tracing along her brows with fingertips, and the lingering heat of a deep kiss pressed to the back of her hand.

Each time, Lee-yeon pondered once more, as though lost in a hazy dream.

What if Kwon Chae-woo hadn't shown up just in time?

Drifting in these foggy reflections, a oddly recognizable aroma stirred her senses.

Instinctively turning her head, she spotted a man perched on the bed for guardians.

Kwon Chae-woo had his face nestled into Lee-yeon's palm, radiating an intense softness that overwhelmed her just from the sight. As she shifted restlessly, the still figure raised his head with a soft rustle.

"Are you awake?"

He inquired lightly, breaking the thick tension in an instant.

"How's your body? The doctor mentioned you require plenty of rest. Do you want to remain in the hospital for a couple more days? It'd ease my mind."

"Where were you?"

In the softly lit hospital room, untouched by overhead lights, their gazes locked sharply.

"I had some business to handle."

"Lies."

Lee-yeon whispered softly.

Even that faint murmur couldn't escape his ears. Kwon Chae-woo showed no response.

His silent acknowledgment of the deception only intensified the throbbing in Lee-yeon's temples.

"I had something to tell Chae-woo."

Right then, Kwon Chae-woo's body jerked, his shoulders quivering. It was unclear if he was inwardly chastising himself or clenching his jaw in frustration.

"At Hwaidome..."

She paused, uncertain how to proceed, when Kwon Chae-woo let out a dry chuckle and averted his gaze. Confronted by his detached manner before she could even begin, Lee-yeon's expression twisted in annoyance.

Moments later, a mocking laugh started to resound deeply through the barren hospital room. Observing his bizarre behavior, the air inside grew noticeably chillier.

"Hey, Kwon Chae-woo."

"I really tried to keep my cool and not snap."

"What?"

He rubbed his face and bowed his head low. A strained laugh escaped as he gripped his thighs. Though the motion seemed polite, nothing about his tensed jaw, rigid wrists, or stiff shoulders invited closeness.

It evoked that same unease from before, when she had to endlessly question and guard against whatever lurked within Kwon Chae-woo's facade. She clutched the lightweight blanket.

"Lee-yeon said she doesn't believe the baby will make it."

He shook off his amusement and raised his eyes.

"My heart pounded harder than fear could explain. This woman doesn't consider me at all. I'd just be some stray dog then. How do you imagine that made me feel upon realizing it?"

Kwon Chae-woo regarded her coolly from beneath his composed exterior.

"Luckily, the baby's fine, but suppose it hadn't been..."

Gritting his teeth, he rose abruptly and flung the window wide. A brisk gust carrying a fresh aroma swept inside at once.

Even under the night sky, dense smoke rose starkly, while red flames danced in various spots. Kwon Chae-woo jabbed a finger toward the view and fixed his stare on Lee-yeon.

"You must have started that blaze. If I'd arrived even slightly later, you'd still be caught in it. And I...!"

His features twisted as though on the verge of tears.

"If harm had come to the baby, would you have spared me a glance? I might have chased after you to the ends of the earth."

A rush of feelings erupted at the mere notion of family.

"You'd have walked away. Though I kept saying it was fine to leave me behind, I only begged you to spare a thought for me one final time."

Slowly, a icy gleam emerged in the eyes fixed on Lee-yeon.

"You never once considered it."

Lee-yeon longed to respond, yet her thoughts strangely emptied out. Still, his hurt stare cut through her unmistakably. The blazing fires from Hwaidome cast flickering lights across his face.

"Why the uneven love?"

He tilted his head calmly, his wind-mussed hair appearing unsteady.

"The baby gets all the affection, but I'm despised?"

Kwon Chae-woo, as if embarrassed by his own words, pressed his lips tight in what seemed like self-disgust. A brief flicker of shame passed through his gaze before vanishing.

Hearing the cascade of grievances, Lee-yeon at last recognized the anguish etched on Kwon Chae-woo's features.

He pushed harder whenever worry gripped him, and this day had brought shocks and hardships to them both.

In that chaos, the outburst born of terror hit Kwon Chae-woo hard, and the dread that had ballooned like a beast during her unconscious moments might have buried him.

For a fleeting instant, Lee-yeon blamed herself for giving in to the inferno. Her declaration of 'I can't live like this' to a man already strained by her every move, glance, and subtle breath had surely struck a fatal wound.

The voice from her dream was correct—they could opt for another path. She steeled herself against the blurring tears.

"So, sign."

In that instant, Kwon Chae-woo stepped closer with a frosty expression and slid a paper toward her.