Bound by Shadows .jc

CHAPTER 24

Shattered Fragility

Seungcheol's POV 

The room was eerily silent when I stepped inside, the heavy darkness pressing down like a suffocating weight. The faint glow from the moon barely illuminated the figure curled up on the large bed. Jeonghan, small and fragile against the vastness of the space, clutched a blanket tightly to his chest, his trembling form barely visible under the layers of fabric. He wasn't crying—he couldn't anymore. His body had exhausted itself of tears, leaving him in a state of hollow, shaking stillness.

I had entered with my usual cold, imposing aura, my footsteps deliberate. But the moment my eyes fell on Jeonghan, something in me shattered. This wasn't the gentle, smiling florist I had been captivated by—the one who spoke to flowers like they could hear him. This was someone broken, drowning in fear, his light extinguished. And I knew I was the one who had caused it.

For a man who had built his life on control, the sight rendered me powerless.

Without a word, I approached the bed and knelt down, my movements slow and deliberate, as though afraid any sudden motion would scare him further. The cold edge I always carried melted into something softer, something unfamiliar.

"Jeonghan," I said, my voice low, deep, and unexpectedly gentle. "It's me."

He flinched at first, his grip tightening on the blanket, his knuckles white. His breaths were shallow, uneven, his body trembling from the anxiety that had consumed him the entire day. He didn't look at me, his gaze fixed somewhere distant, his mind trapped in a haze of fear and confusion.

"I'm not here to hurt you," I murmured, my tone steady and soothing. "You're safe. I promise."

It took a moment, but his eyes finally flicked toward me, wide and glossy with unshed tears. They were the eyes of someone haunted—by memories, by fear, by everything he had tried to leave behind. His lips moved, but the words didn't come out at first. Finally, in a voice so faint it was barely audible, he whispered, "Why... why am I here?"

My chest tightened painfully. I wanted to give an answer, one that would make sense of the chaos, but all I could do was reach out slowly, resting my hand on the blanket covering his hand. The gesture was hesitant, uncertain, but it grounded him enough for him to take a shaky breath.

"You're here because I need to protect you," I said. My voice was still low, carrying a weight of conviction. "Because Viktor... the man who sent that bouquet to your shop... he's dangerous. And I couldn't let him get to you."

His fingers curled tighter into the fabric. "I... I didn't ask for this," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I didn't ask for any of this."

"I know," I said, my tone softening further, a rare vulnerability bleeding through. "I know, and I'm sorry. But I couldn't risk losing you. Not to him."

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, slowly, he whispered, "I'm scared."

It was the first time I had ever heard him admit it, and it broke something deep inside me. Without thinking, I moved closer, my hand brushing against his as I said, "You don't have to be. Not here. Not with me."

He looked at me then, his wide eyes shimmering with unshed tears. For a moment, he seemed like a child—lost, vulnerable, and searching for something to hold on to. His lips trembled as he said, "I don't want to be hurt again."

I exhaled, my voice steady as I replied, "No one's going to hurt you, Jeonghan. Not while I'm here."

I let the words settle before adding, "You can move around the house if you want. You're not a prisoner here. But I need you to promise me something."