Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 104: Chapter 104

Zackery drove to his small factory. As soon as he stepped out of the car, he spotted a group of workers huddled together, buzzing with gossip.
From a distance, he noticed the newspapers in their hands—his face burned with humiliation. He knew instantly they were talking about him.
Zackery barked, "What the hell are you all standing around for? Don't you have work to do? If you don't want this job, then get the hell out of here!"
At the sight of Zackery, the workers scattered like startled birds, hastily dropping their newspapers and rushing back to their workstations.
Zackery had planned to inspect the workshop, but just thinking of the looks on those workers' faces made him hesitate. He couldn't stand the idea of becoming the subject of their gossip behind his back.
After stewing in frustration all morning, Zackery's phone began ringing off the hook at noon—one supplier after another demanding to terminate their contracts.
Despite his desperate pleas, not a single partner agreed to stay. Within half an hour, every manufacturer tied to the Shaw family's small factory had severed ties, including their longest-standing collaborator, who forcibly canceled the agreement.
Zackery sat in his office, drenched in sweat—even with the air conditioning cranked to its lowest setting, he couldn't stop sweating. Clutching the phone receiver, he pleaded with urgent sincerity, "Man, level with me—what's the real reason you're terminating our contract?"
The man on the other end sighed, "For old times' sake, let me give you a heads-up—did you piss off someone important lately? Everyone's just covering their backs now. No one would dare work with you anymore."
The words jolted Zackery awake, sending a fresh wave of cold sweat down his back. The clammy discomfort was nothing compared to the dread gripping his heart. 'Had I offended someone recently? Could it be... Eugene?' he wondered.
Zackery shot up from his chair so violently that it toppled over with a loud crash, leaving him visibly shaken.
He cried inwardly, 'I thought Eugene had let last night's incident go... but was I wrong? First, Raquel and Elsie drugged him. Then those humiliating photos of Elsie kissing a dog surfaced. Now my factory's in trouble—is this all Eugene's revenge?
'If that's really the case, I'm truly finished. After slaving away my whole life to protect this business, with wives who couldn't even bear me a son—just three useless daughters—this factory was my only hope. And now, is it all about to be lost?'
With trembling hands braced against the desk, Zackery barely managed to stay upright. An idea hit him like a jolt.
He bolted for the office door in such haste that he rammed into the doorframe. The sharp pain forced a hiss through his teeth as he clutched his forehead and hurried away.
He was so distracted on the way home that he nearly took a wrong turn and almost ran into someone.
The moment he stepped into the living room, he saw Elsie bawling her eyes out on the sofa—there wasn't a trace of the proper lady she was supposed to be. The sight instantly irritated him.
"Shut up! What are you even wailing about?" Zackery snapped, slumping onto the couch, feeling utterly drained.
Rebuked by Zackery, Elsie sat with puffy, tear-filled eyes, sniffling quietly. Though resentment burned in her chest, she didn't dare make another scene.
Raquel shot Elsie a warning glance, signaling her to behave. Then she settled beside Zackery and asked gently, "Darling, is something troubling you? Calm down. I had them prepare some mint soda. Let me fetch you a glass."
Zackery remained silent, his demeanor growing increasingly hostile. Raquel signaled a servant to bring the soda. But as soon as it was served, Zackery violently slammed the glass to the ground. Raquel gasped in shock, about to calm him down.
Right then, Zackery's phone rang. He picked up. "Uh-huh... Wait, what? What did you say? Alright, got it." He hung up and let the phone drop into his lap. Suddenly, he looked utterly defeated, as if all the fight had been knocked out of him.
"Darling, what's wrong?" Raquel asked with tender concern, leaning closer.
But Zackery's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with anger. "What's wrong?" he spat. "This is all your fault—both of you, always thinking you can do whatever you want.
"What did you do to Eugene? If you don't fix this mess right now, we'll all be ruined. Do you understand? Ruined!"
As evening approached, Eugene's phone buzzed. It was Isaac, confirming that everything was on track. With a satisfied nod, Eugene ended the call. All the pieces were in place; now all he had to do was wait for the Shaw family to arrive.
Lorraine had slept through the afternoon. Her stomach was growling, and she stumbled out of the bedroom, still groggy. She took a few steps and bumped into Eugene's solid chest. She rubbed her nose, looked up at him with sleepy eyes, and whimpered, "I'm starving."
Eugene said, "Then go whip something up. I'm starving too."
He gently guided her toward the kitchen with a hand on her waist. Together, they put together a simple meal.
Lorraine carried the dishes to the dining table and sat down, waiting for him. The warm light of the setting sun streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow on her.
From where he stood, she looked like a delicate doll, so sweet and vulnerable that he couldn't help but feel a pang of protectiveness.
Eugene walked into the dining room with a quiet grace and sat down beside her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, and playfully pinched her cheek. "You did well today, but your dish—"
"You don't have to eat it," Lorraine grumbled, pouting and fiddling with her fingers.
He chuckled softly, lifting her chin with a gentle touch so she was looking at him. Her eyes were a little glossy, a mix of sleepiness and irritation. His smile softened.
"But you look upset. I guess I'll just have to suffer through it," he teased, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. But the touch of her lips was too tempting, and he found himself kissing her fully, unable to resist.
Just then, a sedan pulled up in front of Eugene's palatial stone manor. Zackery, Raquel, and Elsie stepped out, their faces clouded with worry as they rushed toward the entrance.
Zackery shot his wife and daughter a warning glare. "When we meet Mr. Moore, you two had better grovel properly, or else..."
"Don't worry, darling. We know what to do," Raquel said obediently, gripping Elsie's wrist as she followed closely behind Zackery.
Fortunately, the gate to the palatial stone manor was ajar—otherwise, they weren't even sure they'd be allowed in...
Once inside, Elsie froze at the sight before her—then, unable to hold back, let out a piercing scream.
The sudden noise startled Lorraine, who snapped her eyes open and whipped her head around.
Eugene's kiss landed on her cheek instead of her lips. A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes before he turned to the intruders, his expression turning cold and distant.
Lorraine's heart sank at the sight of them. The tender moment from moments ago vanished in an instant.
Zackery, meeting Eugene's piercing gaze, instinctively shrank back. He bowed deeply, lifting his head just enough to say in a voice dripping with obsequiousness, "Mr. Moore, I've brought these two troublemakers to apologize. Please, be merciful and let us off the hook."
Eugene raised an eyebrow and looked down at Lorraine, who nestled against him and looked confused. He gently tapped her nose, his eyes softening. "The Shaw family's factory is on the brink of collapse. I made it happen."
Zackery choked on his words, fury and disbelief warring in his eyes. He nearly passed out on the spot. Desperately, he turned to Lorraine, his eyes pleading.
But Lorraine didn't even glance at him. She simply nodded, her tone flat and indifferent. "Oh, I see."
"So, should we let them off the hook?" Eugene drawled, lazily twirling a strand of Lorraine's hair around his finger. "After what they did to you yesterday, the decision is yours. Do whatever you want with them."
For him, destroying them was no big deal.
"Really?" Lorraine's eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
"Of course, darling. Once you've had your say, I'll take care of the rest," Eugene replied, making it crystal clear to the Shaw family that he was on Lorraine's side, no questions asked.
"Get out," Lorraine snapped, her tone frosty. "If you have something to say, do it outside. I don't want your mess in here." She hated how the Shaw family had barged into her space.
"Lorraine, you—" Elsie began, her voice trembling with anger, but her father silenced her with a fierce glare. Her mother quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her out. In moments, the three of them were standing outside the manor, waiting restlessly on the street.
Eugene sipped his soup slowly, making sure Lorraine didn't rush her meal. Their simple dinner stretched on for nearly two hours before Lorraine finally emerged, her pace unhurried and calm.
Zackery couldn't believe Lorraine was being so audacious. 'She doesn't even hurry to come out—does she really think she is something special now?'
His fists clenched at his sides as he glared at Lorraine, who was strolling over at her own leisurely pace. He let out a cold snort. "Think you can keep me waiting and get away with it? Like you've suddenly turned into royalty or something?"
"Are you here to apologize, or just to scold me?" Lorraine said coldly. After what happened yesterday, she'd seen right through her father's cold-hearted cruelty and didn't want to waste another word on him.
"You—" Zackery started, his sleeve flicking back as he prepared to lose his temper.
But then he remembered that Lorraine now had the upper hand with the factory. His tone softened reluctantly. "Lorraine, about yesterday... we made a mistake, but I was only trying to do what's best for you.
"Sandy and you haven't seen each other in so long. I just wanted you two to catch up."
"Yes, Lorraine," Raquel added, her smile forced and her voice overly sincere. "We only wanted you to come back because of your grandma's memorial. We never meant for things to get this messy. We're really sorry."
But Lorraine just stood there, her lips pressed into a thin line, not saying a word. Raquel nudged Elsie, urging her to apologize.
Elsie turned her head away, clearly reluctant, but Zackery's glare made her cave. "Fine, okay? I didn't mean it. It just slipped out."
'What hypocrisy,' Lorraine thought coldly, staring at the barely concealed resentment in their eyes and their insincere expressions. Her contempt for them only deepened.
"Apologies need to mean something," Eugene said and stepped out from behind Lorraine, his tone cold. "Do you even know how to be sincere?"
He glanced at their bewildered faces and smirked, pointing toward the street behind them. "Crawl around the block. Maybe then I'll think about it."