Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 106: Chapter 106

Eugene's thin lips still glistened with a faint sheen—the lingering trace of Lorraine's kiss.
Lorraine stared intently at his lips, as if afraid the glimmer left by her kiss would vanish at any moment. "I... I don't know..." she murmured.
Maybe she could keep up the pretense for ages. Or perhaps, the moment he no longer needed her, the act would simply fall apart.
Gingerly concealing her inner thoughts, she naively believed this would preserve the fragile peace. He dwelled in the heavens, while she was born in the mire. They were never meant to cross paths.
Lorraine thought, 'Being with him feels so precious, but will it all just fade away in the end?'
"Then how would you love me?" Eugene murmured, gently nibbling at her earlobe, enunciating each word with deliberate slowness. His breath came hot and lingering as he deliberately left out the word "pretend."
"I... I..." Lorraine stammered, lost for words.
Yet inside, an overwhelming tide of emotion surged—a sudden, irresistible urge to give him everything. The feeling crashed over her so unexpectedly that she didn't even have to think; she embraced it without hesitation, almost savoring it.
Maybe someday, after giving him her all, she'd still give him more. Flustered, Lorraine blurted out, "Look, you're living alone now, and there's no one to take care of you. I'll study hard and learn to properly look after you."
"You? Seriously?" Eugene chuckled softly. "You're such a noob in the kitchen—we'd starve to death."
"Then we'll just starve together," Lorraine shot back without a second thought.
Eugene paused, a fleeting glint like a shooting star flashed through his eyes as his smile deepened. "Alright, we'll starve together then."
"I can... I can do other things too. Just trust me. I'll do my best." Lorraine blurted out earnestly.
Lorraine looked up at him, her expression as earnest as an eager young scout. She reached out and linked pinkies with him, whispering, "I've never liked anyone before. Just let me pretend for a little while, okay?"
Eugene lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on her clear, unwavering stare. Somehow, one of her words had struck a chord deep within him. He gently brushed a kiss against her eyelids and murmured, "Silly girl."
His warm breath misted over her eyes, melting straight into her heart. Lorraine slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Please don't look down on me. I know my background isn't... ideal..." She thought she was not good enough for him.
"Hmm?" Eugene murmured softly, his hand gently and absentmindedly patting her back in a soothing rhythm.
"I... I've never known what my mother looked like," her voice quivered. "The servants said she left after giving birth to me—no one knows where she went. My father just picked my name at random. He never wanted me. He never even held me..."
Her entire being seemed to contract inward. Lorraine had thought she'd outgrown the pain, that speaking of it wouldn't affect her anymore, yet the moment the words left her lips, an agonizing ache tore through her.
The years of her life stretched like an endless, pitch-black tunnel. No matter how desperately she trudged forward, she could never see the end of the darkness.
Eugene was like a sudden burst of radiant light, illuminating her entire world. Yet she feared this radiance would be all too fleeting—even if she wished to turn back, she knew she could never endure that abyss of darkness again.
Eugene pulled her firmly into his embrace, gently massaging the corners of her eyes with his fingertips. "Poor little thing," he murmured softly. "If you need to cry, just let it out."
The fragile dam of tears in her eyes suddenly gave way, and they burst forth in torrents, tracing the lines of his palm in winding rivulets, clinging to his skin like desperate vines.
Eugene let out a soft sigh and gently pulled Lorraine's face against his chest, right over his heart, letting her tears soak through his shirt without a word.
Lorraine leaned into his embrace, weeping with abandon for her very first time.
Lorraine choked out her words. "When I was little, my grandma raised me. After my sister ran away, I was so scared, but there was no one I could talk to. Every time Zackery hit me, he wouldn't even treat my wounds.
"And... I always hoped that I could just leave that house. That was why I married Stephen." Her words spilled out in fragments, each more heartbreaking than the last.
He listened in perfect silence, his eyes gradually darkening with cold intensity—until he looked down at her, and his gaze softened. "Tired?" he murmured gently. "Need to rest?"
With his calm, steady heartbeat against her ear, Lorraine clung to him tightly, as if afraid to let go. She didn't wait for his answer—not daring to ask again. Since he said nothing, she'd just take it as his silent approval.
Now she could pretend to like him. "Thank you, Eugene," Lorraine whispered softly.
"What for?"
"You're the first person who's ever listened to all of this." Lorraine whispered.
No one in the Shaw family would listen to her, and her sister Sandy had long since left home. Whenever she tried to confide in her friends, they'd hear a word or two before getting all fired up, ready to take revenge for her.
Only Eugene listened to her quietly and attentively, taking in every single word. And he held her close.
Eugene brushed his lips softly against her hair, and then effortlessly scooped her up and carried her back to the bedroom, gently laying her on the bed. "Get some rest now," he murmured.
Her eyes stayed open as she clung to the hem of his shirt, her fingers curled tightly like tiny claws—she simply wouldn't let go.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here with you," Eugene murmured, gently pressing his warm palm against Lorraine's cold eyelids. He settled onto the bed beside her, staying close.
Enveloped by his warm embrace—so familiar and safe—Lorraine finally blinked, her lashes brushing softly against his palm like tiny brushes, and gradually drifted off to sleep, feeling completely at ease.
The room was utterly silent. Eugene let his gaze linger on Lorraine's delicate face for a long moment, his fingertips softly brushing away the traces of her tears.
Eugene bent down, whispering softly in Lorraine's ear, "You said you wanted to pretend not to like me, but the truth is, you really do, don't you?"
Lorraine slept soundly, lost in sweet dreams, completely unaware of his question.
Eugene slowly rose, slipped off his clothes, and settled back beside her. Gathering her into his arms, he pressed a gentle kiss to her ear and murmured, "I'll take your silence as agreement."
Eugene closed his eyes, turned off the light, and drifted into a contented sleep.
The phone on the nightstand suddenly lit up in the darkness, its screen silently displaying: "Queenie". The phone screencast a faint, uneven glow across the room, leaving it half in shadow and half in light.
The next morning, Lorraine woke up to an empty bed. The sheets were cold where he had lain.
She jolted upright in a panic, all traces of sleep vanishing instantly. Her eyes darted frantically around the room until they landed on the note on the nightstand reading, "Work is optional today. Breakfast is on the table."
The bold, forceful script seemed to press right through the page, carrying an unmistakable air of confidence and strength.
Her anxious heart finally settled. She gently traced her fingers over the note, reading it over and over as if memorizing every word. Only then did she tuck it carefully into her pocket, close to her heart, before getting up to wash up.
After breakfast, Lorraine decided to walk to the Moore Group, her steps light with anticipation.
Outside the palatial stone manor, Antiquity Lane was already bustling with people. Lorraine's starry eyes crinkled with delight as she glanced at a shop not far away.
Then, like an excited bunny, she hopped back to her bedroom, eagerly dumped out all the money from her purse, and began to count it with glee. She bounced out again, a spring in her step.
After her shopping spree, Lorraine strolled to the Moore Group, arriving right on time with a spring in her step.
Shirin rushed into the office just in time, clutching a big bag of breakfast snacks. Spotting box after box on Lorraine's desk, she leaned over and exclaimed, "Lollipops? What are all these for? Aren't you afraid they'll rot your teeth?"
Lorraine's eyes crinkled with delight, her whole demeanor radiating contentment like a pampered kitten. "They're gifts," she said.
"Who are these for?" Shirin exclaimed.
"There's someone who really loves lollipops. Last time I only bought him two, but this time I got him quite a few more."
"A few?" Shirin dashed over, reaching for the boxes. "You call this a few? You must have bought out the whole shop."
Lorraine had all the main cartoon characters and several other complete sets of lollipops from different series. That was a lot.
"No way." Lorraine jumped to her feet, hugging the boxes close to her chest. "Hands off. You'll ruin them."
Shirin huffed, "You're being so precious about them. It's not like they're crown jewels. Can't I even have a couple to help you out?"
After some coaxing, Lorraine finally got Shirin to cheer up. With nothing much to do that morning, Lorraine sat at her desk, absentmindedly staring at her boxes of lollipops, lost in thought.
Not giving up, Shirin leaned in again and asked, "These lollipops are for Eugene, aren't they?"
"W-what? No way! That's not... I wouldn't..." Lorraine quickly shook her head, avoiding Shirin's gaze.
Shirin paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you're the worst liar. Just go give it to him already—lunch break's coming up."
"Huh? Already?" Lorraine sprang to her feet, clutching the boxes tightly as she hurried out.
Shirin watched Lorraine leave with the boxes and muttered, "Yeah right, as if those aren't for him."
Lorraine grinned and whispered playfully, "Alright, alright... just keep it a secret, okay?"
"Got it!" Shirin waved at her with a big grin. "Hurry up. My future at the Moore Group is all riding on you."
Lorraine rolled her eyes and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?" Stealthily leaving the medical room, Lorraine took a less-frequented elevator upstairs, making sure no one saw her.
Eugene had just finished his meeting and returned to his office, now seated behind his desk and immersed in work. He wore a steel gray shirt today. Sunlight from outside fell across his chiseled profile, casting his striking features into sharp relief.
Seeing her enter, he set down his fountain pen and beckoned with a slight curl of his fingers. "Come here." Eugene reached out and pulled her firmly into his embrace.
Lorraine tumbled onto Eugene's lap, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden closeness. She squirmed, cheeks flushing. "Let me up..." she protested.
Eugene pulled Lorraine closer by the waist, his tone teasing and possessive. "What are you so afraid of? We've already done it here. No one outside would dare to peek." His eyes flicked to what she was carrying. "Did you bring me lunch?"
Lorraine's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "These are your favorites. If you like, you can even have them for lunch."
"Okay," Eugene replied instantly.
Beaming with joy, Lorraine eagerly opened each box and arranged them in front of Eugene like she was proudly showing off her treasures. "Ta-da. Your favorites."
Eugene fell silent. He found himself staring at several boxes packed to the brim with cheap lollipops. No taking it back now.
Lorraine carefully picked out a pink lollipop and held it up to Eugene's lips, her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation. With a bright smile, she said, "This one's my favorite. Come on, try it."