Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 111: Chapter 111

The café was filled with the graceful, soothing strains of piano music. Queenie tossed out her parting words and strode out casually, leaving Lorraine alone.
Arms folded, Lorraine stared blankly at the now-cold coffee in front of her, lost in thought. Her phone suddenly rang. She stared at the familiar number on the screen, rubbed her cheek nervously, and finally answered.
Before she could say a word, Eugene's cool, magnetic voice came through the line: "Lorraine, I'm waiting for you in VIP Lounge 1 at the airport departure hall."
"The airport?" Lorraine gasped in surprise. "What for?"
"You'll find out when you get here," Eugene replied.
"Okay, I'll be right there," Lorraine replied. After hanging up, she quickly gathered her belongings, hurried out of the café, and flagged down a taxi, urging the driver to take her straight to the airport.
Urging the driver to speed up the whole way, Lorraine jumped out of the car and hurried toward VIP Lounge 1 in the departure hall without a moment's delay.
The lounge door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and dashed inside. At the sight of Eugene serenely seated on the sofa reading a newspaper, all her anxiety finally melted away.
When Eugene called without saying much, Lorraine immediately feared something had happened to him.
Lorraine clutched her chest, unable to control her speed, and launched herself into Eugene's arms like an overexcited little fawn.
Eugene chuckled, set aside the newspaper she'd disrupted, and pulled her closer. "What's the rush, little one?"
"I just couldn't stop myself," Lorraine admitted sheepishly, rubbing the tip of her nose. "What are you doing at the airport?"
"I need to make a trip to Lesvinton," Eugene said. A faint smile softened his typically cool, handsome features as he settled Lorraine comfortably in his lap.
Lorraine's cheeks flushed a rosy pink as she glanced nervously at the slightly open door. Embarrassed, she squirmed to get off Eugene's lap. "Eugene, this isn't right. Let me down," Lorraine whispered anxiously. Even in the VIP lounge, she still worried someone might see them.
"What's wrong with it? Do tell me." Eugene tightened his embrace, pulling her even closer. Their foreheads touched as his starry eyes shimmered with amusement.
"Eugene, let me go," Lorraine whispered, glancing anxiously at the door, her long lashes fluttering. "Where exactly are you going overseas?" As soon as she asked, she realized she'd overstepped because she thought they were close enough yet.
Eugene's features softened. He reached out and gently stroked her head, showing no sign of anger. "I need to go to Lesvinton. My mom was hospitalized there, but now she's missing. I have to find her. Be good while I'm away. Wait for me."
His voice was so gentle that Lorraine couldn't help but look up, momentarily confused. "Your mom? But wasn't she sick?"
"Yes, she suddenly went missing. I have to go find her." Eugene reached out to caress her earlobe, watching as the tiny lobe turned as red as a sugar-coated cherry—utterly irresistible.
Then his gaze traveled to where her cheek met her ear. A two-centimeter-long scarlet mark came into view. His eyes narrowed sharply as he leaned in to examine her cheek more closely.
Lorraine stammered, "Wh-what are you doing?" Sensing something was off in Eugene's gaze, she instinctively tried to tilt her head and scramble off his lap. But he firmly cupped her face, holding her completely still.
Eugene's voice turned icy. "What happened to your face?" The chill in his tone left Lorraine at a complete loss for words.
She swept her hair forward over her shoulder, trying to hide the scar. "Just a tiny scratch—not even worth mentioning," she said airily, deliberately avoiding Eugene's piercing gaze.
Lorraine realized that if Elsie came up, Eugene would inevitably find out about Queenie. Suddenly, she didn't want him to know she'd seen Queenie today. Lorraine was actually scared to ask him about Queenie.
Before meeting Eugene, she had nothing to lose, so she feared nothing and could even risk it all. But after meeting him, even though she still had nothing, she'd slowly developed a little longing.
She just hoped she could stay by his side a little longer. And she was afraid she'd never have a chance to stay by his side if she asked him about Queenie. So all she could do was bite her tongue and say nothing.
"Lorraine, do you take me for a fool?" Eugene's voice turned cold. "Tell me, who scratched your face? Which woman did this to you?"
"How could you tell it was a woman?" Lorraine blurted out in surprise, then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, regretting her impulsive words.
"Spit it out. Even if you don't tell me, I can still figure it out." Eugene's lips curved in a dangerous smile, offering no explanation. His obsidian eyes pinned Lorraine in place, making her squirm under the unbearable pressure.
Unable to take the pressure any longer, Lorraine confessed, "I ran into Elsie at school today when I went to pick up some documents. She went completely berserk and attacked me like a madwoman. I couldn't dodge, and she scratched me with her nails."
Eugene's gaze turned icy, bit by bit. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of the Shaw family. His lips pressed into a hard line.
"But don't worry, she got what she deserved," Lorraine recalled how Queenie yanked Elsie up and tossed her aside—no holding back, and Elsie was totally humiliated. Even if Queenie hadn't shown up, she wouldn't have let Elsie off so easily herself.
"Does it hurt?" Eugene asked, his voice softening.
Lorraine lightly touched the scratch and said, "It doesn't really hurt. Didn't even break the skin. Honestly, it's fine now."
"Hmm." Eugene gently stroked the scratch with his thumb again. He checked his watch, unwilling to waste another moment of their precious time on Elsie.
"Ten minutes until boarding," Eugene cradled her face gently in his hands, careful to avoid her wound. His voice held an uncharacteristic tenderness as he asked, "Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
Lorraine met Eugene's gentle gaze and, before she knew it, nodded. "Yeah."
"What would you like to say?" he asked, his voice gentle and patient.
Lorraine found herself at a loss for words, unsure what to say in the first place.
Feeling foolish, her cheeks flushed as she timidly wrapped her arms around Eugene's neck. After a moment's hesitation, as if summoning her courage, she took a deep breath and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, intending to pull away right away.
But Eugene caught the back of her head, his lips capturing hers in a deeper, lingering kiss.
When Lorraine finally broke away, breathless and slumped against his shoulder, Eugene shifted his hips forward, and she felt his longing. She instinctively closed her eyes, her small hands clutching at his collar, too shy to say a word.
Eugene gradually reined in the heat coursing through him. Looking at the girl resting on his shoulder, his gaze darkened, but he made no further move—he simply held her close.
After a moment of silence, Lorraine finally spoke, her voice soft and hesitant. "When you get there, could you... maybe give me a call? I just want to know that you're safe." Inside, she was a bundle of nerves, wondering if he would agree.
"Okay," Eugene nodded gently.
Her whole face lit up with happiness at his simple promise. Lorraine nodded eagerly and said, "Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble. I'll stay right here at the palatial stone manor and wait for you to come back."
Eugene gently caressed Lorraine's soft little hand, quietly listening as she spoke.
Lorraine clung to him tightly, refusing to let go. Her head nuzzled against his neck as if she could never bear to pull away. She had started to miss him already.
The VIP lounge was deathly quiet. The only sound was the steady ticking of the wall clock as its hands circled. With each passing second, their breathing grew shallower, quickening in the silence.
"Eugene, you should get going," Lorraine said, gently pushing him away as she slowly got to her feet. "I won't walk you through security. I'll be waiting for you back at the palatial stone manor."
"Okay. Head home now," Eugene said, gently patting her head.
Lorraine forced a radiant smile, her voice honeyed with false cheer. "I'm leaving now. Come back soon." With that, she dashed out as if fleeing from a wildfire. Eugene stood there, momentarily stunned, watching her figure disappear around the corner, puzzled by her sudden haste.
Lorraine slipped out of his sight, hurried into the airport terminal, and hailed a taxi, slipping inside. She thought she could keep it together. But tears escaped through her fingers, betraying the unspoken feelings she couldn't put into words.
At the airport, Isaac waited until Lorraine was out of sight before venturing into the departure lounge. "Mr. Moore, the Shaw family has called again. Zackery is pleading to meet with you. How should I respond?
If it were anyone else, Isaac would have figured out Eugene's intent and rejected them outright. But Zackery was different because he was Lorraine's father.
No matter how strained their relationship was, it wasn't Isaac's place to make the call. This was something only Eugene could decide.
Eugene was about to refuse, but thoughts of Lorraine made his eyes narrow slightly. After a moment's consideration, he said, "Tell the Shaw family there's one condition. If they agree, we can talk."
"What's the condition?" Isaac pressed urgently.
Eugene's lips parted as he murmured a single sentence. Isaac's head jerked up in shock, his face paling. "Sir, are you truly going through with this?" The terms were brutally harsh. He was worried Zackery would refuse.
"Yes, there's only this one condition. Survival or ruin—let the Shaws decide their own fate." Eugene's expression turned glacial, his entire being radiating an icy aura of authority.
Isaac gave a respectful bow and nodded. "Rest assured, Mr. Moore. I'll deliver your message without fail."
Suddenly, a sweet female announcement came through the VIP lounge speakers, reminding passengers that it was time to go through security.
"All right, that's settled," Eugene instructed. "Keep everything under tight watch at the company while I'm away. I'll return once I've found her."
With one hand casually tucked in his pocket, Eugene strode out. Isaac followed close behind, pondering the hidden implications in Eugene's words—there was definitely more beneath the surface.
Eugene's terms for the Shaw family were brutally harsh. Whether the family would actually agree was anybody's guess.