Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 135: Chapter 135

At noon, Leonard arrived. Seeing people gathered in the yard, he hurried over, clutching his old pipe, and called out anxiously, "Dr. Shaw? Where is Dr. Shaw? What happened?"
Sheila quickly stopped him before he could enter the room, then gave him a brief rundown of what had happened.
Leonard was also shocked and immediately called the village security team to pull Henry out of the dry well and escort him to the town police station. Then he ushered the others into his place.
The two-story house, a bit worn but well-kept, was perfectly livable.
Leonard and his wife were truly hospitable. After tidying up the house, they said with a warm smile, "Make yourselves at home here. Don't worry about us. We'll stay with the neighbors across the street."
"It's not proper," Sheila hesitated and said.
"Not at all. Dr. Shaw is such a wonderful person. It's the least we can do. Let Leonard take care of the clinic these days. You all just rest easy here." Amelia put her foot down. "Help yourselves to whatever you like.
"There are chickens and ducks in the yard, and fish in the pond."
Unable to refuse the offer, and with Lorraine really needing a better place to recuperate, Sheila and the others moved all their belongings into this courtyard.
Surrounded by dense layers of groves, it truly was the perfect place to recover.
Eugene didn't utter a word the whole time, holding Lorraine close as he followed behind the others.
Only when they entered the room and Eugene saw the relatively soft bedding did his tense expression finally ease slightly.
Gently laying Lorraine down on the bed, Eugene was just about to straighten up when her fingers closed around his wrist, holding him back.
Lorraine was drifting in and out of consciousness, running a slight fever. It was just an unconscious reflex.
His gaze softened immediately. He settled down beside her and turned to Lorenzo. "When can we get out of here?"
"Three to five days. She's not up for long-distance travel right now," Lorenzo said, glancing at the open space in the courtyard and sizing up whether a helicopter could land there.
Eugene gave a brief nod before turning his full attention back to Lorraine. Everyone else left.
Lorraine's cheeks were flushed with fever, her eyes unfocused and dreamy, and her lips a vivid, tempting red.
Eugene swallowed hard, then asked softly, "Need some water?"
Lorraine gave a faint shake of her head and let her eyes drift shut. Darkness engulfed her once more. With no strength left, she knew she had to rest.
Sheila and Lorenzo walked into the yard and, without needing to be told, immediately started preparing the meal. Sheila said, "Go kill a chicken and make her some soup."
Lorenzo groaned in frustration, "I don't know how to do this."
Sheila rolled her eyes. "Then go learn."
Lorenzo grabbed a rather dull kitchen knife from the kitchen and charged toward the chicken coop. "Fine."
His decisive attitude left Sheila with absolutely nothing to criticize.
Sheila noticed a small vegetable patch along the field ridge outside the courtyard and decided to pick some fresh greens.
She had just walked over and plucked a few greens when a pair of pristine white sneakers suddenly appeared on the muddy ground before her. They were limited-edition sneakers from a top luxury brand.
"Hello, is this Leonard's place?" Her voice was soft and sweet.
Sheila looked up to see a girl with long, curly hair in a pink tracksuit standing right in front of her.
Her delicate, doll-like features stood in stark contrast to the rustic surroundings.
Sheila stood up. "Can I help you with something?"
"Well, I'm looking for someone. I went to the clinic first, and Leonard told me the person I was seeking was at his place, so I came over. Is this the right place?" she said.
Sheila thought to herself, 'In this backwater place, could it be Eugene she's looking for?' Having more or less guessed the girl's identity, she shook her head with feigned innocence. "You must have the wrong place."
"Is that so?" Norah looked a bit bewildered. "But Leonard earlier pointed this way."
Putting on a show of sincerity, Sheila said, "Why don't you try a bit further down the road? The path here can get tricky, so watch your step."
"Alright, thanks." Norah led her entourage as they circled around the courtyard.
Sheila watched until they were out of sight, then immediately tossed aside the greens in her hand and dashed straight for the house.
Downstairs, Eugene and Lorenzo's voices drifted from the kitchen, while Lorraine was alone in the upstairs bedroom.
Seizing the opportunity, Sheila dashed upstairs and called out, "Lorraine, come with me. Let's get out of here."
Lorraine was aback. "Why do we need to leave?" she asked weakly.
Sheila urged, "Eugene's fiancée is here. I can't let you add fresh wounds to old scars. Quick, come with me."
Lorraine winced as Sheila grabbed her wrist, her face turning pale from the pain. "His fiancée?"
"Yes. His fiancée, Norah from Jonalesburg, is here. Let me get you out of here." Sheila bent down to grab Lorraine's shoes. "They've known each other for ages. The wedding's set for the end of this year.
"I'll carry you down the mountain, and once we're at the bottom, we'll grab a cab back to Auretian. We'll never come back, and you won't have anything more to do with him. I've got you, Lorraine—always."
Lorraine remained silent, her dazed eyes fixed vacantly on the bedroom door.
Sheila single-mindedly slipped the shoes onto Lorraine's feet and said, "Don't worry. I've got you."
"You're hurting her." Eugene's deep voice rumbled from the bedroom doorway.
Startled, Sheila whirled around. 'Damn it, there's no way out now,' she thought.
Eugene stood there, expressionless, holding a bowl of soup. "Ms. Stuard, please step outside for a moment. Even if you're planning to whisk her away, at least let her eat first."
Sheila couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but under Eugene's intimidating presence, she still chose to back off.
'Might as well scout the area downstairs,' Sheila thought, 'in case I need to make a quick getaway with Lorraine later.'
The door clicked shut behind Sheila.
Eugene sat down by the bed with a bowl of soup. He said, "Lorenzo may not be great at preparing chicken, but he makes decent soup. Try some."
Lorraine half-reclined weakly against the headboard, casting a cautious glance at Eugene.
Realizing Eugene had overheard Sheila's words, Lorraine was at a loss for an explanation. With awkward hesitation, she reached out to take the bowl from his hands.
The temperature was just perfect, neither too hot nor too cold.
Eugene propped a pillow behind Lorraine's lower back, then gently took the soup bowl from her hands. He skimmed the oil off the soup, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently to cool it, and brought the spoon to her lips.
Lorraine dazedly let the spoonful linger in her mouth. The soup was so light and delicious, just the right amount of flavor.
Lorraine had no idea that when Eugene was preparing the chicken downstairs, he wasn't actually good at it. But for her sake, he patiently sought out Leonard to teach him.
Eugene meticulously cleaned the chicken himself, first removing the bulk of the feathers by hand, then patiently using tweezers to pluck out each remaining fine feather one by one.
All his effort was just to make sure she could stomach it.
The bowl of soup was soon finished. Eugene set it on the low cabinet beside the bed, then gently wiped Lorraine's face and hands with a tissue. "Anything you want to ask me?" he asked softly.
Lorraine gave a faint, weary shake of her head. Sheila already made it crystal clear.
'He and his fiancée have known each other for ages. It's not like I have any right to ask him about this,' Lorraine thought.
Seeing Lorraine forcing herself to stay awake just to shake her head at him, Eugene felt a wave of pent-up frustration and desire surge through his body. Everything felt wrong.
Unable to hold back any longer, overcome by impulse, Eugene pinned Lorraine beneath him and pressed his lips to hers in a searing, forceful kiss.
Lorraine winced from the pain and instinctively reached up, clutching tightly at the front of Eugene's shirt. As her lips parted slightly in surprise, his tongue slipped inside, deepening the kiss.
His familiar scent, his familiar touch—even the rhythm of his movements was all too familiar.
"Planning to run away with Sheila?" he asked.
His fingers slid beneath her clothes, half-punishing, half-caressing. In the end, helpless, he could only trace a feather-light line along the curve of her breast.
His calloused fingertips grazed over Lorraine's tender skin, making her shudder. In a barely audible voice, she whispered, "I can't walk."
'How could I go anywhere in this condition?' Lorraine thought, feeling utterly helpless.
Eugene fell silent. He sighed, realizing he just couldn't bring himself to scold her. He stood up and gently tucked the thin blanket around Lorraine, murmuring, "Get some sleep. No overthinking."
Lorraine wasn't sure what exactly Eugene meant by overthinking.
'Maybe now that his fiancée is here, I really shouldn't make things any harder for him?' she wondered. 'He's already been so kind to me. I really should be grateful and stop making things harder for him.'
Lorraine nodded. "I understand."
Eugene thought she understood. He stood up and gently stroked her hair. "Would you like to rest a little longer?" he asked softly.
Lorraine clutched the blanket tightly, nodded weakly, and slowly slid further down under the covers.
Just when Lorraine thought he was leaving, Eugene surprised her by shrugging off his jacket and sliding into bed beside her.
Lorraine hesitated. "Aren't you going downstairs?"
'Your fiancée's here. Sleeping with me is not proper, right? Shouldn't you go?' she wondered.
Eugene was reaching for a pillow when her words made him pause. Without hesitation, he snatched her pillow and tucked it under his head as if venting his frustration.
Lorraine was left half-suspended in mid-air, staring blankly at the now-empty spot, looking a bit dazed.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?" Eugene asked her gruffly, his rough voice tinged with concern.
"Oh," Lorraine murmured weakly.
Lorraine lay down weakly, intending to leave Eugene more room. But the moment she accidentally brushed against his arm, he pulled her firmly toward him.
Eugene gently pressed her into his embrace and said, "Since you took one of my pillows, from now on, we'll just share one."
She blinked, taking a few seconds to realize he was referring to the pillow she'd from the palatial stone manor.
That pillow was still in her suitcase, tucked away in the room next to the clinic. She'd considered taking it out before, but couldn't bring herself to do it.
As time passed, Lorraine couldn't even bring herself to open that suitcase anymore.
Because time seemed to stretch on forever in the mountains, and the wind howled without end. She was truly afraid that one day, his scent would fade away from that pillow.
But now, everything was alright. He was right here, holding her close in his arms. With every breath, she was enveloped in his faint, soothing scent.
Lorraine let her eyes drift shut, finally allowing herself to relax in his arms. 'Even if it's only temporary,' she thought, 'I'm willing to lose myself in this moment.'