Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 139: Chapter 139

Sheila was itching to lunge at the middle-aged woman and tear her mouth off. "Shut your trap, you old hag," she snarled.
Sheila shielded Lorraine. "Lorraine, don't listen to her nonsense."
Lorraine's face went a little pale. Of course, she had know better than anyone whether she wasn't raped. But in that situation, Henry was nothing short of a raving lunatic. No one would ever believe her.
'And Eugene? Would he believe me?' Lorraine wondered anxiously.
Briana chuckled, "We've all heard the gossip already, and even that girl told us. How could it possibly be false?"
"Did you see it? Or do you just believe whatever you hear? What are those eyes of yours for—just fancy decorations?" Sheila scoffed.
Briana didn't know how to retort for a moment.
"All you do is spread gossip, you nosy old hag," Sheila snapped.
Norah walked in from the courtyard, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity. "Hey, what's all this commotion about? Why is the food scattered all over the floor?"
"Ms. Pedler—" Briana tried to explain.
"Briana, these two ladies are Eugene's honored guests," Norah said softly, her voice laced with feigned concern. "If you were at fault, you should apologize to them. Otherwise, I'm afraid Eugene might blame us when he returns."
Given what Norah said, Briana naturally had no choice but to comply.
After a moment's reluctant consideration, she slowly waddled over. "Ms. Stuard, Ms. Shaw—"
"Enough," Sheila smirked, tired of watching the two play good cop, bad cop. "If you're really sorry, then do us a favor. Clean up this mess and whip up a proper meal."
Briana was at her breaking point and instinctively shot a glance at Norah.
Norah nodded faintly. "Thanks, Briana. You may go now."
Endurance was the first lesson one learned when one was born into the Pedler family. If Norah couldn't endure it, she would've been cast out of the family long ago.
'With my level of backbone and endurance, how could I possibly be beaten by them?' Norah thought defiantly.
So once again, Briana had no choice but to grit her teeth and swiftly clean up every last bit of the mess on the floor.
By the time the second course was served, Eugene and Lorenzo had also returned from their trip down the mountain.
Lorenzo pulled Sheila aside and lowered his voice. "The chopper's coming to pick us up tomorrow. While we were gone, they didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
Sheila scoffed, "I'm always the one dishing it out. Who'd dare push me around? You're overthinking this."
Lorenzo gave her hand a gentle squeeze and whispered, "Just worried about you."
Sheila retorted sharply, "I don't need it."
Sheila scoffed dismissively, but as she turned away, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
After coming down the mountain, Eugene picked up a few necessities, but, surprisingly, what he bought the most was an assortment of fresh cotton.
As he stepped into the courtyard, Eugene saw Lorraine sitting on a chair, a slight frown creasing her brow. He walked over and gently helped her to her feet. "Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?" Eugene said softly.
"Just taking a little stroll," Lorraine replied softly.
Some color had returned to her face, the swelling had gone down, and her cheeks glowed rosy in the golden light of the setting sun.
Without warning, Eugene reached out, cupped the back of Lorraine's head, and gave her lips a quick peck right in front of everyone.
Lorraine's lips were slightly swollen and pink from the kiss, her cheeks flushing crimson. "Eugene, so many people are watching," she murmured shyly.
Sheila and Lorenzo were present, as were Norah and her entourage.
"Does that mean I can kiss you as much as I want when no one's watching?" Eugene murmured, his voice low and husky.
Lorraine's ears burned crimson with embarrassment, so Eugene decided to stop teasing her.
Eugene took out his new purchases, brought over the chair she'd just been sitting on, and placed a thick, soft cotton cushion on it—only then did he let her sit down again.
Sheila suddenly rushed over and said, "Someone already made it clear. Lorraine isn't allowed to eat with them. Apparently, this meal is beyond us."
Eugene's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who said that?" he demanded.
"Of course, it wasn't me," Sheila sneered.
Eugene's eyes flicked up, pinning Norah with a cold, scrutinizing stare from where she stood a few feet away.
"Eugene, it's not me," Norah hurried to explain, her eyes wide with a look of innocent helplessness.
Before Eugene returned, Norah had already anticipated that either Sheila or Lorraine would tattle on her, so she had carefully prepared her story, just waiting for him to question her.
Eugene's gaze merely flickered over her face for a moment before turning back to Lorraine. "Hungry?" he asked.
"Just a little," Lorraine murmured.
"Just eat if you're hungry," Eugene said simply.
That was how simple it was. In Eugene's world, Lorraine never had to overthink anything.
'Hungry? She eats. Thirsty? She drinks. Cold? She gets a hug. Miss me? She clings tight just like when she woke up hurt, never letting me go,' he wondered. This was the liberty Eugene granted her, her exclusive privilege.
"Oh," Lorraine murmured, nodding blankly.
Norah stood rooted to the spot, her face alternating between livid and pale, nearly petrified.
'How utterly pathetic,' she thought. 'The saddest thing isn't that he doesn't believe me after I explain. It's that he won't even give me the chance to explain before passing judgment.'
'What's so special about Lorraine anyway?' Norah fumed inwardly. 'Education, pedigree, beauty—how could Lorraine ever compare to me?'
Norah drew a slow, measured breath, quelling the irritation simmering inside her, then glided forward with practiced poise. "Now that Eugene's back," she said sweetly, "shall we begin dinner?"
They all sat down. Of course, Briana and the bodyguards dined separately, so only the five of them were at the table.
Having learned her lesson, Norah reached for a bowl and bent down to ladle out some soup. With a gentle smile, she said, "Lorraine, this fish soup was freshly made by Briana. Have a bowl. It's very delicious."
Before Norah's hand could reach the soup ladle, Eugene intercepted and took it from her. "No need," he said curtly. "She doesn't eat scallions."
Eugene carefully picked out the scallions and set them aside, then ladled a bowl of rich, creamy fish soup for Lorraine. Placing it in front of her, he said gently, "Enjoy it."
Lorraine was a little stunned again. 'I've never told anyone I don't eat scallions,' she thought. 'He actually knew and remembered.'
The steam from the soup curled up, misting Lorraine's eyes with warmth. She lowered her head and slowly sipped the soup, hiding her emotions.
Eugene picked up half a fish head with his fork, naturally placing the tender cheek meat into Lorraine's plate before eating the other parts himself.
Lorraine didn't think anything of it. Back when they lived together, he'd always give her the tender cheek meat from the fish, too.
Lorenzo and Sheila sat across from them, with Lorenzo carefully pulling the meat off a chicken drumstick for her.
Lorraine and Eugene, Lorenzo and Sheila sat across from each other, lost in their own world and in perfect harmony.
Sandwiched between the two couples, Norah felt utterly out of place and excluded, an obvious outsider in their world.
Norah offered a practiced smile and seated herself gracefully. "The dishes do look appetizing, but I'm really not accustomed to such rustic dishes."
Standing behind her, Briana immediately chimed in, "That's right. Ms. Pedler only eats all-natural, organic, pesticide-free produce from our farm."
"She even has steaks flown in fresh abroad, and the water she drinks is specially imported from Atisland. Nothing but the freshest for her." Briana rattled off her speech in one breath, even her punctuation dripping with aristocratic airs.
Eugene and Lorenzo didn't even bat an eye, completely ignoring the pretentious display. Sheila just scoffed.
Only Lorraine listened attentively. Then she looked up, a little bewildered, and asked, "Your farm?"
"Of course," Briana declared haughtily.
Lorraine blinked innocently at them, her tone full of naive curiosity. "So, does that mean you don't have to use manure or fertilizer? And about that beef? Does it taste better just because the cows speak a foreign language?"
Eugene couldn't help but let out a soft, amused chuckle. Instead of correcting her, he gently ruffled her hair.
Norah was stunned for a moment. 'That imbecile,' she fumed inwardly. 'She looks so utterly foolish, yet she managed to humiliate me like that.'
Briana's face flushed with embarrassment. "What do you know? Ms. Pedler—"
'Ms. Pedler is simply above your station,' she wondered as she swallowed the rest.
Eugene shot her a seemingly casual glance—brief, but chilling enough to silence her.
Norah forced a stiff smile, her face frozen with discomfort. Steeling herself, she picked up her fork and joined them for dinner.
This rustic fare wasn't her usual diet, but she was determined to prove to Eugene that if Lorraine could stomach it, so could she.
Even though Eugene never once looked her way, Norah stubbornly refused to leave.
'This is my territory, and I won't yield an inch,' Norah thought defiantly.
The meal was a mixed bag of emotions for everyone.
After dinner, Briana cleared the table and served fresh fruit.
She'd come to gloat over their misfortune—how ironic that she was now reduced to waiting on them like a servant.
Eugene picked up an orange and slowly peeled it segment by segment. His long, slender fingers moved gracefully against the vibrant orange flesh, creating an exceptionally charming sight.
Eugene meticulously peeled away the white pith from each orange segment, popped one into his mouth, then handed another to Lorraine. "Not bad—quite sweet. Try some," he said.
Lorraine took the orange segment and popped it into her mouth, her eyes lighting up with delight. "It's really sweet," she said softly.
So engrossed were they in each other that no one noticed as Norah's expression gradually darkened.
Once Lorraine finished her orange, Eugene finally stood up. "Time to head upstairs and get some rest. Let's call it a night."
"What's the hurry?" Sheila, who had been quietly munching on fruit the whole time, suddenly spoke up with a mischievous grin and put down her sugarcane.
The table was already packed to the brim, leaving no room for her to set it down.
Lorenzo automatically took it from her, completely unfazed by her saliva, and started munching away without a care.
Sheila clapped her hands together and grinned. "It's still early, and I'm not sleepy yet. Why don't we find something fun to do?"
"What?" Lorraine asked half-heartedly, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She'd been sitting so long her body was starting to ache.
"How about a game?" Sheila teased, waggling her eyebrows at her with a mischievous grin.
"Game?" Lorraine looked around in confusion.
Lorraine glanced around, feeling a bit lost. There wasn't even a cell signal here, let alone WiFi. She knew Sheila loved her games, but seriously, they couldn't play anything in this place.
Sheila grinned, stood up, and slowly undid two buttons from the top of her shirt. She casually ran her fingers through her hair, then crooked her finger flirtatiously.
"I'm suddenly not in the mood to spend the night alone," she said, her tone playful. "Since we've got two couples here, how about a little competition? Let's see which pair can hold the longest kiss, hmm?"