Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

The security guard at Silverlake Villa looked stunned when he saw Lorraine. "Ms. Shaw, what are you doing here?"
"Just picking up some stuff. Anyone inside?" Lorraine asked.
The guard shook his head. "No one's here. I'll unlock the gate for you."
Silverlake Villa was just one of many properties owned by the Moore family. All the staff had left with the butler a month ago. Eugene had never even set foot in the place.
The villa felt cold and abandoned. Even the bloodstains near the staircase had been cleaned. No traces remained that Lorraine had ever lived here.
'It all feels like a dream,' Lorraine thought. 'Now that the magic's wearing off, it's time for everyone to go back to where they belong.'
She went upstairs, grabbed two files from the study, and left. The guards didn't stop her.
Back in Sheila's car, Lorraine signed the documents and dropped them off at the nearest post office.
"What did you send? And to whom?" Sheila asked. But Lorraine had already mailed the package before Sheila could peek at the papers.
"Mind if I crash at your place for a few days?" Lorraine asked.
"Sure." Sheila started the car engine. Sheila fired up the car engine. "We'll binge movies, sleep in, eat fast food—just have a blast!"
Lorraine glanced at the passing reflections in the car window and gave a soft nod. "Sounds good."
'I should enjoy this. After all, I probably won't be staying here much longer,' she thought.
On Monday at Moore Group's office building, Isaac carried a stack of letters to the top floor and dropped them on the secretary's desk. "Take care of these."
The secretary stood up professionally. "Okay. Should I forward anything to Mr. Moore?"
Isaac shook his head. "Nah, just routine stuff. Process them normally. Let me know if you find anything unusual."
"Got it." The secretary started sorting the letters. The moment she saw the last envelope, she handed it back to Isaac. "This looks personal. It's from Lorraine."
"What? Give it to me!" Isaac snatched the envelope and rushed straight into the CEO's office.
"A letter from Ms. Shaw." He tore open the package, pulled out the documents, and slid them across the desk to Eugene.
These were two identical forms, both marked with Lorraine's delicate signature on the final page—the only trace of her existence in Eugene's world.
Eugene glanced up, his voice eerily calm. "Where is she?"
"She's been crashing at Sheila's place since leaving the hospital," Isaac reported.
Meanwhile, Lorraine was having dinner with the Stuard family at their home.
"Come on, Lorraine! Dig in," said Sheila's mother, Selena. She kept loading Lorraine's plate until the food looked like a small mountain.
"I'm the outsider now," Sheila winked at Lorraine. "Mom's new favorite. Eat up before it disappears."
"Cut it out!" Sheila's father, Matthew, playfully tapped his daughter's head with a fork, careful not to actually hit her.
Sheila yelped dramatically and stuck out her tongue. "Ouch! Mom, Dad's picking on me!"
Selena gave Matthew a mock-serious look. "Hands off!"
"Yes, dear." Matthew grinned and turned to Sheila. "Want to get me back?"
"Nope, that's disrespectful. Trying to make me look bad?" Sheila huffed. "Not gonna trick me."
Lorraine watched their playful banter with a deep sense of longing. This warm family connection was something she'd always wanted but never experienced.
"Here's your favorite crab." Selena placed a crab on Sheila's plate. "Feeling better now? No more attitude?"
"Why would I be jealous?" Sheila dropped the crab onto Lorraine's plate. "If you adopt her, we'd be sisters. That'd be just perfect!"
The Stuard parents exchanged a look, and Matthew chuckled, "Come on. It's not that simple."
Lorraine was an adult, and her father was still alive. And given the Stuard family's delicate social position, adoption was out of the question.
"Okay, let's just eat. Mom, grab some food too," Sheila said and then shot Lorraine a disappointed look.
Lorraine smiled quietly and focused on her food.
After dinner, Sheila insisted on watching a movie. She bought two tickets online and dragged Lorraine out of the house.
It was an artsy film, but Sheila treated it like a comedy. She giggled through the show, whispering snarky comments about the characters to Lorraine.
Lorraine sat quietly, staring at the flickering screen without absorbing any of the story. Half-distracted, she was completely unaware of the intense gaze fixed on her from behind.
He had slipped in unnoticed, settling into the seat to her left and slightly behind her. His tall frame looked slightly cramped in the narrow cinema chair, but he appeared completely at ease.
His deep eyes stayed locked on her face, never once shifting to the screen. He watched the changing lights play across her features, catching every subtle shift in her expression as her thoughts wandered.
Sheila leaned closer and whispered something in Lorraine's ear. Suddenly, Lorraine burst into laughter.
A soft smile spread across Lorraine's stunning face, delicate dimples appearing. As her smile grew, her entire expression brightened, looking pure and radiant.
Sheila waved her hands dramatically and accidentally hit something. She spun around to apologize and froze instantly—there was Eugene.
Eugene placed a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay quiet.
Sheila gave a stiff nod, forcing herself to look casual as she turned back to the movie.
'Should I tell Lorraine that Eugene is sitting right behind them?' Her mind raced, and the internal debate almost drove her crazy.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Lorraine asked.
"N-nothing!" Sheila pulled her hair over her face, looking guilty.
"Something wrong?" Lorraine glanced around suspiciously.
Just as she was about to turn her head, the theater lights suddenly cut out with a low buzz, plunging the room into total darkness.
"What's with the blackout? Is there an emergency?" someone yelled, instantly triggering mass panic.
The crowd surged toward the exits. In the chaos, Sheila lost her grip on Lorraine's hand.
Darkness filled with pushing and shoving. Lorraine got shoved into a corner. Someone stomped on her foot so hard that the pain froze her in place.
"Lorraine, where are you?" Sheila's voice sounded distant.
"Over here!" Lorraine shouted, but her voice was swallowed by the noise.
The crowd went wild in the dark, terrified screams erupting everywhere. This was beyond panic—people were getting crushed.
Lorraine's breathing quickened. She felt along the wall, completely lost.
Suddenly, she felt a guy's big hand wrapped around hers. His palm was lined like a roadmap, and through the thin layer of skin, it felt warm, almost burning.
Lorraine paused, instinctively trying to pull back. But his grip only tightened. Without a word, he pulled her through the chaos.
'Is this just a kind stranger helping me escape?' she wondered. Then she followed without resistance.
Heat spread from their joined palms. Her cheeks burned, her heart racing louder than the panicked crowd—why was she blushing over some random person?
Lorraine took a deep breath, trying to calm the weird flutter in her chest. 'Thank God it's so dark—no one can see how embarrassed I look,' she thought.
Suddenly, someone bumped into her, and she stumbled. Without thinking, she clung to the hand holding hers tighter, like her life depended on it.
Eugene glanced her way in the dark. His fingers intertwined with hers, their palms pressing together. The connection sent a jolt straight to their hearts.
The crowd abruptly stopped. A brutal push from behind crushed Lorraine, packed so tightly she could barely breathe. She tried to gasp, but the overwhelming stench of sweat made her want to gag.
Her head throbbed. The aftereffects of her concussion weren't gone yet—what terrible timing.
Eugene noticed, pulled her arm, and dragged her into a corner. He kept holding her hand while his other arm rested near her ear, forming a protective barrier around her.
The air became slightly easier to breathe. Lorraine gasped, "Thanks."
Eugene stayed silent, maintaining his shielding position.
A vaguely familiar scent mixed with the foul air. Lorraine tried to place it, but the fragrance vanished. She could only wait endlessly in the darkness.
Her headache intensified. She lurched forward uncontrollably, her forehead hitting Eugene's chest with a muffled thump.
"I'm so sorry!" Lorraine said, quickly straightening up. "My head's killing me." She cringed, worried he'd think she was some kind of weirdo.
Eugene stayed silent. He simply moved his hand from the wall and began gently massaging her scalp, his strong fingers moving through her hair with careful precision.
His touch was perfect. The tension that had knotted Lorraine's nerves moments ago slowly melted away. Her headache began to subside.
"Thank you," Lorraine whispered, her curiosity growing—who exactly was this guy?