Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Lorraine stood there, her forehead creasing with uncertainty.
"What's up?" Sheila asked.
"He said both gifts look good and wants to know who they're for. Should I be straight with him? Or just buy both and send them over?" Lorraine handed her phone to Sheila. "I'm totally lost."
Sheila skimmed the message. "Buying two might make Lorenzo think you're into him. Just pick one."
"Okay." Lorraine finally chose the pen and texted to "Lorenzo." [I've made my choice. Free tonight? How about we grab dinner together tonight? My treat.]
The response came back instantly: [Where and when?]
The super brief reply felt weird—not like Lorenzo at all. Lorraine didn't mind, though. She simply sent over the location of a food street.
She then turned to Sheila. "I'm thinking of going to the food street near the university—to that tiny restaurant we always hit. Maybe we could invite Selena and Matthew to join us?"
Lorraine wished she could pick somewhere fancier, but her wallet was basically screaming no.
The plan caught Sheila off guard. After a moment, she shook her head. "It's my grandpa's birthday tonight, and my parents said I should go to my grandparents' place for dinner. Did you invite Lorenzo?"
"Yeah, I wanted him to help me pass a gift along."
"Go ahead. But don't stay out late."
"Okay."
After shopping, they headed home, and Lorraine quickly unpacked her things. By 5 PM, she was out the door, leaving extra early. Right at 6, she jumped off the bus and walked into the restaurant.
Because of the light rain, there weren't many students around. The skinny middle-aged diner owner gave Lorraine a nod of recognition. "Dining solo today?"
"Two," Lorraine said, sliding into a corner booth. "I'm covering the bill."
"Take a look at the menu first," the owner said, handing over a well-worn menu.
Not sure what Lorenzo liked, Lorraine ordered some of the restaurant's most popular dishes.
She glanced at her phone—"Lorenzo" was running late. But she didn't mind. She just stared out at the raindrops that were starting to fall harder, lost in thought.
At the food street entrance, a sleek black Rolls-Royce rolled up, instantly turning heads. Isaac jumped out of the driver's seat and opened the back door.
Eugene stepped out, triggering a wave of hushed gasps and whispers from nearby students.
They'd seen good-looking guys before. But Eugene was next-level hot—like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of fine.
"You're seriously skipping the client dinner?" Isaac asked, looking worried. This meeting was originally on Eugene's schedule, but plans changed.
"You handle it," Eugene said flatly. He adjusted his trench coat and walked into the rundown college food street. His razor-sharp look stuck out like a sore thumb against the grungy food stalls.
Isaac let out a silent groan, the weight of responsibility crushing him. But all he could do was slide back into the car and drive off to keep the appointment.
The diner owner froze mid-table-setting when Eugene walked in. He was dressed to the nines in a sharp suit, and his designer shoes remained pristine despite the muddy alley. The owner wondered if he was in the wrong place.
Meanwhile, Eugene instantly spotted Lorraine in the corner. She sat with her chin propped in her hands, staring out the window. A few stray hairs had escaped her messy ponytail.
Eugene studied her—she'd lost weight over the past month, but her cheeks still held a soft glow. 'Oh, she looked like a sleepwalking doll, lost in her own world,' he thought and walked over.
Hearing footsteps, Lorraine glanced over her shoulder. The moment she saw Eugene, she froze.
He stood there in a black trench coat, his silver-patterned white shirt casually unbuttoned at the collar. Tall and commanding, he looked completely out of place yet impossible to ignore.
'Wait, I invited Lorenzo. So why is Eugene showing up?' Lorraine's mind raced.
Eugene pulled out a chair and sat down. "What're we having?" he asked, his tone casual.
Lorraine blinked and gave herself a quick slap. "Dinner," she blurted out. Realizing her response sounded a bit off, she quickly added, "I mean, we've got some yummy food."
Eugene was speechless. 'Still as silly as ever,' he thought.
The gift sat next to Lorraine's hand. But since it was he who showed up, she hesitated to give it. She glanced up, and their eyes met for a split second. She quickly looked away, totally losing her nerve.
Eugene stared at the twin hair swirls on her head. 'Did she invite me out just to show off her hairstyle? What's this about?'
Just then, the food arrived. Plates clattered onto the table, breaking the awkward silence. Steam rose between them, offering a brief moment of relief.
Eugene grabbed a kettle and carefully rinsed each piece of tableware. Then he handed her a sterilized fork with a casual smile. "Come here often?"
Lorraine glanced at his hands—long fingers with sharp knuckles. She took the fork and mumbled, "Yeah." This diner had been her dorm crew's go-to spot for late-night munchies.
"Not bad," Eugene said, then casually forked some scrambled eggs.
Lorraine stared, totally baffled. 'Wait, isn't this the guy who usually eats fancy steak with silver utensils? This place probably won't pass a health inspection. How could anything here be not bad?'
Eugene set down his fork. "Got any plans today? Thought there was supposed to be a gift?"
Lorraine choked on her soup and quickly dabbed her mouth with a napkin. 'How did he know about the gift thing?' she thought before mumbling, "Yeah, there is."
"Bring it out," Eugene said matter-of-factly.
Lorraine's fork trembled in her hand. After a moment's hesitation, she set it down.
The white paper bag with the gifts was right beside her. On top was the pen meant for Lorenzo. She pulled it out and hesitantly pushed it across the table toward Eugene.
Eugene opened the box without missing a beat. A black fountain pen lay inside—decent quality, though nothing fancy. He gave it a quick once-over. "Not bad."
The minimal compliment somehow made Lorraine's eyes sparkle. "Seriously?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.
"Hmm." Eugene calmly slipped the pen into his coat pocket and lifted his coffee cup.
"I just hope Lorenzo likes it," Lorraine murmured.
Instantly, Eugene spat out his coffee, totally losing his cool. His face darkened. "This pen is for Lorenzo?" he snapped.
Lorraine tilted her head. "Yeah, what's the problem?"
"Nothing." Eugene took a deep breath, eyeing her paper bag. "Anything else in there?"
"Yep." Lorraine nodded quickly, pulled out two identical notebooks, and pushed them toward him.
Eugene's expression softened as he flipped through the notebooks. "Two? And they're exactly the same." He figured one was enough already.
"One for Daryl and one for Isaac." Lorraine blushed, feeling the gifts were super basic.
A vein pulsed at Eugene's temple. "That's it?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"Did I forget anyone?" Lorraine panicked, counting on her fingers. "Nope, got everyone."
Eugene slammed the notebook shut with earthquake-level force.
Everyone around was startled, and Lorraine froze solid.
Eugene leaned in with a cold smile. "Lorraine. Does Daryl look after you because of you?"
"No? Because he works for you," Lorraine mumbled, dazed.
"Why do you think Lorenzo watched over you at the hospital? Because of who?"
"You."
"Isaac—"
"Isaac helped me because he works for you," Lorraine quickly added.
'Great, now she's answering before I even ask. Should I give her a participation trophy?' Eugene sneered silently. He snatched the paper bag, stuffed everything inside, and yanked her out of the diner.
Lorraine stumbled. "Hey! We haven't even finished eating."
The diner owner chased after them. Lorraine tossed some cash her way, wincing at the cost as Eugene yanked her along.
He pulled her to the sidewalk and stopped. "You're busy thanking everyone else. What about me?" he asked, his words vibrating with barely contained rage.
Lorraine was stunned. 'For a guy like him, that amount is spare change, isn't it? And wasn't he the one who wrote the contract? I just followed the rules exactly. So why is he so worked up?'
But since she was leaving the country soon, she decided not to sweat such small stuff. After a moment, she bent down. "Thank you," she said, her voice genuine.
Eugene was done arguing. He shoved the gifts back into her arms and demanded, "Where'd you get these?"
"The wholesale market. What's up?"
"What market? Where?" Eugene asked. He'd never heard of it.
Lorraine pointed. "Right over there. College students love that place. They've got everything people need for dirt cheap."
Eugene dragged her in that direction. When they crossed the street, he held her hand tightly, not letting her pull away.
He walked fast, and she nearly lost her balance. "What are you doing?" she complained.
Eugene spun around abruptly, causing her to crash into him. Her head hit his chest with a solid thud that seemed to echo through his ribs. He stood there, unmoving. "I want a gift too."
Lorraine rubbed her sore nose, falling silent.