Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 75: Chapter 75

Lorraine stood there quietly, not moving an inch.
Isaac walked out of the office. Seeing Lorraine staring dazed in Eugene's direction, Isaac let out a sigh of relief. He thought, 'At least she isn't leaving. Otherwise, I don't know how to explain things later.'
Lorraine kept her eyes fixed on Eugene, watching his every move. She couldn't quite figure out which hand he'd hurt. Her memories from last night were just too fragmented. Since she couldn't remember, all she could do was wait and see.
Eugene just kept using his left hand, never making any big movements.
The longer Lorraine watched, the more spaced out she became. She couldn't even put her feelings into words. After a while, she put on a blank face and headed back.
Isaac stood at a distance, clueless about what was going through Lorraine's mind. When Isaac saw Lorraine return to Eugene's office, he figured Lorraine had finally come around, and he could finally relax.
Lorraine walked back into the office and closed the door behind her. She grabbed the pile of medicine bottles on the desk and started unscrewing them one by one. She found that every single one was still sealed, none had been opened.
Suddenly, rain started drizzling outside the window. The dampness crept in all at once, clinging to her heart like a sheet of plastic, making it hard to breathe.
A moment later, the door swung open, and Eugene walked in. Seeing Lorraine dressed in the clothes he'd picked out for her, looking so fresh and adorable, his gaze softened a little.
He said, "Do you want some breakfast? I can have Isaac bring it in for you."
Lorraine shot to her feet. "Eugene, you liar!" she snapped, her voice sharp with anger and accusation.
Eugene paused, his eyes dropping to the bottles and jars on the coffee table. A shadow flickered in his gaze as he walked over, patient as ever.
He said, "If I lied to you last night, then call me a liar. I just wanted you to stay. What's so wrong about that?"
Lorraine froze, not sure what he meant. The mention of last night made her cheeks flush. She said, "That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, why didn't you take any of this medicine? You're not even hurt, are you?"
She stared at his left arm, her eyes rimmed red. She remembered the fear she had felt after hearing he was injured, her heart pounding out of control, and her panic and helplessness.
She thought, 'How could he use something like this to trick me? Did he think it was funny?'
Eugene pressed his lips together, meeting her gaze in silence. He neither admitted nor denied anything.
The two of them stood there, locked in a standoff. The tension was so thick it was hard to breathe.
A wave of frustration and regret welled up inside Lorraine. She could only blame herself for being so easily swayed. Lorenzo just said a few words, and she came running. No one forced her, she was the one who begged Sheila to bring her here.
She thought, 'I have brought this on myself. So what right do I have to complain? And Sheila catching a cold after waiting downstairs all night is my fault, too.'
Isaac was about to bring in some coffee, but the tension hit him as soon as he reached the door. He quickly stepped in to break the ice. He called out, "Mr. Moore, Ms. Shaw."
Lorraine was at her limit. She snatched her backpack off the sofa and stormed past Eugene, slamming her shoulder into his.
Eugene let out a muffled grunt of pain.
Isaac's face changed. He asked, "Mr. Moore, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Eugene replied. His voice sounded especially weak.
Lorraine froze mid-step. She turned back and saw Eugene clutching his right arm. A bit of white gauze peeked out between his fingers, and his face twisted in pain. In that instant, all her frustration and resentment just melted away.
Her face went pale. She hurried over and asked, "Is it your right arm that's hurt?"
Eugene shot her a glance, then turned away. He replied, "Weren't you leaving? Go on, then."
Isaac was a little stunned. He thought, 'How do things flip so fast? Only Mr. Moore can pull off a reversal like that. If anyone is a master at turning the tables, it is Mr. Moore.'
Isaac had worked for Eugene for so long and had never seen anyone get the upper hand on Eugene. After a moment, Isaac wisely slipped out of the room.
Only Lorraine and Eugene were left in the office. Lorraine looked guilty, while Eugene seemed completely unfazed, as if she didn't even exist.
Lorraine's heart felt heavy and damp, just like the rain outside. She was at a loss, powerless. Seeing Eugene turn away to look at his files again, she walked over and asked, "Did your wound split open? Let me check it for you, okay?"
Eugene sat down, expressionless. He replied, "No need. I just didn't take my meds. The fever's gone. Worst case, the wound gets infected and festers, and I'll have to get it amputated. Guess I'll just have to get used to using my left hand."
Lorraine's heart skipped a beat. She thought, 'Amputation? Seriously? If he knows how bad it could get, why is he being so stubborn?'
Eugene lifted his eyelids and shot her a bland look.
Lorraine thought he was about to say something, so she held her breath, ready to apologize again.
But Eugene just said lightly, "You're blocking my fresh air."
Lorraine was at a loss for words. She thought to herself, 'Don't get mad. He's injured, and he got hurt because of you.'
Eugene looked away. He said, "Still not leaving? Even if I got hurt for you, you took care of me all night. That's enough. You don't need to feel guilty."
Lorraine was completely speechless. She wanted to leave, but her legs felt like jelly, and her eyes were glued to the bandage on his arm.
Eugene continued, "Isaac's here now, isn't he? With him around, you really can go." He sounded a bit impatient.
Lorraine knew she was out of place and couldn't stay any longer. She quietly squeezed the strap of her backpack and slowly made her way toward the door.
She thought, 'He has his assistant, his secretary, and a whole team of housekeepers and staff waiting for him at home. I don't need to worry anymore.'
When Lorraine reached the door, there was a loud bang behind her. She spun around in alarm.
Somehow, the water glass on the desk had been knocked over, hot water spilling everywhere and soaking Eugene's documents.
Eugene frowned. He stared at his left hand in frustration. Sounding annoyed and disappointed, he muttered, "It's just a glass of water, and I still can't manage it. Useless."
Seeing how pale Eugene looked, Lorraine hurried over. She picked up the cup and started wiping the desk with tissues. "You didn't take your medicine because your arm's not working, right?" she said, already making excuses for him.
Eugene looked calm and didn't respond.
Lorraine took his silence as agreement, and the guilt in her heart only grew heavier.
"You really shouldn't be working today. Go to the hospital, or at least get some rest. Even if your fever's gone, you can't keep pushing yourself with that injury," she suggested softly, holding her breath.
The two of them just stared at each other.
Lorraine got flustered under his stare and quickly said, "I was just making a suggestion. If you're not up for it, then forget it. I'll go get Isaac." She hurried out of the office and stopped in front of Isaac's desk. She called out, "Isaac..."
As soon as Isaac saw her, he abruptly hung up his phone and stood up, looking like he was in deep mourning.
Lorraine was baffled. She pondered, 'Did he just get some terrible news? Why does he look like he's about to get fired?'
Isaac glanced toward the CEO's office. Eugene happened to be looking out, too. Eugene shot Isaac a glare sharp enough to kill. After all these years, Isaac instantly got the message.
He thought, 'Sometimes fate just loves to torture every last brain cell and strip away every ounce of dignity.'
Determined not to get fired, Isaac gritted his teeth and wiped his face. Sounding like he was about to cry, he said, "Ms. Shaw, my mom just called. She said it's raining and told me to go home and bring in the laundry."
Stunned, Lorraine asked, "What?"
Isaac said, "Could you please help Mr. Moore get some rest? I'm really in a rush, gotta go." With that, he sprinted for the elevator like he was running for his life.
Lorraine stood there, completely stunned. She thought, 'Go home to bring in the laundry? What kind of lame excuse is that? Yet I didn't even get a chance to fight back.'
Feeling totally defeated, Lorraine trudged back into the office. Eugene leaned back in his chair. His head tilted up, eyes closed, brow slightly furrowed, as if he were asleep.
Lorraine sat on the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. She hesitated whether she should remind Eugene to rest somewhere else. In the end, she just waited there, quietly watching him.
She thought, 'He is good-looking. No wonder so many women online say that just one look at him could ruin one's whole life. I think I shall just forget what happened last night.
'After all, he saved me, and he even got hurt because of it. He still hasn't recovered. Why should I keep dwelling on the past?'
Gradually making up for it in her heart, Lorraine felt more balanced and less distressed. After waiting for quite a while, she slowly rested her head on the armrest of the sofa and, before she knew it, fell asleep.
Half-awake, she felt something warm and faintly woody settle over her. In her dreams, she was always more honest. Instinctively, she reached out, grabbed the suit jacket, and curled up inside it like a kitten.
Watching her peaceful, gentle expression, Eugene couldn't help but softly brush her cheek. Then he turned back to his desk to continue working.
Stillness filled the office, broken only by the rain's whispered journey down the glass, wandering as aimlessly as daydreams. Lorraine's phone, tucked away in her backpack, kept lighting up and going dark, over and over again.