Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 92: Chapter 92

Every single thing Eugene had done for her was vivid in her mind. Memories surged like tides, refusing to fade from Lorraine's thoughts.
She remembered every side of Eugene—strong, cold, gentle, smug, scheming... He always appeared when she needed him, witnessed her most miserable moments, and accepted her truest self.
Shirin's words suddenly made her wonder if maybe their relationship wasn't just about mutual use. She started to think if he really had fallen for her.
Leaning against the balcony railing, Lorraine drifted into thought, gradually zoning out.
"Lorraine?" Shirin waved her hand repeatedly in front of her face. "Still won't admit it? I bet you're thinking about Mr. Moore. I never thought a man as high and mighty as him could be enchanted by you."
Lorraine's long, thick lashes fluttered. She quickly snapped back, brushing Shirin's hand away. "What nonsense are you talking about? Stop guessing. Eugene and I are just—"
She waved her hands anxiously, her burning cheeks bright red, looking really cute.
Shirin laughed. "You called him by his first name already, and you're still denying it? That's not honest. Listen—"
"Shirin, come help me." Alice opened the balcony door and peeked out, holding a medical kit in her hands.
"Oh, coming." Shirin turned away, glancing once more at Lorraine with curiosity still in her eyes. "I'm off. Go on thinking about your Eugene, you lucky girl."
Watching Shirin walk away, Lorraine slowly raised her hands, rubbed her flushed cheeks, then covered her eyes. She slightly parted her fingers. The warm sun shone on her skin, so comforting it made her reluctant to move.
She thought about the call she got before coming back from the CEO's office. Eugene's words, "Wait for me obediently," brushed her heart like a gentle feather, softening it.
She tried to convince herself it was just his usual bossy nature. He couldn't really be in love with her.
A breeze blew, scattering her thoughts like drifting willow fluff in summer.
Meanwhile, Raquel was in the living room of the Shaw residence, doing her makeup and grooming herself. She sat on the sofa, carefully filing her nails. In such a good mood, she even hummed a little tune.
Her luck had been good lately. Zackery's career was booming, and Elsie's romance with Eugene seemed to be going smoothly. Raquel believed that soon she could live a life of great wealth thanks to her daughter and son-in-law.
Just thinking about it made her want to announce it to all of high society, forcing those women who had looked down on the Shaw family to apologize to her face and flatter her.
At that moment, Elsie called from the living room door, her voice sharp and urgent. "Mom—"
Raquel was startled, and the nail file in her right hand jabbed into her fingertip. The rough file scratched a little skin, and a tiny drop of blood appeared.
She took a deep breath and turned to look at Elsie, who was walking quickly toward her. "Elsie, don't shout like that. Be graceful, okay? Didn't you go find Eugene? Why didn't you stay longer with him?"
Her concerned tone carried a slight complaint. Eugene was their money tree—they had to cling to him tightly.
Elsie clearly understood her mother's meaning. She clicked her high heels and came to Raquel's side, casually tossing her expensive handbag down and linking arms with her as she sat.
"Mom, I wish I could have stayed longer with him," she complained. "It's all that bitch Lorraine's fault. Did you know she's with Eugene again, shamelessly provoking me?"
Thinking of the strawberry-red mark on Lorraine's neck made Elsie grind her teeth in anger. She wanted nothing more than to ruin Lorraine's tempting face and make sure she and Eugene never met again.
She even thought about killing Lorraine outright.
"Elsie, there's no loyal man," Raquel said. "What is there to fear from Lorraine? She's just a tramp. She'll sleep with every man she sees."
Raquel grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and pressed it against her injured fingertip. She tossed the nail file onto the table carelessly, her tone full of disdain.
She didn't think much of Lorraine, who had always been bullied by her and Elsie, only feeling Elsie was too immature.
"Mom, you don't understand." Elsie thought about what she had done in Eugene's office last night, feeling nervous and scared. She had been uneasy all along, unable to come to a conclusion.
"What's wrong with you today?" Raquel tossed the blood-stained tissue into the trash bin and reached out to hold Elsie's hand. "Lorraine is nothing. Just wait—she'll be gone soon. I will never let her stand in your way."
The Shaw family's small factory was barely managing to stay afloat. Eugene was their only bargaining chip, their lucky star leading the whole family toward a wealthy life. They wouldn't allow anyone to ruin their plans.
A ruthless gleam flashed in Raquel's eyes. She patted Elsie's hand reassuringly, but Elsie bit her lip, still worried.
Elsie glanced around at the servants, then leaned close to Raquel's ear and whispered, "Mom, it's not what you think. You know, last night I—"
The more Elsie spoke, the more worried her carefully made-up and surgically enhanced face looked. Finally, the pain in her hand made her jerk it away sharply. She looked at Raquel, who gasped. "That hurts! Mom, be gentle."
"Oh. Is what you just said true?" Raquel released her hand and grabbed Elsie's shoulder. Her expression was no longer indifferent; anxiety showed in her eyes.
If what Elsie did got out, all their efforts would be wasted. Worse, they might face even more terrible consequences. Raquel didn't dare think any further.
Elsie frowned, reaching out to push Raquel's hand away from her shoulder. Her tone was full of frustration. "I'm not sure if Lorraine knows everything, but today when she saw me, she was clearly smug and arrogant, constantly provoking me, and—"
"And what? Why are you hesitating? Spill it out so we can figure out a plan." Raquel was anxious.
She knew her husband Zackery's character better than anyone. If Elsie blocked his path to success, he would ruthlessly deal with them both, just like he had dealt with Lorraine before.
"And she took it upon herself to replace the black oak desk in Eugene's office," Elsie said. "Her tone sounded really ominous."
Elsie hadn't forgotten the sly smile Lorraine gave when she said Elsie should lie on the desk to feel its quality. That had truly unsettled her.
"Elsie, how can you be so clueless about the situation?" Raquel said. "Whether Lorraine saw it or not, we have to shut her up. Under no circumstances can your father find out about this. We need to come up with a plan quickly."
The more Raquel thought about it, the more terrified she became.
She couldn't sit still and stood up from the sofa, pacing around the coffee table. One hand was clenched into a fist, pounding repeatedly into the palm of her other hand, while muttering over and over, "We need to think of something fast."
Elsie thought Raquel was overreacting a bit. She was worried about her father finding out too, but what worried her even more was Lorraine possibly tattling to Eugene.
Even though Elsie could stubbornly deny everything, once Eugene became suspicious, the truth would easily come out.
Then, Elsie would lose her dream of marrying into wealth and the man she admired. Thinking of Eugene's strikingly handsome face, she just couldn't bear to give up.
Elsie clenched her fists so tight her nails bit into her palms without feeling any pain. Raquel's pacing back and forth was giving her a headache.
Just as she was about to stand and pull Raquel down to sit, her swinging arm accidentally knocked over a freshly squeezed juice that a servant had brought in, instantly staining her carefully chosen designer clothes.
Elsie raised her hand and slapped the servant. "Are you blind? Can't you do anything right? We're paying you, not hiring some useless clumsy idiot."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Shaw, it wasn't intentional," the servant hurriedly said, "Please forgive me this once. I swear it won't happen again."
The servant was terrified. She kept bowing repeatedly, apologizing nonstop. Elsie was merciless; not everyone could endure her scheming and torment.
Seeing this, Elsie threatened, "If it happens again, and you still—"
"Enough, Elsie, stop it," Raquel said, showing rare mercy as she sent the servants away.
Elsie pointed at the quickly retreating servant with a dissatisfied sneer. "Mom, what do you mean by that?"
"Why bother quarreling with a servant right now? There will be plenty of chances to teach her a lesson," Raquel said. "Come here, I think I've thought of a plan."
The sun was setting in the west; it was already time to get off work. Alice and Shirin had left long ago, while Lorraine stayed behind, making an excuse that she had something to do.
Shirin gave her a knowing, understanding look before leaving gracefully. Lorraine propped her head on one hand, resting on the table, staring eagerly toward the door. She occasionally glanced sideways at the clock on the wall, patiently waiting.
The clock ticked steadily, accompanying her breathing. Steady, firm footsteps echoed in the corridor. Lorraine instinctively felt it was Eugene and reflexively propped herself up with her arms, ready to stand and greet him.
However, just as she was about to take a step, she felt something was off. Feeling a bit shy, she retreated back to her seat, her heart pounding wildly.
Lorraine pretended not to hear the footsteps and nonchalantly looked out the window.
"I'm really glad you're still waiting for me. Let's go," Eugene said, standing at the door.
The evening sunlight cast a warm glow on his sharp, defined features, softening his usually cold and harsh demeanor. His magnetic voice carried the warmth of the sun, making her heart melt.
Lorraine stood up again, nearly knocking over her chair. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm, turning around and grabbing her bag as she walked up to him, looking up at him. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to—" Eugene had just started when a pleasant ringtone interrupted him.
Lorraine blinked and looked down. She picked up her phone, glanced at the caller ID, bit her lip hesitantly, and answered, "Hello? This is Lorraine."