The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

Evelyn stepped into the house with her bodyguard behind her. Both their arms were weighed down with shopping bags, and her face was flushed from excitement. "Thanks. You can leave the bags on the couch," Evelyn said as he shut the door behind him. Then she paused when she caught sight of her parents sitting in the living room with Derek. Surprised, she let out a laugh, her eyes dancing between them.

"Mom! Dad! When did you get here?" She greeted happily as she set down her bags and went to embrace them.

While she exchanged pleasantries with her parents, Derek stood up, hands in his pockets as he faced the bodyguard. "Thanks, Brad. Please hang around. I would like to have a word with you," Derek said to the bodyguard, who gave him a nod before leaving. "Did I mix up the date?" she asked I ked with a a grin, raising an eyebrow. thought dinner w I was supposed to be on Sunday."

turned to her, a small smile playing on his lips. "It was my idea to have them over today. Something urgent came up, and it can't wait till Sunday," he said, his tone light but carrying an edge of seriousness. Evelyn's s smile faded into a frown. "Why can't it wait? What's going on?" Her eyes flicked toward her parents, who sat quietly, watching her.

"And what about your parents? Does it mean they are coming today as well? I haven't even prepared anything for you all to eat. I can't just start cooking now that you are here," she said, wondering where to start. Derek shook his head, stepping toward her. "Calm down, babe. I've already taken care of that. I ordered dinner, so you don't need to cook." Evelyn crossed her arms, her frown deepening. "Why the rush?

Why are you suddenly so eager for our families to meet? What's happening?" rek hesitated,

Derek

glancing briefly at her parents before returning his gaze to her. "As I said, something came up."

Her arms tightened across s her chest. "What t came up?"

Derek stepped closer, his expression softening, "S?" Her voice held a note of rising anxiety. "You're making me anxious. What's going on? Where is Sam?" Her voice quivered slightly as her gaze darted between her parents and him.

Sam is s upstairs, and she is fine. Calm down," Derek said gently, placing a hand on her arm. "My parents will be here soon. Why don't you go freshen up?

Spend some time with Samantha before they get here, okay? I'll tell you about it when they get here," he said, and she looked into his blue eyes, trying to see if something was amiss. When he only smiled back at her, she sighed. Her parents chimed in with soft voices, asking her to to take a e a breath and relax. Claire reached out and squeezed Evelyn's hand. "Everything is s alright, sweetheart Claire They had

Evelyn sid

walked in and had barely said, even though she wasn't exactly sure why Derek invited them over.

sat down before Evelyn entered.

her shoulders slumping in defeat. She nodded, though her mind still buzzed with worry; the excitement of shopping with Rayna had disappeared.

again, her sho

"I'll go freshen up and che

and check on Sam," she muttered, turning to head upstairs. As she climbed the steps, her thoughts swirled.

As soon as she disappeared from view, Derek turned to her parents, his expression hardening. Claire and Eric exchanged a concerned glance, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. "What is going on, Derek?" Eric asked as they watched Derek pull his phone from his pocket.

Derek took a deep breath as he sat down and gestured to them to do the same. "As I was saying before she came in, I need to talk to you both first," he said, his voice low. "Before Evelyn hears this."

With a few taps, he played the recording which he had received earlier. As Sandra's voice filled the room, outlining her cold, calculated plan against her own sister and Michael, the air seemed to freeze.

Claire gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her face paling. Stiff and silent at first, Eric rose from his seat and began to pace, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

"This... this can't be real," he muttered under his breath, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room.

Claire couldn't hold back any longer. She broke into sobs, her entire body shaking as she collapsed on the couch. "How could Sandra do this? How could she be so hateful?" Her words came out in choked gasps between tears.

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Derek knelt beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder, though it did little to calm her. "I'm so sorry, Claire, he said softly, but Claire's sobs only grew louder, her grief overwhelming her.

"Is that really her? Is that really my daughter?" she cried, her voice desperate, searching for an answer that might make sense of the nightmare she was hearing.

The more she learned about Sandra, the harder it was for her to believe that Sandra could harbor such a strong hatred toward Evelyn.

Derek's face was grim as he nodded. "Yes, it's her. I already knew Sandra was scheming with Michael to get rid of Evelyn. Hence, I had to clone her sim as I did to Michael, but I had no idea it was this bad." His voice hardened. "I wanted you both to hear this because although I want us to decide on what to do together, I'm not going to go easy on her. I don't care if she's your daughter and Evelyn's sister; she can't get away with this." Claire's tear-streaked face turned toward him, her lips trembling.

"No one who could do something like this is my daughter." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her voice suddenly firm despite the tears. "You do what you need to do. She made her choice."

Eric stopped pacing and looked at her, his expression one of deep sadness and resignation. He moved to sit beside her, pulling her into a gentle embrace as she continued to weep. He knew that, as always, she was trying to do the right thing despite how devastated she felt as a mother.

"I'm sorry, Eric. This is all my fault," she cried, but he shook his head.

"It's okay, honey,"

"he whispered, "You don't owe me an apology.

Sandra is our daughter. We raised her together, and if anyone's to blame, we're in this together."

Claire's sobs quieted a little as she leaned into him, but her face was still marked with heartbreak. "I thought... I thought taking her away from her father was enough," she said, her voice thick with guilt. "I didn't know evil like that could run so deep in the blood." Derek's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Claire pulled away from Eric, wiping her eyes as she took a shaky breath. "Sandra's father," she said, her voice low and trembling. "He was arrested for murder. He's been in jail ever since."

Derek blinked, stunned, struggling to process the revelation. He stared at Claire, trying to reconcile this information with the woman before him.

Before he could say anything more, the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. His parents had arrived.