The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

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Surprised gasps and murmurs followed Evelyn's accusation, and even Sandra froze for a moment. She had meant to rattle Evelyn,

but now all eyes were on her in judgment.

Sandra cast an innocent glance in Derek's direction to be sure he wasn't buying what Evelyn was saying. But Derek maintained a neutral expression as he met her gaze.

He knew if the situation was reversed and Evelyn was being talked to in this manner, he would step in to defend her, but he wasn't interested in doing that for Sandra just to keep up the ruse.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he looked away from Sandra.

He took out his phone to check the message. When he saw it was Sandra's last text to the hitman, which she had sent while in the car with him, he shook his head

Sandra quickly recovered and smiled coldly at Evelyn. "Do you have another step-sister I don't know about, or were you referring to me?" She asked, feigning ignorance.

Evelyn's smile didn't waver, and neither did her gaze on Sandra shift. She merely raised a brow, "Yeah. I have come to realize I have two step-sisters. I realized that from the moment I found out what a two-faced bitch you are. Smiling and being nice and friendly with me while plotting and stabbing me in the back with Michael. Do you know the reason you're so scared of having me close to Derek? You think I'm like you. But guess what? Unlike you, I only touch what is mine," Evelyn said with a grin. Everyone else around the table stayed quiet as they watched the exchange between the sisters, enjoying the unexpected show.

Derek felt a surge of pride watching Evelyn hold her own, and his hand tightened around hers in silent support under the table.

Sandra scoffed, "Are you trying to make me into a bad person so that your action can be justified? We both know that Michael is obsessed with you, and he will never do anything to hurt you. I mean, it's been six years already, and he hasn't even given another lady a second look. If he and I were as close as you claim, why aren't we already in a serious relationship or married? Why am I dating his cousin? I don't know why you re trying to paint us as the bad people, Evie, but trust me when I say all Michael thinks and talks about is you. It's not fair what you did to him. And what you are saying right now is even more unfair," Sandra said, and Evelyn giggled.

"You're full of bullshit, Sandra. I would have bought this bullshit you're selling if I didn't see you both myself..."

"Do you have proof? You're so full of accusations tonight, Evelyn.

Are you saying all this because Derek is here, and you're trying to cause problems between us?"

"Proof? Are you really eager to have me wash your stinking linen out here? Because I will. Don't tempt me," Evelyn threatened with an amused smile.

Evelyn's calm expression and composed tone left Sandra speechless since she wasn't sure what proof Evelyn had, and something about the way she sounded told Sandra that she wasn't bluffing.

Deciding not to provoke her further, especially in Derek's presence, Sandra seethed silently, seeing as her plans to undermine Evelyn had crumbled before her eyes and even backfired.

"What? You no longer have bullshit to say? Don't tell me you don't have any smart comeback for me?" Evelyn asked with a sweet smile, and Rayna chuckled.

"We can all agree that Evelyn won this verbal fight," Rayna announced with an enthusiastic clap. Everyone laughed apart from Sandra and Derek who was trying not to join in the laughter himself. Sandra shot Rayna a glare, but before any of them could speak again, Evelyn's phone buzzed with a phone call in her purse.

She took it out and frowned when she saw it was a call from a familiar-looking number, but she coulan't place it. Before she could rise and excuse herself to go take the call, Derek looked from the corner of his eyes. When he saw the number on the screen, he recognized the last four digits as Michaels, and he realized that the show was on.

"Don't take it. It's Michael," he muttered under his breath for Evelyn's ears alone, but to anyone else, it sounded like he was cursing under his breath.

Since she couldn't look at Derek or say anything to him in front of Sandra, Evelyn turned to Rayna and showed her the call on the screen since she didn't know why Michael was calling.

Derek rose and excused himself from the table as he stepped out of the bakery to give the detectives a call and find out what was going on.

"I guess the show is over," someone said, and the others laughed as they resumed conversations.

Seeing that Evelyn had been distracted, Sandra narrowed her eyes, wondering if it was because Michael had been kidnapped now and they were calling Evelyn with the phone.

She hoped that was the case and the mission was going as planned since she wanted nothing more at the moment than to see Evelyn dead after the manner in which she had just humiliated her in the presence of everyone.

No longer enjoying herself since her plan to embarrass Evelyn had failed, Sandra rose and picked up her purse to go join Derek outside so they could leave.

"Are you leaving already? We haven't even started the party yet," Rayna asked sweetly, but Sandra eyed her with disdain before walking away.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

As she walked away, she dialed the number of the hitman and didn't have to wait for long before the call connected, "I hope you're on it already. I want that bitch dead. Nothing must go wrong tonight," Sandra said under her breath. "I've got Michael. My men are around the reunion location waiting for her," he assured her.

"Good. Let me know the moment you get her. Make sure you don't kill her immediately. I want her to suffer," Sandra said, and she hung up the call as she approached Derek, who was now standing by the car.

Just as she drew closer to him, Derek hung up the call with the detective. "Why did you come out?" He asked with a blank expression.

"I don't want to remain in there. Let's leave," she said, and Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Leave? We only just got here. We haven't even had a drink..."

"We can get a drink alone somewhere else. You saw how they were all picking on me," Sandra protested.

"I don't think anyone picked on you. And even if they did, they wouldn't have picked on you had you not said all you said about Evelyn in the first place. You picked on her, and she returned the favor. Everyone else simply enjoyed the show you began," Derek said, and Sandra frowned. "Are you taking Evelyn's side?" She asked with displeasure.

"I'm merely stating a fact. You shouldn't have done any of that in public. You embarrassed me. And honestly, I regret coming here with you tonight, he said, eyeing her with disapproval. Realizing that Der Derek I was mad at her, she quickly flashed him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Evelyn just got on my nerves, and I was only trying to defend Michael..." "That's not an excuse for the show you put up out there," Derek insisted. "I'm sure this is what Evelyn wanted. She said all of that to make us argue and fight..."

"You're obsessed with Evelyn, aren't you? Is it that you can't have a proper conversation without bringing her up? You know what? I'm done with all of this. You can find your way home yourself," Derek said irritably as he unlocked his car, and Sandra's eyes widened in dismay as she quickly grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Derek. I promise never to bring her up in our conversations. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me out here," she begged, tears springing to her eyes.

I

Derek eyed her for a moment before letting out a sigh, "Get into the car, and I will take you back home," he said and got into the car without bothering to get her door as he had done earlier. Sandra immediately got into the car, wondering what she was going to do now about her plan to get Derek drunk so he could have sex with her.

"You must think I'm a terrible person, right? I'm sorry," she said after they had driven in silence for a while, but Derek said nothing.

He had deliberately acted like he was upset so he could drop her off at home and not have to spend any more time with her. He planned to return to keep an eye on Evelyn's 'abduction' so he could ensure that nothing would go wrong.

"I'm not as bad as you think, Derek. I'm sorry for what happened in there. How about I buy you a drink to make it up to you? Let's not waste the night or our outfit, she suggested.

"I'm not in the mood for your company or a drink. Let's just call it a night," he said, and she pouted.

"De.."

"It's been a long week, Sandra, and I don't need this. I'm only taking you home because I told your parents I will bring you back. Don't provoke me into dropping you off by the roadside," Derek warned harshly. Getting Derek to stop being mad at her was more important than getting him drunk. He was going to propose to her soon, anyway.

And with Evelyn and Michael out of the picture, she wouldn't need to fear anything, Sandra told herself as she pressed her lips together.

As he drove, Derek thought about Sandra's conversation with the Hitman just now. She had called while he was on a call with the detective, and the Hitman had placed the call on speaker.

What did Sandra mean by wanting Evelyn to suffer? Did she want the hitman to inflict the pain on Evelyn, or did she want to do it herself?

If Sandra wanted to make Evelyn suffer and decided to show up to do it herself, that meant they were going to have to change their plans and not wait until his mother's birthday to arrest her, as Evelyn wanted.

Away from there, Inside Rayna's bakery, Evelyn and Rayna excused themselves from the others and went into Rayna's office.

"You did well out there, Evie. I'm proud of you," Rayna said as they sat down, and Evelyn smiled.

"It felt good talking to her that way," Evelyn admitted, "Thank you for what you did with the seat arrangement," Evelyn said, and Rayna giggled.

"I did it for myself. Unlike you, I can't stand seeing Sandra next to Derek. It's bad for my heart, Rayna said, and Evelyn laughed softly.

"I wonder why Michael keeps calling," Evelyn said, glancing at her phone when it vibrated with yet another call from him.

"Derek probably knows why," Rayna said, and Evelyn nodded. It had seemed so earlier.

"Seeing how Sandra left with her tail tucked between her legs in defeat, I'm sure she wants your head now," Rayna said as she walked over to the little bar in her office.

"Yeah. I'm a little anxious" Evelyn confessed as she sighed deeply.

"That's why you need a little drink to relax," Rayna said, but Evelyn shook her head before Rayna could pour some wine into a second glass for her.

"I can't take alcohol," she said, stopping Rayna.

"Why not? Don't worry. You won't get drunk.."

"It's not that, Ray. I'm pregnant," she said quietly.

Rayna's eyes widened in surprise, "What?" She screeched with a happy laugh, and Evelyn smiled, grateful for her friend's excitement.

"Why didn't you say so before now? Oh, Evie! I'm so happy for you.

Congratulations," Rayna said as she hurried over to embrace Evelyn.

"Derek must be over the moon," Rayna said, and then paused before Evelyn could respond, "If you're pregnant, why are you putting up this whole stressful show for Sandra?" Evelyn sighed, "I only found out about the pregnancy before coming here," she said, and Rayna frowned. "Does that mean Derek doesn't know about it yet?" She asked, and Evelyn nodded.

"I plan to tell him after all this is over.."

"After what is over? The reunion, right? I'm sure that's what you mean," Rayna said, not wanting to believe that Evelyn was thinking of hiding the pregnancy from Derek for weeks.

Evelyn looked at Rayna, "You think I should tell him about it immediately and not wait until after Sandra's arrest?" Evelyn asked, and Rayna smiled.

"You can only tell him about it after Sandra's arrest if she is being arrested tonight. But you should tell him about that tonight if that's not the case. Derek should know about it at once. You kept his daughter from him for six years, and you want to keep this pregnancy from him for weeks, too?" Rayna asked, and Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"Stop being dramatic. I didn't keep Sam from him for six years. I didn't even know who he was," she said defensively.

"We are saying the same thing. Tell him tonight, Evie. He should know," Rayna said, and Evelyn sighed.

"Alright. I will take your advice since you always seem to give the best advice," she said, and Rayna smiled. "Good. Now, I will find you something safe to drink, and we will celebrate."