The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

The silence in the room was broken when the chef came to announce that dinner had been served.

Although none of them had an appetite, they all moved to the dining room. Derek wanted Evelyn to eat because of her condition, and Eric also wanted Claire to eat so that she could take her medication.

As they all pretended to eat while pushing their food around their plates, Evelyn looked at Claire, "Was Sandra aware? I mean, does she know about her biological father?" Evelyn asked curiously. Claire nodded. "I told her about it when she was old enough to understand," Claire said softly.

Derek shook his head. "And yet she decided to become everything her father was- manipulative, ruthless, willing to go to any length for money. I guess the darkness in the bloodline couldn't be erased," Derek said bitterly, and Evelyn placed a calming hand on his arm. Maya, who had been silent for a while, cleared her throat, "So, your... I mean Victor. From what you said, does it mean that he wasn't arrested until you submitted evidence against him?" She asked, wanting to understand what happened after the accident. Claire nodded, "Yes."

"He got away with the murder? How?" Evelyn asked in disbelief.

"Victor was meticulous. He knew how to cover his tracks. He framed a rival- David Hunt, a businessman who had been a thorn in his side. He planted evidence to make it look like Hunt used Carter to tarnish his reputation and then had him murdered to silence him. The police bought it, and Hunt was convicted and sentenced to death."

Evelyn inhaled sharply. "He died?"

"Yes," Claire confirmed. "It took me three years to gather all I could on Victor. By then, it was too late for David Hunt," she said, looking down at her plate with shoulders slumped from guilt.

Derek stared at her in disbelief. "An innocent man was executed for a crime my parents' murderer committed," Derek muttered.

Without another word, he rose and walked away, unable to contain the storm of emotions threatening to consume him.

His footsteps echoed through the hallways as he climbed the stairs to his room, leaving an air of tension behind. Evelyn watched him go, her heart aching at the raw pain etched across his face. Without hesitation, she excused herself from the table and followed him.

"Maybe we should go home," Claire told Eric softly, but Maya shook her head.

"No. Why would you leave?" Maya asked with a frown as she looked up from the remnants of her untouched meal.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

"Derek is upset..."

"Yes, but not at you. He's upset by the situation. You shouldn't leave because of that. He just needs time to pull himself together," Maya said, and Eric looked at her.

"What about you? Aren't you upset?" He asked, and she sighed.

"I feel sad, but for some reason, I don't feel as deeply connected to it. Maybe he feels that way because he remembers his time with them. But I don't. As sad as it is, they're like strangers to me," she admitted, "and being upset about it won't change much. Life has taught me to accept whatever it throws at me and move on."

"You're quite self-aware and wise" Claire observed softly.

"I don't think Derek and Evelyn will be returning to the table. Weve all been through a lot today. Let's give each other the space to process everything. Tomorrow's a new day."

Claire nodded, her voice quiet but resolute. "And maybe tomorrow, we can put the past behind us and look forward."

Maya looked at her and gave a small smile. "Yeah," she said.

Upstairs, Evelyn reached the bedroom door, and she hesitated for a moment before knocking softly.

"Derek, it's me. Can I come in?"

There was silence on the other side of the door, and just as she was about to knock again, she heard his voice, muffled but calm.

"Come in."

Evelyn pushed the door open and found him standing by the window, his back to her, staring into the darkening sky. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and his posture was rigid. "You should have stayed back to eat. You didn't have to follow me," he said without turning around.

"I couldn't just sit there and eat, Evelyn said gently, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "You're hurting, Derek, and I-"

"I'm fine. I just need some time to process everything," he said calmly, not wanting her to see him so upset or angry.

He hated that he was feeling this way when he knew there was nothing else he could do about it. Victor had been arrested and prosecuted and all he could do was be mad.

Evelyn frowned, walking closer to him. "You're not fine. Stop pretending that you are. This isn't something you can just brush off, Evelyn said as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked quietly.

"Bottling it up won't help. Tell me how you're feeling," she said, sliding her hands under his shirt so she could feel his skin.

Derek sighed as he felt her touch on his skin. He turned around to look at her, letting her see the anger and anguish in his eyes. "I'm mad. I feel angry and frustrated. I wish there were something I could do, but I can't do anything. I didn't do anything then. I can't do anything now. I feel useless. What kind of a son am I? First, I forgot them, and all that happened, I forgot my younger sister, and

even now, there is nothing I can do for them."

Evelyn held his gaze, her voice gentle but firm. "You did enough by surviving that terrible incident. Any parent would rather you forget them than be tormented by nightmares or live with that trauma.

I'm sure you'd have wanted the same for Sam. You did more than enough by turning out right, D. You are doing enough now by standing by Maya. Your parents would be so proud of you. I'm not even your Mom, and I feel so damn proud every time I look at you." "Eve." Derek groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"You're right, but it doesn't make any of this easier."

Evelyn guided him to sit on the edge of the bed, and as he sank down, she stood in front of him and embraced him. "I know it's overwhelming, but your parents got justice, Derek. You don't have to do anything to make you feel worthy of being their son."

Derek leaned back into her embrace,

closing his eyes. She was making it hard for him to stay upset. "If you hadn't returned to Ludus and come back into my life when you did, might have gone through with the plan to marry Sandra just to make my mother happy. I would have been marrying the daughter of the man who murdered my parents and destroyed my family."

Evelyn tightened her hold on him. "But you didn't. Don't dwell on what might have been. Focus on what's real, on what you've achieved. You found your sister. You uncovered the truth about your parent's death, and now you can find closure." Derek let out a long sigh, nodding. "You're right. Maybe now I can let it go." He paused, his voice softening. "I'm grateful to Claire.

Despite everything she endured, she helped bring Victor to justice.

She deserves peace, too. She doesn't deserve to have a daughter

like Sandra."

"You're right" Evelyn agreed. "I feel sorry for all she had to go through."

Derek shifted, pulling Evelyn onto the bed with him. He lay back, holding her close, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. The silence stretched between them until Evelyn spoke, her voice breaking the stillness. "What are you thinking?" Derek hesitated before answering. "I'm wondering if I should be proud of my father."

Evelyn tilted her head to look at him. "What do you mean? Of course, you should be proud. He was brave. He fought against evil."

"Maybe," Derek said, his voice heavy. "But if he hadn't taken Victor's case, none of this would have happened. He could've walked away, protected his family."

Evelyn sat up slightly, her expression

firm. "And let Victor continue to ruin other families? Do you know how many people must've suffered because of him? Your father didn't just expose Victor for himself, he did it for every wife and child who lost their father and husband to that monster in those collapsed buildings."

Derek's eyes darkened. "I never want to be a hero at the expense of my family, Eve. My priority is keeping you and our children safe.

That's all that matters to me."

Evelyn smiled gently. "I know that's what you believe, but I also know you. If faced with the same choice, you'd do exactly what your father did. You wouldn't stand by and do nothing."

Derek shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Not at the expense of my family."

Evelyn chuckled softly. "That's what you think."

Derek reached for her hand, his gaze serious. "Evelyn, your safety and the well-being of our children will always come first. I don't care if the world burns as long as you're safe. I owe that to you, to myself. I wouldn't let anything jeopardize that." Evelyn leaned in, kissing him softly. "Let's not think about it anymore. Let's focus on something else."

"Like what?" He asked. He watched as she reached over to the bedside drawer and pulled out the ultrasound pictures with a smile.

"Like this."

Derek's expression softened, and his

eyes lit up at the sight of the

pictures. He took them from her hands, tracing the tiny image with his fingers. "How could you ever think wouldn't do everything to protect you and this little life inside you? I'd sell my soul to the devil for you two and Sam."

Evelyn wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You will never have to do that. I love you, Derek."

He kissed the top of her head, his voice filled with emotion. "If there's a word deeper than love, that's what I feel for you. Remember that."

Evelyn smiled, her tone teasing. "I hope you're not obsessed."

Derek smirked. "Worse than obsessed. Soon, I'll be spying on you in the bathroom."

Evelyn laughed, the sound light and carefree. "You're crazy."

"Crazy about you," Derek murmured, pulling her closer. "Get used to it."

"How do you feel now?" She asked, and he sighed.

"For some reason, I can't stay mad or upset when I'm around you," he said, and she grinned.

"Maybe it's because you're obsessed," she joked.

"Totally obsessed. That must be it," he said, and they laughed as they lay on the bed.

Their laughter filled the room, soft and soothing, cutting through the tension that had weighed heavily on the evening.

Derek pulled Evelyn closer, their breaths mingling as he pressed a kiss to her temple, the warmth emanating from her calming him in a way nothing else could.

He felt a fragile sense of peace creeping in, as though her presence had the power to mend the broken pieces inside him.

"Thank you for being in my life," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Evelyn looked up at him, her eyes full of love and understanding.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be"" she murmured as they lay tangled in each other's arms.

Tomorrow, they would face everything else together. For now, they had each other. And that was enough.