The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

The following day, Erie sat at the head of the dining table, dressed in a crisp white shirt. His expression was unreadable as he stirred his coffee absently while thinking about his daughter, Evelyn, and how he had failed her.

Claire, seated beside him, was equally quiet, her eyes downcast as she picked at her fruit salad. She was equally thinking of her daughter, Sandra, and how she had failed to raise her correctly.

The click of heels against the floor announced Sandra's arrival. She entered the dining room looking forlorn, although her hair was perfectly styled. and her makeup flawlessly applied, as always. "Good morning!"

"she greeted as she slid into her chair opposite her parents.

Eric and Claire looked up simultaneously, their expressions neutral as they greeted her. "Morning," Eric muttered, his voice lacking the warmth it usually held.

Claire echoed the greeting with a forced smile, her eyes flickering briefly to Sandra's before dropping back to her plate.

Sandra didn't seem to notice the tension in the air, if she did, she chose to ignore it. She poured herself a cup of coffee, her movements smooth and practiced. After taking a sip, she set the cup clown and leaned back in her chair, her gaze flitting between her parents "So," she began, her tone casual, "how was your date last night?"

Eric and Claire exchanged a quick glance, both of them struggling to maintain their composure. "It was fine, Claire answered, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "We had a nice time."

"Yeah, it was good, Eric added, his tone clipped. He avoided looking directly at Sandra, focusing instead on his plate as he cut into his eggs with a finle more force than necessary

Sandra's e eyes narrowed slightly as she studied them, but she still didn't pick up on their unease. "That's great," she said, her voice light. "You both deserve some time to yourselves.

She took another sip of her coffee, then set the cup down with a satisfied sigh. "Anyway, you won't believe what Evelyn did yesterday."

The mention of Evelyn's name from her, as usual, caused Eric's hand to freeze mid-motion. His jaw clenched, and he slowly set his fork down, his appetite suddenly gone.

Eric finally looked up, his eyes sharp as they locked onto Sandra's. "What has she done this time?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous, Sandra, mistaking his reaction for his usual anger at Evelyn, smirked inwardly, leaned forward in her seat, and sighed as though she was worried that by saying it, she might cause some more trouble.

"I'm not sure if I should."

"If you're going to speak, then do so. If you won't, keep shut!" Claire snapped at Sandra, causing her to flinch

"She's trying to seduce Michael's cousin, Derek. Can you believe that?" Sandra asked, her voice laced with disbelief

Claire frowned, her fork pausing mid-air. "That's ridiculous," she said, her voice incredulous. "Where did you hear that!"

Sandra waved a hand dismissively. "Evelyn told me herself," she replied, her tone suggesting that it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"When and where did you both have this conversation?" Claire asked, even though she knew already because Evelyn had told them about it and had also played the recording of her conversation with Sandra to themText property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Sandra bowed her head sadly. "Yesterday. I went to her office to plead with her, as my sister, to leave Derek alone because we are in a relationship. I cried and begged, but she told me that she wanted Derek and that I could have Michael. I don't know what I did to her, but she's always behaving this way, always trying to cause trouble for me. She's giving our family a bad name. And now, because of her behavior, she's lost her job," Sandra said with a worried frown

Eric's grip tightened around his coffee cup, his knuckles whitening. He could feel his blood boiling, but not for the reasons Sandra assumed. He hated hearing her talk about Evelyn this way, spreading more hes and twisting the truth to salt her narrative,

Claire, sensing the growing tension, quickly composed herself. “She lost her job?” she asked, feigning surprise. “Maybe now she will return to the family company and take her place

Sandra's smile faltered, and for a split second, a scowl threatened to break through her composed exterior. She quickly forced a smile back to her face, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes. It would be nice if Dad could forgive her and let her return," she said, her voice tight

Eric's eyes bone into Sandra's as he asked, "Are you sure about that?"

Cluper li

Sandra didn't hesitate before nodding "Yes, Dad. Of course," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction.

Eric sighed, setting down his coffee cup with a thud. "If that's what you want," he said, his voice heavy with implication. "But if you can convince Evelyn to come ask for my forgiveness and beg me for a job, then I'll let her have it."

As if on rur, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Evelyn appeared at the entrance to the dining room. She stood there for a moment, her posture poised and confident as she took in the scene before her.

Sandra's eyes widened in surprise, her carefully crafted mask slipping for a brief moment as she met Evelyn's gaze.

"I want to join the family magazine, Evelyn said calmly, ber voice cutting through the tension in the room. She stepped further into the room, meeting her father's gaze

Eric looked at her. his expression unreadable as he leaned back in his chair. "Do you now?" he asked, his voice deceptively mild.

Without hesitation. Evelyn walked over to her father's side of the table and knelt before him. "I'm sorry for everything, Dad. I know I disappointed you and hum your feelings. Please forgive me, she said, her voice steady. "I want to come back"

Sandra stared at her in disbelief, her mind racing as she tried to process what was happening. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Evelyn wasn't supposed to be here this way

Evelyn was supposed to be groveling and begging, not taking charge like this. Was this Evelyn's way of showing her that she truly meant war and was coming back to take her place!