The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

Maya's heart was pounding as she hurried up the stairs to her bedroom, her legs moving faster than her mind could process.

The kiss- the soft, unplanned kiss lingered on her lips like a spark refusing to burn out.

She pushed open her bedroom door and stepped inside, shutting it quietly behind her.

The room was dimly lit by the moonlight spilling through the window. Her breathing was uneven, and her chest rose and fell with a rhythm she couldn't control.

She leaned against the door, her fingers brushing over her lips as if trying to convince herself it had actually happened.

"What did I just do?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She dropped her hand and crossed the room, her steps slow and uncertain.

Sinking onto the edge of her bed, Maya stared at the floor, her mind racing. Her cheeks were warm, and her stomach churned with a mixture of exhilaration and dread. The memory of Liam's wide, surprised eyes flashed in her mind.

He hadn't even had the chance to react.

She buried her face in her hands, groaning softly. "Why did I do that?" she muttered. It wasn't like her to act so impulsively, so... boldly.

She replayed the moment in her head- how natural it had felt to lean in, how she hadn't even stopped to consider the consequences or the fact that Liam was in love with Evelyn.

She fell back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her heart still raced, refusing to settle. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips despite her turmoil.

That fleeting moment had felt perfect, as though it had been waiting to happen all along.

Still, uncertainty crept in. What if she had ruined the friendship between them with her thoughtless action?

She was nothing like Evelyn. Evelyn was a brilliant, accomplished lady. How would he drop from wanting Evelyn to someone like her?

Until now, she had been just a mere nanny with no college degree or anything special to her name. Who was she to think that someone like Liam would be interested in her?

The thought made her chest tighten, and she rolled onto her side, hugging a pillow to herself.

"I'll just pretend it didn't happen," she mumbled to herself. But even as she said the words, she knew it would be impossible to forget her first kiss.

Outside the house, Liam remained in his seat, staring at the front yard of the house with surprise. His mind was a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts, all centered on one thing: Maya had kissed him.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, his lips pressing together. The feeling of her lips on his still lingered, soft and electric. He could still see her wide, nervous eyes as she'd pulled away and bolted from the car. She hadn't said a word, leaving him stunned and frozen in place.

"Did that really just happen?" he murmured, glancing at his reflection in the rearview mirror as though it might give him answers.

The warmth in his chest spread outward, mixing with the disbelief and confusion swirling inside him. He hadn't seen it coming-hadn't expected her to close the gap between them so suddenly, so fearlessly. But she had, and now he couldn't stop thinking about it.

A small, amused smile tugged at his lips as he started the car and pulled away from the driveway.

As he drove home, he thought of her. Maya was unpredictable and utterly captivating in a way he had not expected

He never would have imagined being in such a situation with Maya, but something about it didn't feel wrong.

That kiss, brief as it had been, seemed natural. It hadn't felt calculated or hesitant. It had felt genuine.

He shook his head, chuckling softly under his breath. "Maya," he said aloud, the sound of her name grounding him.

But then another thought crept in, uninvited. What if he was reading too much meaning into the kiss? What if it had been a mistake? What if it had been a spur-of-the-moment action born

from the high emotions of the evening?

He sighed, his grip on the wheel loosening as he pulled up to a red light. "Don't overthink it, Liam," he told himself firmly.

But how could he not?

He thought back to the way she'd smiled at him tonight, her gratitude for his support shining in her eyes. The way she'd leaned on him, trusted him, opened up to him. Did it mean something more? Or was he reading too much into it? And what about him? Was he interested in her that way? Had he moved on from Evelyn already? Or was he just distracting himself?Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

By the time he reached his driveway, his emotions were a tangled mess. Excitement, confusion, hope, and fear swirled together, making it impossible to settle on one.

Liam killed the engine and sat in the dark car for a moment, staring out at the quiet street. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply.

Deciding to give Maya a call and let her know that he had gotten home, he dialed her line.

The phone rang a couple of times, but there was no response.

He tried again, and when there was still no response, he sighed as he got out of the car.

The thought of Maya pulling away- of her regretting the kiss - sent an unexpected pang through his chest.

Back in Maya's room, she bit her lip as she stared at her phone, too embarrassed and scared to receive Liam's call.

What if he wanted to scold her? What if he was mad and disappointed? Maya mused as she picked up her phone and switched it off.

She didn't want to face him tonight. Maybe another time. But not tonight.

As Maya drifted off to sleep, she dreamt of Derek, Evelyn, Samantha, and Liam, who also found his way into her dreams, as he had unknowingly found his way into her heart.

Evelyn, Derek, and Maya sat at the dining table for breakfast the next morning.

Maya was a bundle of nerves as she poked at the slices of melon on her plate, her fork moving aimlessly.

She wasn't hungry. Not with the embarrassing memory of last night swirling in her mind like a storm cloud.

In the brightness of the day, she realized that she had been out of her mind last night. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of how she had acted with Liam- throwing herself at him so recklessly. Her stomach churned as shame and regret weighed heavily on her. She had turned off her phone first thing that morning and tucked it away in her drawer. Facing Liam was a problem for later

- after she had come up with an acceptable excuse and could muster up the courage to apologize.

For now, she needed to avoid the possibility of hearing his voice or seeing any messages from him.

Across the table, Derek and Evelyn exchanged a silent look. Evelyn raised her eyebrows slightly as if encouraging Derek to say something. With a slight nod, Derek cleared his throat. "Maya?" His voice was soft, careful, and laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

Maya's head jerked up, startled out of her thoughts. Forcing a smile, she met his worried gaze. "Yes," she said quickly, though her voice was quiet. "I'm fine. Just... thinking."

Derek didn't look convinced, and

Evelyn tilted her head, studying

Maya with a motherly kind of patience Before they could press further, Maya changed the subject since she didn't want them to ask her what she was thinking about.

She twirled her fork between her fingers and looked at Derek. "By the way," she began, her tone casual, "did your parents live in Husla before? I mean, how come they adopted you from there?"

Derek's expression softened as he

leaned back his chair, relaxing a

little. "Yeah, they did. Back then, my dad was still managing the company in Husfa. That was before he took over the headquarters here. They moved here not long after the adoption."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "So, just like you were in Husla before coming here to take over. Funny how you both never crossed paths while you were there," she said, glancing between the two.

Maya shook her head, a faint smile

tugging at her lips. "How could we have crossed paths? Apart from the fact that Husla is a really big city, we don't move in the same circles. doubt we would ever have visited the same places," she said, matter of factly as she pointed out the

difference in their upbringings.

Derek's expression shifted, a shadow of guilt flickering across his face. Evelyn noticed immediately and reached out, covering his hand with hers. She gave him a reassuring squeeze and grinned. "Well, thanks to fate- and me- you both visited the same place.

My life!"

Her playful tone broke the tension, and the three of them chuckled, the mood lightening a little. Evelyn kept the conversation flowing smoothly after that, making sure they were both relaxed.

Once the plates were cleared, Evelyn exchanged another look with Derek, this time more serious. She gave him a subtle nod, signaling that it was time.

Derek turned to Maya, his expression more solemn now. "Uhm, Maya," he started carefully, his voice tinged with hesitation.

Maya's eyes widened slightly. She straightened in her seat, sensing the shift in his tone. Her stomach twisted in anxiety as she looked at him curiously, suspecting he wanted to talk about something serious.

"I need to discuss something with you," Derek continued, and she swallowed hard, nodding for him to go on.

What was it? Did he tell his parents about her and they didn't want someone like her in his life? She mused, her heart racing.

"I'm listening," she said, looking from Derek to Evelyn and then back again.

He glanced at Evelyn briefly before locking eyes with Maya. "It's about our parents."

Maya blinked, her pulse quickening. "What about them?"

Derek hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath. "That night. It wasn't an accident," he said finally. "They were murdered."

The words hung in the air. Maya's mouth fell open, her heart thudding loudly in her chest. "Murdered?" she whispered, the word feeling foreign on her tongue as she processed what he had just said.

Derek nodded, his jaw tight. "Yes."

Maya's mind raced. "But... how? Why? Who would do something like that?"

"I don't know all the answers yet," Derek admitted, his voice steady but strained. "But I remember some things now. Pieces of that night are coming back to me."

Maya's eyes widened. "You remember?"

Derek swallowed hard, his hand tightening around Evelyn's for support. "Not everything. But I remember enough to know it wasn't an accident. I saw it happen." His voice faltered slightly, and Evelyn squeezed his hand again. Derek took a shaky breath as he continued to tell her about the

memory and what his mother had told him, too.

Maya's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at him. Just listening to him made her heart heavy with sorrow.

Now she understood exactly why he had lost his memory. It had been too traumatic for a child his age.

Maya stared at him, her throat tightening with emotion. "Derek...

I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Her voice trembled as she spoke, tears dropping from her eyes.

Derek took a shaky breath, nodding. "Now that I've found you, I want to know why they were murdered. I need to find answers," Derek said, and Maya nodded.

"I want to know, too," she said, brushing the tears from her eyes.

She wanted to know the reason her parents had been taken from her at such an early age and why she had been thrust into a life of hardship.

Derek nodded, his resolve hardening. "We'll find out the truth together."

"Together," Maya echoed, her voice quiet but filled with resolve.

Now that they had found each other, they were going to find answers together.

Derek leaned forward, his voice softening. "I'll need a copy of the picture in your locket. And I think we should contact the orphanage. If we know when I was brought in, it could help us find

more clues. If your mom were alive..."

"I know the date" Maya cut in before he could finish.

"You do?" Derek blinked, surprised.

"Yes. It's my assumed birthday. My mother said she celebrates my birthday on the date she saw us," she said, and a relieved sigh escaped Derek's lips.

"As weird as that sounds, it's a good start. Knowing the date and the place where it happened would go a long way in helping us get answers," Evelyn said, and both Derek and Maya agreed. Derek nodded, his resolve hardening further. "We'll get the answers. No matter what it takes, we will uncover the truth."