The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 1

At twenty-two, Evelyn knew exactly what she wanted. She had always known it since she was fifteen and had wanted the very same thing for the past six years—to marry the love of her life right after her graduation from school and start her own family.

She believed herself to be the luckiest girl on earth to have her dreams come true.

Here she was, a week after her graduation, trying on her wedding dress for the final fitting before the wedding tomorrow.

Her fiancé, Michael, was the one and only love of her life. She had met him three years ago, and it had been love at first sight for both of them. In less than twenty-four hours, they would be walking down the aisle. Ecstatic didn’t do justice to what she was truly feeling.

“You’re going to make the most beautiful bride ever, Eve,” Sandra, her stepsister, cooed, breaking into her thoughts.

“I already feel like the most beautiful bride, Sandy. This feels like a fairytale, and I’m about to begin my happily ever after,” Evelyn said with a wide smile.

“This is perfect. So perfect,” Evelyn said, flashing the designer a delighted smile.

“Mike is not going to be able to tear his eyes away from you,” Sandra said, admiring Evelyn as the designer added the final touch to her wedding dress.

Evelyn grinned as she twirled around, her eyes shining brightly. “Thanks, Sandy. What would I do without you?” Evelyn asked as she stopped turning and stood facing Sandra.

Evelyn’s mother had died after birthing her, leaving her father no choice but to raise her alone. When she turned five, her father had married Sandra’s mom, who was a single mother.

Sandra had been four years old while Evelyn was five, and they had gotten along so well together all these years and were best of friends.

“Let’s hope you never find out,” Sandra said with a grin, then glanced at her wristwatch.

“Shoot! I need to go see if the florist has gotten all the flowers ready as requested. Will you be fine on your own?” Sandra asked, and Evelyn rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a kid. Of course, I will be okay,” Evelyn assured her.

“Alright. Try to get some rest. Sleep if you can. Tonight is going to be your last night as a bachelorette, and we have to party,” Sandra said in a sing-song voice, and Evelyn giggled as she watched her leave the room.

Thirty minutes later, after the designer left, Evelyn lay on her bed thinking about Michael and what it would feel like walking down the aisle with him tomorrow.

Suddenly missing him, she decided to sneak over to his place to spend some fun time with him before Sandra got back.

Picking up her car key, she hurried out of the house and got into her car. She decided to give him a call first, wanting to confirm that he was indeed at home.

The phone rang four times before he picked up. “Hey, soon-to-be-wife,” he greeted softly, and she blushed.

“Hello, soon-to-be-husband,” she responded happily.

“Missing me?” he asked, as though he could read her mind.

“Yeah. What are you up to? Are you out? Is Rex with you?” she asked, referring to his best man.

She wanted to call out his name, but she stopped when she saw the feminine clothes strewn across his couch: a short white cotton dress and a red blazer.

This time her brows pulled together when she recognized the very familiar clothes. These were the clothes Sandra had been wearing earlier.

She looked back at the stilettos and recognized them as the limited edition pair she had gotten Sandra for her birthday the previous year.

Why was Sandra here and not at the florist’s? And why didn’t Michael mention that Sandra was with him? Evelyn mused, her heart racing fast as she made her way toward the bedroom.

A part of her brain already analyzed the situation and knew what was going on, but another part of her brain didn’t want to believe it.

She wanted to believe that perhaps Sandra had come here to discuss details about the flowers with Michael, and maybe tea had spilled on her dress, so she was inside looking for something else to wear.

Unfortunately, the closer Evelyn drew to the bedroom, the less she believed the excuse she was making.

Sandra’s laughter drifted through the half-opened door of the bedroom. “You needed to hear her earlier,” she heard Sandra say.

“I already feel like the most beautiful bride, Sandy. This feels like a fairytale, and I’m about to begin my happily ever after,” Sandra said, mimicking what Evelyn had said earlier, and Michael chuckled.

“She is so childish and silly. The only reason I’m able to stand her is her inheritance,” she heard Michael say, and her perfect world shattered in an instant.