The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 161

Chapter 161
Despite the fact that his stomach was a tight knot of anticipation and anxiety, Derek was a picture of calm and composure as he sat with his parents in their living room the following day.

He glanced at the clock, counting down the minutes until Michael would arrive. They were waiting for him so they could tell him about Sandra's plan, as they had agreed the previous evening.

As Derek sat there, his thoughts raced with plans for his meeting with Sandras hitman. Since they had cloned her SIM, getting his number had been easy, and they had sent a text to him using the SIM and asked to meet at a discreet location by noon.

He needed to finish up with Michael quickly so he could meet the hitman at noon since it was almost 10 a.m. already.
His thoughts were interrupted, and he exchanged a glance with both his parents when they received an alert from the monitor at the gate that a car was entering the premises.
'This is it, Derek thought as he readied his mind to face Michael.

Neither of them made any move to get the door since Michael was family and had unrestricted access to the house. But that was going to change in a couple of minutes.
Outside the house, as Michael parked his car, his gaze fell on Derek's car, and he couldn't help wondering why Derek was also there that morning.

Although Derek had every right to be there, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Derek's presence had something to do with the reason his aunt had asked him to join them for breakfast.
Perhaps they wanted to tell him about Derek's plan to propose to Sandra, he thought, and then smiled with approval. But then, his smile faltered when he recalled Sandra's suggestion of getting rid of Evelyn before then.

Could he still let Derek marry Sandra, or should he probably do something and stop it all? Sandra had become too ambitious and vicious for his liking, and he wasn't sure he could trust her to uphold her end of the deal after marriage to Derek.

He sighed deeply and shoved the thoughts aside, deciding to think about it more deeply later. He plastered a smile on his face as he opened the door and walked into the house.
He smiled broadly when he saw them all in the living room, and he greeted Derek's parents politely before turning to Derek

"Hey, man. What's up?" he greeted, but neither Derek nor his parents responded to the greeting.
There was no reason for them to put up a show anymore when they had invited him over to let him know that they knew all he was up to.

"Sit down, Michael," Derek's mother said in an authoritative tone that took Michael aback.
His aunt and uncle were always happy to see him, and they never spoke with him in such a tone. What could be wrong, he mused as he took the seat she gestured at. 
For some reason, he felt like he was sitting on a hot seat, and all three pairs of eyes settled on him and followed his movement.
"Is there a problem, aunt? Did I do something wrong?" He asked, looking from Derek to his aunt since he knew that she favored him like a son.

"Why would you ask that? Did you do something wrong?" Derek's father asked, and Michael laughed awkwardly and shook his head.
"No, I didn't. It's just that no one is smiling. The atmosphere here seems tense. Did something happen?" Michael asked, and Rebecca exchanged a glance with her husband and then Derek.

When they both gave her a nod, she leaned forward in her seat,
"How well do you know Sandra?" she asked, and Michael's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Sandra's name.

He wondered why his aunt was suddenly asking him about how well he knew Sandra. Did Sandra probably do or say something?
Or was his aunt asking because of the proposal plan? Or was it in any way related to the hotel incident? Did somebody see Sandra going in or leaving his house? Michaels mind raced with questions.

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he cleared his throat.
"We've been friends for years. So, I guess I know her well enough," he said, trying hard to hide his anxiety.
Derek leaned in his expression grave. "Really? Are you sure about that?" he asked, holding Michael's gaze.

Why was Derek asking if he was sure? What was going on?
Unease washed over him, but he nodded. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Derek's father spoke before he could say anything more.
"Michael, there's something we want you to listen to since you're so sure you know Sandra so well," he said, and Michael's heart dropped.
Did Evelyn make another recording of Sandra? Was it something very incriminating that would get him in trouble?

"What is it? Did Sandra do something wrong?" Michael's stomach churned as he braced himself for whatever they wanted him to listen to. Though he didn't know what it was, he was certain it wouldn't be good.
If it were, they wouldn't have started by asking him how well he knew Sandra. He watched anxiously as Derek pulled out a phone from his pocket and tapped on the screen.
The room fell silent as the recording of Sandra ordering the hitmen to get rid of him and Evelyn played.