The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 177

Chapter 177
Rayna's hands tightened around the steering wheel as she drove to the Quinns' house, her mind racing with an unstoppable rage.
The thought of confronting Sandra made her pulse quicken, and she pictured the countless ways she'd transfer her frustration and anger onto her. She couldn't let Sandra get away with what she had almost done to her and what she did to Ethan.
As far as she was concerned, this had nothing to do with Evelyn.
This had been a personal attack on her, and she was going to handle it personally and not wait for Evelyn and Derek to punish Sandra.
She didn't have the patience to wait like they did to handle Sandra.
She wasn't going to wait until morning, either. She didn't care that it was late in the night. She was going to barge in there and give Sandra the beating of her life instead of waiting with a stomach coiled with dread while Ethan was being operated on.
After she was done with Sandra, Derek and Evelyn could have her arrested and taken to prison, looking like an accident victim for all she cared.
But as she neared the Quinn house, she spotted something unexpected: an ambulance parked at the curb, its lights flashing against the night, illuminating the manicured lawn in bursts of red and blue.
Paramedics were loading a stretcher into the vehicle, and Eric was following closely with a worried expression on his face.
Rayna strained to see who it was. Her stomach dropped as the paramedics closed the doors behind Eric, and the ambulance pulled away from the house, sirens blaring.
Raynas grip slackened on the wheel, her anger momentarily muted by confusion. What was going on? Who was in that ambulance? And why was Sandra's car not in the driveway? Did she not return to the house?
Not sure what to do anymore now that she couldn't confront Sandra, Rayna sat there, unmoving, watching the ambulance grow smaller down the road, her mind churning with unanswered questions.
She contemplated going after the ambulance or calling Evelyn to let her know that something seemed to be wrong at home, but just then, her phone rang.
Her heart dropped when she saw that it was Melvin, and she quickly picked it up, fearing whatever he was going to say.
"Ethan is out now," Melvin said, and Rayna let out the breath she had been holding.
"Is he okay? What did the doctor say? Is he going to be fine?" She asked quickly.
"Yeah. Although he has not woken up yet, but they said he will be okay," Melvin said, and Rayna nodded, feeling relieved.
"I will be on my way back now," she said as she quickly reversed the car. She wanted to be with Ethan when he woke up.
She was going to deal with Sandra later, but for Sandra's sake, she
hoped that Evelyn and Derek would get her first. Otherwise, she was going to pull out all the hair on Sandra's empty head.
Just as Rayna drove off, the front door of the Quinns house swung open, and Sandra stumbled out of the house.
Her eyes were red, her face pale, and her hair was disheveled as if she'd just woken from a nightmare. Without shoes or a coat, Sandra dashed barefoot down the driveway with only her phone in hand, and her thoughts locked solely on pursuing the ambulance and making sure that her mother was alright.
She had not meant to hurt her mother. She could never imagine hurting her mother physically for whatever reason. Her mother was all the family she had, and no matter how ambitious she was, she wanted her mother with her all the way by her side.
As Sandra hurried down the road barefooted, hoping to catch a cab to go to the hospital, the phone in her hand rang once again, and in a sudden burst of frustration, Sandra threw the phone down, shattering it on the pavement.
It was that damned phone that had made her mother fall and hurt herself. And for all she knew, her mother could die from bleeding so much.
She didn't care about Evelyn, Michael, or anyone else right now. All she wanted was for her mother to be okay.
Sandra sprinted down the road, her breaths visible in the cold night air as she waved frantically at an approaching cab so she could catch up with the ambulance.
Once she got into the cab and gave him directions to catch up
with the ambulance, Sandra clasped both hands together as tears ran down her face, and she begged God to save her mother's life.
In exchange, she would let go of every grudge she had against Evelyn, and she wouldn't hurt Michael or Evelyn; instead, she would be the good daughter that her mother wanted her to be.
Away from there, Derek's impatience grew with every passing second as he glanced at his watch and then back at the hitman, who was becoming equally agitated.
The room was tense, each silence longer than the last as they all waited for the moment Sandra's phone would finally connect.
Evelyn, who had been kept in a separate room from Michael because she didn't want to see him, and Derek didn't want Michael anywhere near her either, sat ready, her hair and makeup meticulously done for the ruse they'd planned.
Her clothes had been roughened up with red stains like blood on them, and she looked like she had been slapped and beaten up.
She, too, watched the hitman with a frown, wondering why it was taking too long for Sandra to receive her call.
The hitman tried calling Sandra again, the phone on speaker for everyone to hear. His irritation was evident as he muttered a frustrated curse under his breath. "Still not connecting," he announced, his voice filled with irritation.
Evelyn's expression hardened as she heard the news. "This isn't right," she said, standing up and pacing. "If Sandra isn't answering, something's wrong. Maybe she suspects something... or maybe something's happened. I don't think she slept off. There's no way she could have slept off after what she did to Ethan. And
especially not when she's waiting to hear about my abduction."
Derek looked at her, his own suspicion growing. "Do you think we should try contacting your father? He might know where she is or what she's up to."
Without waiting for another suggestion, Evelyn gave him a nod.
Derek pulled out his phone and dialed Eric's number. The line rang several times, each ring amplifying the tension in the room. Before Eric finally answered, his voice sounded strained and distracted.
"Eric?" Derek's voice was cautious. He could hear muffled sounds in the background, a rustling and beeping that made his stomach twist. "What's going on? Are you alright? Is everything okay?"
Eric's response was grim and tired. "I'm in an ambulance, Derek.
Taking Claire to the hospital... she got hurt by Sandra."
Derek froze, a chill running through him. "Sandra hurt Claire? Her own mother?" he repeated, his tone low with shock.
Evelyn, standing close by, felt her heart leap to her throat. She snatched the phone from Derek, her face a mix of anger and fear.
"Dad? What happened? What did Sandra do to Mom?"
Eric's voice softened, but it was strained as if he was barely holding himself together. "Evelyn... Claire's in bad shape. She hurt her head."
Evelyn's hand tightened around the phone as a surge of fury swept through her. Just how many more people was Sandra going to hurt?
She couldn't let Sandra ruin any more lives, Evelyn decided, her
heartbeat pounding in her ears. "Where are you taking her? I'm coming to the hospital," she said firmly, her voice laced with urgency.
Once her father told her where they were going, she turned to Derek, her gaze fierce. "I don't care about the plan anymore.
Sandra's gone too far. She needs to be stopped. Now."
Derek gave a curt nod. "Agreed. Let's go." He glanced toward the detectives waiting by the door. "This show is over. Some of your men can take Michael and the rest of them away. The rest of you, come with us to the hospital and get Sandra."