The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 182

Chapter 182
As Evelyn entered the kitchen, the scent of warm toast filled the air, and she spotted Derek breaking eggs into a bowl, focused as he whisked them. He looked up and smiled as she approached.
"Come, sit," he said, holding out the kitchen island stool for her.
"I can do it myself," she replied with a slight chuckle, but Derek shook his head.

"You don't have to when I'm here," he said with a gentle smile, guiding her onto the stool.
Once she settled, she wrinkled her nose as she gazed at the egg, "I don't want eggs. I don't think I can send the smell," she said, and Derek nodded.
"Noted. I guess we won't be eating eggs for a while then. I will just make this for your dad and Rayna," he said, and she raised a brow.

"You can eat them.."
"Nope. I won't eat anything you can't it. It's called solidarity. If carrying our baby makes you unable to eat it, then I shouldn't too," he said, and she grinned.
"Aww. That's so sweet. I can't wait to see how long this solidarity will last," she said, and he chuckled.
"I guess you don't know yet how much you or this pregnancy means to me. You'll find out soon enough," he promised as he set aside the bowl of egg and tried to find something else for them to
eat with the toasts.
"So, how's Maya doing?" He asked, and Evelyn sighed, glancing at the counter as she thought back on their conversation.
"She's... dealing with a lot. We talked, and she opened up a bit.
She's got some health concerns and... she wants to quit."

"Quit?" Derek asked with a slight frown.
"Yeah. You didn't expect her to work as Samantha's nanny forever, did you?" Evelyn asked, and Derek shook his head.
"Not exactly. I guess not. It's just... you know, I just sort of got used to her. I always saw her with Sam and at some point I thought she was Samantha's mom even though I also thought she looked too young to be the Mom..."
"Too young?" Evelyn cut in with a laugh, "Don't be fooled by her petite frame. Maya is twenty nine. She's older than me."

"She is?" Derek asked, surprised, "Well, I just can't imagine not having her around. That's what I'm trying to say. She is always so calm and keeps to herself. And she smiles a lot," he said, and Evelyn smiled.
"She has grown on you, hasn't she?" Evelyn asked, and Derek shrugged.
"I can't deny that. So, what's her plan? Does she want to go back to her family?" Derek asked, and Evelyn paused, collecting her thoughts.
"No, she doesn't. Her mother passed when she was young, and

she grew up with an abusive stepfather. She became Samantha's nanny to save up for school and to get away from him. I asked her to stay here if she wants to. She is family to me."

Derek's expression softened with compassion. "That's sad.
Sounds like she's been through so much. No one should have to face that alone." After a thoughtful pause, he added, "Well, if it helps, I'd be more than happy to support her with her school. She doesn't need to worry about saving up anymore."
Evelyn's eyes widened in surprise, and a warm smile broke across her face. "You'd do that?"
Derek nodded firmly. "You said it yourself. She's family now.
Besides, everyone deserves a chance."

They both turned to the door when they heard Maya's gasp, and they exchanged a look.
"Did you want something, Maya?" Evelyn asked gently as she rose to meet her.
Maya looked down as tears fell from her eyes, "I... came to fix breakfast. I don't understand how you both can be so kind to me," She paused, struggling to find the right words. "I never really had anyone who truly cared about me this way until I met you. I guess that was why I stayed this long. I... I'm not used to it."
Evelyn placed a reassuring hand on Maya's shoulder. "Well, get used to it because you have us now. You're not alone anymore."
Maya offered a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Evelyn. I really don't know what l'd do without you. Thank you, Derek."

"Anytime, Maya. And remember, you're part of this family now," Evelyn said warmly. "Now, how about you take it easy today? You can take the day off. We have things covered here. I'll bring breakfast to you when we are done."
"And if you need anything, just let us know," Derek added as he neatly diced some fruits.

Maya nodded, wiping away the last traces of her tears as Evelyn gave her a final squeeze on the shoulder before letting her go.
After Maya left, Evelyn reached out to give Derek's hand a grateful squeeze. "You really are a kind man, Derek. I'm so lucky to have you," she said, and he chuckled.
"I'm the one who is lucky to have you. I am almost tempted to reward Michael and Sandra for breaking your heart so I could find you," he said and she giggled as she hit his arm playfully.
"How can you joke about something like that?" She asked, and he grinned.
"You're laughing, aren't you?" He asked, and she sighed.

"You know, I just realized I never properly thanked you for that day.
I mean the first day we met..."
"For the sex?" Derek teased with a chuckle, and she glared at him, but color rose in her cheeks.
Derek laughed, brushing off her thanks. "If anyone should be grateful, it's me. After all, you helped me by crashing into my car and letting me meet the love of my life."
They shared a laugh, and Evelyn shook her head, amused. "Alright, you win. Let's hurry up with breakfast. We need to get to the hospital in time to serve them breakfast."
Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Sarah's name flashing.

"Hello?" Evelyn answered.
"Hi, Evelyn. I just called to let you know l'm taking Samantha and Ella to the hospital to visit my brother-in-law. Just wanted to make sure it's alright," Sarah explained.
"That's perfect, Sarah. I was just about to head to the hospital too.
I'll meet you there and take Samantha home afterward," Evelyn replied, a smile in her voice.
Once she hung up, she looked at Derek, who was now placing a plate of toast and a small bowl of diced fruits with a glass of orange juice in front of her. "All set. Breakfast is served."

As they began eating, she glanced at him thoughtfully. "D, do you think there's enough evidence to prosecute Sandra? I mean apart from what she did to my mother and Ethan, can she still be punished for attempting to murder me? We don't have any hard proof of her plotting to kill me or Michael."

Derek's expression grew serious. "Actually, we do have enough. I made an agreement with the hitman. He's willing to confess to his crime and present the recordings of their conversations, claiming them as his own records. In exchange, I'll ensure his mother and daughter are cared for."
Evelyn let out a relieved sigh. "Well, that's... a huge relief."