The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Derek and Maya remained in each other's embrace, their hearts beating in sync as the intensity of the moment enveloped them.

Everything else around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of their connection and the unspoken words that lingered between them.

Evelyn carefully stepped back into the sleeping area, not wanting to get in the way or interrupt their reunion. Her heart was at ease, knowing that Derek's sister was Maya, whom they already considered family.

After what felt like forever, Derek pulled away to look into Maya's face. The face he had gotten used to without knowing was his sisters.

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it when something else came to mind. They were still on their way to Husla when they should have been heading back to Ludus.

"Give me a moment. I need to speak to the pilot," he said, and Maya nodded.

"I suppose you want to tell him we're turning around"" Maya said awkwardly, and Derek nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be right back. We have so much to talk about," Derek said before going to inform the pilot that there was a change of plans.

As Maya returned to her seat and waited for Derek to return, tears slid down her cheeks, and her lips curved in a shaky smile. Her mind drifted to her thoughts that morning.

Who would've thought that Evelyn was going to be her sister-in-law, that Samantha, whom she had nurtured since she was a baby, was actually her niece, and that she was expecting another niece or nephew?

To think she had raised her brother's child without even realizing it brought fresh drops of tears to her face. Like Samantha, she had also met her brother on her first day in Ludus without realizing it.

She looked up when Derek joined her again, and she sniffled. "I still can't believe it. You're really my brother?" She asked as Derek took the seat opposite her.

"I'm still trying to believe it myself, but I'm glad it's you," Derek said as he reached out and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"You remember this?" Maya asked, referring to the locket since it was what had drawn Derek's attention.

"Not entirely. It just seemed so familiar when I saw it on you last night, and I couldn't tell why. And then I had a dream, and I saw something similar," Derek said, and Maya looked down at the locket.

"Perhaps you would have known if I had taken it out earlier.

Yesterday was the first time I took it out since I received it from my late mother," she explained.

"What did she tell you? And how long have you been searching for me?" Derek asked, and Maya took a deep breath, gathering her 

thoughts.

"I only just started searching for you. I wasn't sure you would remember me or that you would want me to be involved in your life. But for some reason, I just felt the urge to find you," she said, and Derek leaned back, his eyes locked on hers.

"Have you always known about me?" he asked, and Maya shook her head.

"I only learned about you some years ago when my mom, the woman who raised me, was dying. She told me the truth that she wasn't my birth mother and that my parents had died in a car crash when I was just a baby, and she had taken my brother to the orphanage home because she didn't have the means to care for us both."

Her voice cracked, but she pushed on. "She gave me this locket and told me it was the only thing left of my real family, and I was holding on to it when she found me. All this while, I hadn't thought of finding my brother even though I had the information I needed to find him, but after receiving so much love from you and Evelyn, I decided to find my brother- if he was even alive. I never imagined it would be you, Derek. I didn't think l'd ever find you," she said as fresh tears flowed from her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't find you all this while. I can't imagine how tough things must have been for you," Derek said softly.

"I always knew I was adopted, but I knew nothing about you. I totally lost the memory of my life before the accident. I only found out about your existence recently, and that's why I started searching for you," Derek said, and Maya nodded, understanding that he had only been a kid then.

"Better late than never, right?" She asked, and Derek took a shaky breath, his gaze softening as he nodded.

"Tell me everything, Maya. I want to know everything. Tell me about your mom. How did she find us?" Derek asked, curious to know how she had taken them out of the car wreck.

"She said she was returning home alone from a late night shift when she saw the car. It was burning, but my brother... you were seated away from the car with me in your arms, crying. We were both crying and terrified. She said she couldn't ignore the cries, so she got out to help. She said our parents were already gone by the time she got there. She couldn't save them..." Maya paused, her voice trembling as she wiped away her tears.

Although Derek was confused about how he got out of the car with Maya, he knew Maya wouldn't have the answer since she was telling the story as she had been told.

"She took us home that night because she feared I wouldn't survive the night without immediate care. She planned to take both of us in, but her circumstances were dire. She barely had enough to feed herself, let alone two children. So, the next morning, she took you to the local orphanage and kept me. She said it broke her heart to separate us, but she thought you'd have a better chance at life through the orphanage."

Derek leaned forward, his voice filled with quiet intensity. "I don't blame her for that. It must ve been an impossible choice for her.

But she saved our lives. Without her, neither of us would be here today."

Maya nodded a bittersweet smile on her face. "She was a good woman, Derek. She raised me despite her husband's objection and 

gave me everything she could. I loved her deeply, and I miss her every day."

Derek reached across the table and took her hands in his. "I wish I could ve met her. She sounds like a remarkable woman."

"She was," Maya whispered, squeezing his hands.

"Things must have been tough for you after her death," he said, and Maya nodded.