The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 216

Chapter 216

After dinner with the rest of the family, Derek, Evelyn, and Samantha retired to the bedroom.

Evelyn sat propped against the headboard with a quiet smile on her face as she watched Derek and Samantha.

Beside her, Derek lay on his back, his strong arms playfully holding up a giggling Samantha.

"Higher, Daddy! Higher!" Samantha squealed, her laughter ringing through the room like music.

Derek grinned and lifted her into the air again, making airplane noises that sent her into a fit of laughter. Her little legs kicked wildly in excitement, and her cheeks flushed pink with joy.

"You're going to fly away at this rate"" Derek teased as he brought her back down onto his chest. Samantha's hands clutched his shirt, her face glowing with happiness.

"I'm not flying anywhere!" she announced between giggles. Then, in a sudden, sweet moment, Samantha wrapped her arms around Derek's neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

Her voice turned soft, full of love. "I love you, Daddy."

Derek's heart melted, and his smile faltered as his eyes softened.

He tightened his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I love you more, baby."

"No, I love you more"" Samantha argued, her face serious as she pulled back to look at him.

Derek raised an eyebrow, pretending to look shocked. "That's impossible. I love you the most."

Samantha shook her head stubbornly, her curls bouncing. "Nope! ! love you the mostest!"

Watching the sweet scene from her spot on the bed, Evelyn couldn't help but laugh. Her heart swelled as she looked at the two people she loved more than anything in the world. "Alright, you two," she said, her voice light and playful, "you both are wrong. I love you both the most."

Derek turned his head to look at Evelyn, a slow smile spreading across his face. Samantha turned, too, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"I love you two the most," Derek said, and Samantha shook her head.

"Mommy is always right, so she has to win"" Samantha said with a dramatic sigh, making her parents laugh.

Derek and Evelyn exchanged a knowing look as the playfulness quieted. Something gentle passed between them, an unspoken agreement. It was time. Evelyn gave him a slight nod, her smile softening.

"Baby," Evelyn began, her voice tender, "there's something we want to tell you."

Samantha tilted her head, her eyes darting between her parents.

"Did you get me a new toy?" she asked curiously.

Derek chuckled, "No, darling. But we can get you as many as you want," he promised.

"Then what?" Samantha asked, looking from Derek to Samantha.

Evelyn reached out and smoothed Samantha's wild curls. "Well," she said with a smile, "there's one more person for us all to love now."

Samantha's smile widened. "Is it Aunt Maya?"

Evelyn chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Maya is very special to us, but no, sweetheart. There's someone else we want you to meet."

Samantha's brows furrowed in confusion. "Who?"

Samantha watched with curiosity as her father turned to the nightstand and opened the drawer, pulling out the ultrasound picture. He handed the picture to her, and she received it carefully.

"Do you know what this is, baby?" Derek asked gently.

Samantha frowned, studying the picture intently. "Is it a drawing?" she asked, squinting her eyes as she turned it this way and that.

Evelyn and Derek exchanged a quiet laugh. "Not quite, love," Evelyn said softly.

Derek sat up straighter and grabbed his phone. "Here," he said,

swiping through until he found a similar photo. "Do you know what this is, Sam?" he asked as he showed her the image.

Samantha stared at it, her face blank. "No..."

Derek's voice was gentle as he said, "That was you, sweetheart when you were in Mommy's tummy."

Samantha's little mouth dropped open, and she turned her wide eyes toward Evelyn. "Me? In your tummy?"

Evelyn nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, love. That's you before you were born."

"But there is nobody in this. I can't see myself here," she said, looking back at the picture on Derek's phone.