The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek) novel Chapter 5

As Derek stirred awake, he rolled over, reaching out instinctively, but his hand met only cool sheets.
Groggily, he opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight.
When he saw that the other side of the bed was empty, he sat up, the remnants of sleep clinging to him, and looked around the quiet room.
He glanced at the clock on the nightstand — it was eight in the morning. He frowned, running a hand through his tousled hair.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet on the plush carpet.
He stood, stretching, and took a slow lap around the suite. Her clothes were gone, he noticed. The only trace of her was the subtle fragrance that still hung in the air.
Her scent lingered in the room, a faint, tantalizing reminder of her presence.
He remembered the night vividly: the intensity, the passion, the way her presence had ignited something in him. But now, she was gone.
Frustration gnawed at him. He had just returned to the country the previous day, and the jet lag had hit him hard. He had slept more soundly than he had in weeks, and in his deep sleep, he hadn't heard her leave.
Derek grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed his driver. It rang twice before the familiar voice answered. "Good morning, Mr. Stone."
"The lady from yesterday, is her car still parked outside?" Derek asked, not bothering with pleasantries.
"No, sir," the driver replied. "I didn't see the car when I got here an hour ago."
He cursed under his breath, thanking the driver before hanging up. He paced the room, his mind racing:
He had no way of finding her, no clue about who she was or where she had gone. The realization only added to his frustration.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
There was nothing he could do about it now but hope that somehow she would show up again.
For the time being, he needed to get ready for his cousin's wedding. Pushing aside his irritation, he headed to the bathroom to shower and shave.
The hot water did little to ease the tension in his muscles. His thoughts kept drifting back to her- her moan, her touch, the way she had made him feel alive.
But now she was gone, leaving behind only a memory.
Derek stepped out of the shower and toweled off, his mind gradually shifting to the day's events.
He dressed meticulously, choosing a crisp white shirt and a tailored suit. As he was fastening his cufflinks, his phone rang. It was his mother.
"Morning, Mom," he greeted, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he finished dressing.
"Derek, darling, are you alright? I just heard about the accident..."
"I'm fine. I wasn't hurt," he assured her quickly.
"Alright. You need to come home," she said, her voice tinged with urgency.
"Home? What for?" he echoed, confused. "What about the wedding?"
"It's off, dear. There won't be a wedding," she replied.
"The bride jilted your cousin. The wedding has been canceled."
Derek paused, his cufflink forgotten. "What happened?"
"I have no idea," his mother sighed. "Just come home.

Hopefully Michael will explain everything to us all
"I'll be there soon," he said, ending the call.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his mind reeling. The bride had jilted his cousin? This day was turning out to be far more complicated than he had anticipated.
He finished dressing quickly and grabbed his keys and wallet, slipping them into his pockets. With one last glance around the room, he left the suite, the scent of her perfume still faintly lingering in the air, a ghost of the night before.
He stared out the window as the driver drove him to his family home, his thoughts a tangled mess of frustration and curiosity.
Who was she? Why had she left without a word? And what on earth had happened with his cousin's wedding?
When he arrived, his mother met him at the door, her face drawn with worry.
"I'm glad you're here," she said, pulling him into a brief hug.
"What's going on?" Derek asked curiously.
His mother sighed. "Let's go to the study. Your dad is there," she said, and led Derek to the study.
"What's this about Michael being jilted?" Derek asked as soon as the door closed behind him.
His mother shook her head, looking both angry and resigned. "According to his mother, she was out all night with her lover. She showed up early this morning, announced there would be no wedding, and refused to explain herself. Then she packed a bag and left."
Derek frowned. "Just like that?" He asked as he settled into the seat opposite his father.
"Just like that," she confirmed.
"Poor Michael. He must be devastated," Derek said, and his mother nodded.
"This is such a mess. Can you imagine how much embarrassment and humiliation the family has to suffer? I can't believe he ever wanted to get married to someone so irresponsible," his mother said and Derek sighed.
"Well, I suppose a broken engagement is better than a broken marriage," Derek pointed out.
"You could say that. Now that you're back, let's talk about the company. I'm stepping down for you to take over at the next shareholder's meeting," his father announced.
"When you say takeover, do you mean as your puppet so you can pull the strings behind the scene or do you mean you're going to step back completely and let me handle the business?" He asked with a raised brow and his father chuckled.
"I'm going to let you do your thing. I'm old and tired.
All I want is to retire and spend all my time playing golf," his father said and this time Derek chuckled.
"You're only in your early sixties. You're not old at all.
And I have no problems with taking over as long as you do not expect me to stand in front of any cameras reciting words I don't mean or pretending to be who I'm not," he said easily, and his father nodded.
"I understand your desire to not be under public scrutiny and I have always respected it. I won't stop now," he said, and Derek nodded.
"Then I guess I'm ready to take over the reins of leadership from you."