The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

How could this happen? Why did it have to be Ethan? After chatting for days and anticipating their date, how could the person she had fallen for be Ethan?

This had to be a joke. This was a cruel joke. There was no way this could be happening to her, Rayna thought as she hurriedly headed for the door.

Evelyn caught Rayna just as she got to her car. The evening air was cool, and the quiet around them only made the tension in Rayna's posture more noticeable. Her friend looked lost in thought, her fingers nervously gripping her car keys.

"Ray!" Evelyn called softly, catching up to her.

Rayna paused but didn't turn fully. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes already misting. "Evie, I... I can't talk right now. I just need to be alone for a bit. Maybe we can talk tomorrow."

Tears began to fall, and Evelyn's heart clenched at the sight. She quickly moved closer, wrapping her arms around Rayna in a warm embrace.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

"Rayna, let's go inside, okay? We can talk about this," Evelyn pleaded softly, not wanting Rayna to leave in that state, especially not when she was crying this way. She had never seen Rayna this emotional, and it made her worry.

Rayna shook her head as she pulled away gently from Evelyn's embrace, her teary gaze flickering towards the house.

Shame burned her cheeks at the thought that she had spent days confiding in Evelyn about Ethan- gushing about his wit and charm when he couldn't even stand her in reality.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Evelyn," she whispered, her voice cracking as she fought back more tears. "Please, I just need to go," she said, wiping her tears.

"I will let you go, but not in this state. You need to calm down," Evelyn said, and Rayna nodded.

"I'm calm," Rayna assured her, even though she didn't look calm in any way.

Evelyn followed Rayna as she unlocked her car and Evelyn got into the passenger seat, "Don't overthink it, Ray. I know this is a lot to take in, but before you jump to conclusions, hear me out."

"What is there to hear? It's him. ET is Ethan."

Evelyn sighed. "Yes. But listen, Ray, have you considered the fact that he might be your soul mate, as you said the other day? Isn't this a good thing? I mean, what are the chances that you both connected this way despite everything?"

Rayna shook her head, "This isn't going to work."

"Why not? Don't you think the anonymity of the internet allowed you both to be more relaxed and more open with each other so you could see you are meant for each other?" Evelyn asked softly. "We can't even stand each other in real life. How did this happen?

How could this happen? How could I have fallen for a man I can't stand in person? Someone I can't even have a civil conversation with in real life?" Rayna asked, breaking down in tears once again. "No. That's not true. You can stand him. The only reason you are this way with him is because he refused to accept your apology and move on..."

"Exactly! And somehow, I managed to fall for someone who despises me!"

"You said ET said he is in love with you," Evelyn reminded her.

"We both know Ethan doesn't like me. Evelyn, please. I'm exhausted. I just want to go home. Please, let's stop talking about this now," she begged. Evelyn nodded, understanding. "Alright. Drive safely. Don't cry. Call me when you get home," she said as she stepped out of the car.

Evelyn watched as Rayna drove off without another word, leaving her standing by the door, feeling the weight of her friend's pain.

As Evelyn returned inside, she noticed Ethan standing by the dining table, his coat in hand, clearly ready to leave as well.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Derek caught her eye and subtly shook his head, signaling her to wait.

Without a word, Derek walked over to Ethan, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and escorted him out of the house.

As Derek walked Ethan to his car, Ethan kept muttering to himself.

He then turned to Derek once he got to his car, "This doesn't make any sense. How can this be? How can she be Rayna? The name doesn't even make any sense. How did she go from Rayna to Golden Sun? I used ET! Ethan, ET! She had me fooled!"

Although Derek was amused by the situation, he knew that laughing now could earn him a punch from Ethan, so he tried to maintain a straight face.

"Take it easy, man. Rayna isn't so bad..."

Before Derek could finish, Ethan shot him a glare again, "Was it you? Did you tell Evelyn that I put out the ad, and you made her respond to it? Or was it Melvin and Sarah? Shit!" Ethan swore under his breath and kicked his car tire, setting off the theft alarm. "Or maybe it's just fate. Destiny," Derek said with a shrug.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would it be her of all the people in the world?" Ethan asked, and then, with another curse under his breath, he got into his car and drove away.

The moment he disappeared, Derek chuckled under his breath, unable to hold back his laughter anymore.

"What's so funny?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow as she stepped outside to join him.

She had been watching them from the window, and the moment Ethan drove off, she hurried out to meet Derek. She wanted to know what Ethan said since she had been unable to hear him.

Derek let out a soft chuckle, "The whole situation. If you think about it, it's funny."

Evelyn shook her head, "I guess it is, but I can't find the humor in it right now. Not when Rayna is so heartbroken. What did Ethan say?"

Derek shook his head. "He's still in denial. He didn't say much. He just wants to be alone for a while."

"The same as Rayna. She was crying but wouldn't talk about it," Evelyn said with a sigh, crossing her arms.

Derek walked over to her and rubbed her arms, "Don't lose sleep over it. I'm sure those two will find a way to fix things. It seems like we didn't really have to invite them over after all. They're meant to be."

"What if they don't fix things? Do you really think Ethan is going to want to fix things? Rayna believes that he hates her. The problem between them is from Ethan, not Rayna," Evelyn said, and Derek nodded thoughtfully.

"It is true that Ethan holds grudges. But I'm sure they will be fine, Evie. Let's give them time. I believe they will sort things out. Ethan won't let something silly get in the way of what he has found and can have with Rayna." She sighed softly, leaning into Derek's comforting presence. "I hope you're right."

Evelyn wasn't so sure. She could stilli see the hurt in Rayna's eyes, and she knew her friend well enough to know that this wasn't just a small issue. But Derek's calm reassured her a little since he knew Ethan well enough. Maybe he was right. Perhaps they just needed some space to figure things out on their own.