The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

Ethan's mind was racing, his heart pounding with frustration as he drove away into the night.

How could this be happening?

Rayna... Golden Sun?

The thought kept spinning in his head, and the more he thought about all their conversations and how well they had synced, the angrier he became.

He knew something was off. There was absolutely no way this could have been a coincidence. How else could he explain that of everyone who had applied, she had been the only one to refuse to give her real name or even show him her pictures?

She had to have known he was the one, even though she had been pretending not to know the whole time. She had deliberately lured him in and seduced him into falling for her.

How dare she be the woman he had fallen for? All these while he had spent his time talking to Rayna?

This had to be some kind of setup. And he had a pretty good idea of who might have been behind it. Ethan's fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove down the quiet streets toward his brother's house instead of his.

He pulled into Melvin's driveway with a sharp jerk, barely able to keep his composure. He slammed the car door shut and stormed up to the front door. The moment he walked inside, he found his brother lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone like he didn't have a care in the world.

Melvin looked up, his eyebrows raised at the sight of Ethan's furious expression. "Whoa, what's with the look? You lose a million bucks or something?"

Ethan didn't waste any time. He glared at his brother, his voice low and cold. "Were you behind it?"

Melvin blinked in confusion, sitting up straighter. "Behind what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Mel. Did you tell Rayna about the marriage ad and make her apply for it?" Ethan's voice was growing louder, his frustration and impatience leaking through with every word.

Melvin's eyes widened in genuine surprise, and for a second, he just stared at Ethan like he had lost his mind. "Wait... what? Rayna responded to the ad?"

Ethan clenched his fists, trying to keep his temper in check. He was already at the edge, and Melvin's clueless expression wasn't helping. "Don't act like you didn't know. Did you and Sarah plan this? Did you tell her to apply and make her look like the perfect match for me?" Before Melvin could respond, Sarah waddled into the room, her hand resting on her belly. She gave Ethan a concerned look.

"What's going on? Why are you so furious, Tan?"

Ethan shifted his glare to her, his voice sharp. "Were you in on this, too? Did you two set this up? Did you tell Rayna to apply and make her seem like the perfect woman for me?"

Melvin and Sarah exchanged a quick glance, something passing between them that only made Ethan more frustrated. His sister-in-law's lips twitched, and she tilted her head. "Wait... Rayna? Is she the 'Golden Sun' you were always talking about?" Ethan's face flushed with embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding their gazes as he muttered, "Yes."

Melvin let out a snort of laughter, and Sarah's eyes lit up with amusement. In the next second, they both burst into laughter, unable to contain themselves.

Ethan's scowl deepened. "This isn't funny."

"Oh, but it is funny," Sarah giggled, wiping a tear from her eye. "We told you, Tan! We told you that Rayna was perfect for you, but no, you were too stubborn to listen!"

Melvin was still chuckling as he leaned back on the couch. "Yeah, man. You've been pining over her this whole time and didn't even realize it. How did you figure it out, anyway?"

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it," Ethan snapped, pacing the living room like a caged animal. "Just tell me if you two had anything to do with it."

Finally catching his breath, Melvin looked at him with a raised brow. "Do you really think I was the one who helped you choose 'Golden Sun' from your list of candidates? Or that Sarah was standing by Raynas side every time she talked to you, telling her what to say to make her perfect for you?"

Ethan stopped pacing, his hands still clenched at his sides. He didn't know what to believe anymore. How was this possible if they didn't have a hand in this? How could someone like Rayna be his perfect lady? Melvin's expression softened slightly. "Listen, man, I don't know why you're so mad at Rayna, but that... that is something you're going to have to let go of if you really want to get married to someone special.'

"Yes, Tan. Mel is right. Think about it: you put out the ad hoping for just a wife for yourself and a mother for your future kids, but you were lucky enough to find love and friendship. How many people do you think are that lucky? I think you should be able to forgive and forget whatever Rayna did to get you so upset, Sarah said softly.

Ethan stared at his brother and sister-in-law for a moment, his mind buzzing with a thousand thoughts. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He cursed under his breath as he walked back to his car, his frustration boiling over.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

How could the universe play such a dumb trick on him? No way!

There was absolutely no way he was going to get married to Rayna.

He was just going to start afresh. If need be, he would go back to the remaining four ladies on the list. He was very certain that he would find someone among them.

Anyone else would be better for him than Rayna. Anyone else, he told himself, but as he got into his bed a short while later, he couldn't help the ache in his chest. He couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that overwhelmed him.

He had been looking forward to meeting his Golden Sun. He had been looking forward to their first date. How was he supposed to find someone else who would sync with him as she had done?

How was he going to get over this overwhelming heartache?

This was all his fault, and he deserved it. He should have insisted she send in her pictures. He should have asked to meet before his emotions got in the way. He had lost focus, and now he had himself to blame for this disappointment and heartbreak.