Michael drove home, mulling over Derek's attempt to seduce Evelyn. He snorted. "Over my dead body," he thought. He would never allow anything to happen between them. The very idea enraged him.

He then wondered if Sandra had lied. If Evelyn truly wanted Derek, why hadn't she acted? She knew of his feelings; what was stopping her? His unease grew with each passing thought.

His mind drifted back to their initial encounters at the company. Evelyn's behavior now made sense—she knew of Derek's interest. Was she playing games, testing boundaries?

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. It no longer mattered. Evelyn had lost her job at Empowered, ending any reason for Derek to see her. A satisfied smile touched his lips. Derek himself had confirmed the end of their connection. As far as Michael was concerned, the chapter was closed.

But the smile vanished as he thought of Sandra. A nagging feeling persisted that she was plotting against him. Her visit to Evelyn's office—reckless and careless—bothered him. What was she thinking? His jaw clenched. Talking to her wasn't enough.

He needed to control Sandra, to keep her on a tighter leash. He needed leverage—something to guarantee her loyalty and obedience. He couldn't afford any surprises.

With that, he reached for his phone, intending to call Sandra and arrange a meeting. But something felt wrong. He glanced at the screen; his brow furrowed in confusion. The wallpaper was unfamiliar; his phone didn't have a floral background.

"What the hell?"

He pressed his thumb against the fingerprint sensor, but the phone remained locked. Panic rose as he tried again, with the same result. Swearing, he pulled over, his fingers flying across the keypad as he entered his password. The screen stayed stubbornly locked. Closer inspection revealed a subtle difference—this wasn't his phone.

He cursed, his pulse racing. He remembered the brief encounter with the woman he'd bumped into. Had they switched phones? He retraced his steps to the hotel, recalling her entering as he exited. There was no doubt—they had swapped phones.

Immediately, he turned the car around and headed back to the hotel, hoping she was still there. If he could use Derek's phone to contact her, perhaps she'd return his. He needed to rectify the situation immediately.

Relief washed over him as he pulled up to the hotel. He rushed inside, heading straight for Derek's suite. He rang the bell, impatience thrumming through him. Inside, Derek, freshly showered and toweling off, was about to call Evelyn. The doorbell interrupted his thoughts.

He paused. Who could it be? A smirk played on his lips as he checked the peephole and saw Michael.

After contacting the hackers, Derek had expedited the job, promising double pay for completion before the week's end. They needed Michael's phone to clone his SIM card. Derek had told them he'd be meeting Michael that evening, and they could retrieve it then.

The hackers had called earlier, confirming they had Michael's phone. Derek understood Michael's presence.

Instead of answering, Derek returned to the bathroom with his phone. He called the hacker: "How's it going?" he asked, his voice low.

"Almost done," the hacker replied. "Just a few more minutes."

"Good. He's here. Finish quickly and return the phone. Don't make it obvious."

Derek draped a towel over his shoulders, opened the door, and greeted Michael with a disarming smile. "Mike? What brings you back? I thought you left." He stepped aside to let Michael in.

Michael scowled. "I bumped into a woman; we swapped phones." He held up the unfamiliar device. "I need to use your phone to call her."

Before Derek could respond, the phone rang. 'Baby' flashed on the screen. Michael's scowl deepened as he answered.

Derek watched with amusement as Michael spoke tersely. When he hung up, he looked sheepish. "That was her fiancé. He wants to exchange phones in the parking lot."

Derek nodded. "Relief. Want me to come?" Michael shook his head.

"Nah. I've got it. Thanks," Michael said, leaving.

After closing the door, Derek chuckled. The situation had played out perfectly. The phone was cloned, and Michael was none the wiser. He now had access to Michael's calls and texts—a crucial step. He wished he'd thought of this sooner.

His thoughts turned to Evelyn. Grinning, he dialed her number.

"Hey," she answered, her tone warm.

"Hello, darling," Derek replied, his grin widening at her giggle.

"What have you been up to?" Evelyn asked, referencing his earlier claims of being busy.

Derek leaned back, recounting his day: "I met with the hackers"

"I thought you spoke with them before," Evelyn interrupted.

"Yeah. That was over the phone. After seeing Samantha, I decided to see them in person to emphasize its importance. Then I celebrated with Ethan, and then I had a drink with Michael," Derek said, and Evelyn smiled.

"Sounds busy," Evelyn remarked, amusement in her voice.

Derek chuckled. "Worth it. They've cloned Michael's SIM. We can monitor his calls and texts."

Evelyn gasped. "Already? Incredible."

"Yep. One step closer. Don't worry, Eve. We'll take him down."

Evelyn was silent for a moment. Relief washed over her. "Thank you, Derek. I don't know how to repay you."

"You don't have to," Derek said softly. "We're in this together."

"So, where is my daughter?" he asked, pride in his tone, making Evelyn laugh.

"She's in the living room," Evelyn said, and Derek raised an eyebrow.

"When is her bedtime hold on. I just remembered something. I saw the flash drive. Are you a magician? When did you compile all of that and put it in my pocket?" he asked, and Evelyn laughed.

"I compiled it while you were busy with Samantha, and I put it in your pocket when you were leaving," she explained.

"I'm not done going through it yet, but I love it and am grateful for it. Thank you, Eve. Thank you so much," Derek said, and Evelyn smiled.

"You're welcome."

"So, when is Samantha's bedtime? I want to tell her bedtime stories. We can do that over the phone for the time being, but after you move to a more secure location, I'll come over to do that every night and tuck her in. I have a lot of catching up to do," Derek promised, and Evelyn's smile widened.

"She'd love that," Evelyn said.

"I'd love that even more," Derek said. Evelyn then gave the phone to Samantha, and they talked. Derek spoke with Samantha until it was time for bed, then told her a bedtime story.

By the time Samantha fell asleep, Derek was half asleep himself, and Evelyn laughed softly as she said goodnight and ended the call.

As Evelyn lay in bed, she sighed with relief, grateful for how everything had turned out and hopeful of clearing the air with her parents tomorrow.