Evelyn stepped out of the third house she'd inspected that day, her eyes scanning the tree-lined estate. She sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the choices and the responsibility of finding the perfect home for her family. The realtor sensed her lack of enthusiasm, but before Evelyn could comment, her phone buzzed.

Seeing Derek's name, a wide smile curved her lips as she answered. Although they'd spoken earlier that morning, the call had been brief; she'd been getting Samantha ready for school, and he'd mostly talked to Samantha.

"Hello, D," she said softly, stepping away from the realtor for privacy.

"D, huh?" Derek asked, amused. Evelyn giggled.

"You call me Eve. And I've wanted to call you that for a while," she said, and he chuckled. "Well, call me anything but the annoying 'Mr. Stone' you always used," he replied, and she giggled again.

"I can't exactly call you 'Mr. Stone' anymore, can I?" she asked. He chuckled.

"You'd better not. So, how's your day going? Found any houses you like?" he asked.

Evelyn glanced back at the house. "Still working on it. I've seen a few nice places, but nothing that feels like home yet. I'm trying to be thorough."

"Yeah, be thorough. You'll know the right one when you see it," Derek said encouragingly.

"By the way, I never got to ask—when did you leave last night?"

Derek laughed. "After you fell asleep. You were out like a light."

She chuckled, remembering the night. "Well, I slept like a baby. After what you did, how could I not?"

"I'm glad to know I'm good for something. If you're having trouble sleeping in the future, invite me over, and I'll knock you out," he joked, and Evelyn laughed softly. "You're good for a lot more than that," she assured him.

"So, how did it go with your parents?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, well enough," Evelyn replied with a giggle, then recounted the drama with Sandra.

"Well, she's cleared up any doubts your parents might have had about her innocence," Derek said with a chuckle.

"Yeah. Enough about me. How did it go with your father? Did you go home as planned?"

Derek laughed, recounting his father's excitement. "He was happy to hear about Samantha. He's always wanted a daughter, and now he has a granddaughter. He's already looking forward to meeting her. I told him I'd arrange something soon." Evelyn smiled.

"Well, I'm sure we can arrange that," she said.

"Let's. I want him to meet you and Samantha soon," he said, making Evelyn's heart skip a beat.

Meeting Derek's father felt like a significant step, but she couldn't deny the excitement. "Why don't you invite him over for lunch or dinner after we move? He can see the new place and meet Samantha."

"That's a good idea," Derek agreed hesitantly. "But we don't know how long that'll take, and my dad—he'd rather not wait. He's eager to see Samantha. Would you be okay with me taking her out this Saturday? Just the two of us?"

Evelyn bit her lip. She trusted Derek, but the idea was still new. "So, you're planning to spend the day only with Samantha? What about me?" Derek's deep laughter made her smile widen. "Are you jealous?"

Evelyn laughed softly. "Maybe just a little. But don't worry, I've had her to myself for all these years. It's only fair you have her for a day. It might actually give me some time to focus on this house-hunting without distractions."

A knock came on Derek's office door. His secretary entered.

"Mr. Stone, Ms. Sandra is here," she said politely.

Derek's brows lifted. "Let her in," he instructed, then turned back to Evelyn. "I'm sorry, Eve, but I have to go. Sandra just arrived. I'll call you back after she leaves, alright?"

Evelyn felt a pang at the mention of Sandra, but pushed it aside. "Alright, D. Talk to you later."

Sandra entered, her usual confidence tempered with a sheepish look. Derek greeted her warmly, though curiously.

"Hello, Sandra," he said.

Sandra approached his desk, her expression a mix of guilt and playfulness. "Are you still mad at me for what I did?" she asked softly.

Derek feigned ignorance. "What did you do?"

She sighed, fidgeting. "For involving your mother the other day," she confessed. "I thought you might be upset." Derek shook his head. "That's in the past, Sandra. I told Michael to let you know I wasn't mad. Didn't he?"

Sandra pouted. Derek smirked. "If you weren't mad, why haven't you called me since then?"

Derek chuckled. "I've been busy, Sandra. Besides, you didn't call me either. But let's forget all that. How about we go out for lunch today?" Sandra's face lit up. "I'd love that."

Before they could continue, Derek's phone buzzed with a message from the team monitoring Michael's phone. He recognized it as a recorded conversation.

He needed to hear it before leaving with Sandra. He held up a hand. "Give me a minute, Sandra. I need to take a message from an important client." He connected his earbuds and played the message.

His eyes narrowed, and his smirk deepened as the conversation confirmed his suspicions. This was the first of many pieces of evidence, he reasoned.

He composed himself and turned to Sandra. "Ready for lunch?" he asked casually.

Oblivious, Sandra nodded eagerly. "Yes. Let's go."

As they left, Derek's mind raced. The message was a crucial piece of the puzzle. He would use it to his advantage, but for now, he'd enjoy lunch with Sandra and keep his cards close.

In the elevator, he thought of Evelyn, her laughter echoing in his ears. He had many challenges, but he wouldn't let anything or anyone come between him and the life he wanted with Evelyn and Samantha. Not his mother, not Sandra, and certainly not Michael.