Evelyn's day had been long, and by the time she stepped out of the cab in front of her home, exhaustion weighed heavily on her. She straightened her coat as she walked up the path, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. All she wanted was a calm evening with Samantha, perhaps some tea, and a chance to collapse on the couch.

As she unlocked the door, she heard the soft murmur of voices. One was unmistakably Samantha's bright chatter; the other, to her surprise, was Derek's. She paused in the doorway, blinking as she took in the scene. Only then did she notice his car parked outside.

Derek was seated on the floor with Samantha, a school assignment spread between them. He was patiently helping her with a math problem, his voice calm and explanatory. Samantha's eyes sparkled as she nodded enthusiastically, clearly thrilled by his presence.

"Daddy, I got it!" Samantha beamed, scribbling an answer on her worksheet.

Warmth spread through Evelyn's chest as she watched them. She hadn't expected to see Derek there. She stepped inside quietly, but Samantha quickly spotted her.

"Mommy!" Samantha called excitedly, jumping to her feet. "Daddy's helping me with my homework!"

Evelyn smiled, though still slightly surprised. "I see that, sweetheart. You're doing great." She looked at Derek, her brow furrowing slightly. "When did you leave your office?"

Derek rose, stretching his arms as he regarded her with a soft smile. "A while ago. You look exhausted, sweetheart. Come sit down." His voice was gentle and concerned.

Without thinking, Evelyn moved toward him and sank into a chair, the tension in her shoulders easing. Derek immediately went to stand behind her, gently massaging her shoulders. Evelyn closed her eyes briefly, grateful for the respite.

Samantha, grinning widely, giggled. "Daddy's giving Mommy a massage!" she announced gleefully.

Derek chuckled, leaning down to kiss Evelyn's head. "Baby, could you please get your mom a glass of water?"

"Sure!" Samantha bounced out of the room, leaving them alone.

As soon as she was gone, Derek lowered his voice. "I was at Michael's place earlier. That's why I left work early." He paused, his hands continuing to work the knots from her muscles. "I'm close to getting the final piece of evidence we need. I planted cameras and bugs. We just need this last bit of proof, and you'll be cleared."

Evelyn's eyes flew open, her breath catching. "You went to Michael's house? You planted—" She stopped, her mind racing. "Derek, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm sure," he said confidently, his hands stilling as he met her gaze. "It's the last and most important piece of evidence we need to prove your innocence. Once we have it, there's no turning back for them. You'll be free of this mess, and we can focus on us." Before she could respond, Samantha returned, proudly holding out a glass of water. "Here you go, Mommy!"

Evelyn smiled, taking the glass. "Thank you, sweetie."

Derek straightened, looking between them. "So, how was your day?"

Evelyn took a sip of water, her mind still swirling with Derek's revelation. She had questions but could hardly ask them in front of Samantha. "I was busy working on an article. Then I tried to visit Rayna, but she wasn't home or at the bakery. Her phone is off. I'm very worried about her."

Derek nodded, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "Don't worry. Rayna will be fine."

"Have you heard from Ethan?" Evelyn asked, her concern evident.

Derek shook his head. "No, I haven't. I tried to reach him, but his phone was off. But I wouldn't worry about him either. He knows how to take care of himself."

Evelyn nodded, though anxiety remained. She was about to speak when Derek casually dropped another piece of information.

"My parents asked if they could come over on Sunday," he said, sitting beside her.

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Really? Well, that's funny because mine are coming over too."

Derek grinned. "Well, that's perfect then. We can make it a family affair. Samantha gets to have all her grandparents dote on her at once." Samantha giggled.

"Are you going somewhere?" Evelyn asked, noticing him glance at his watch.

"I'm expecting a delivery," he replied with a small smile. "Here? What are you expecting?"

"You'll see soon," he said with a cryptic grin, standing up. A car horn honked outside.

Derek's grin widened. "Come on," he said, taking her hand. "You'll want to see this."

Evelyn, still confused, followed him outside. Her eyes widened in shock. Parked in front of the house were two brand-new cars.

"What—what is this?" Evelyn stammered, turning to Derek.

Derek smiled, watching her face light up. "One's for you, and the other is for Samantha."

Samantha, who had followed them, squealed with delight and ran toward the smaller car. "This is mine? Daddy, really?" Her joy was infectious.

"Yes, princess. That one's yours," Derek said as the drivers of both cars approached and handed him the keys.

"Here you go, babe," Derek said, handing the keys to Evelyn, who was still stunned.

She turned to Derek, her eyes brimming with emotion. "I—Derek, this is too much."

He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice soft against her ear. "Nothing is too much for you, Eve. You deserve it. No more cabs. You can use your car now."

Evelyn pulled back, her eyes shining. "We have to go for a test drive," she said, smiling.

"But I can't drive. Is it for when I'm older?" Samantha asked, and both Evelyn and Derek laughed.

"No, princess. You'll get a bigger car when you're older. For now, you'll have a driver, or Maya can drive you," Derek said. Evelyn's expression faltered. "Wait… Where's Maya? I haven't seen her since I got back."

Derek's smile faded slightly. "She's resting upstairs. She wasn't feeling well earlier."

Evelyn frowned, remembering Maya mentioning cramps that morning. "Maya never agrees to take a break." Worry crept into her voice. "I will check on her."

She quickly went to Maya's room and knocked gently before entering. Maya was lying on her bed, her face pale.

"Maya, what's wrong?" Evelyn asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Just… cramps," Maya murmured, her voice strained. "They've been getting worse these past few months."

Evelyn's worry deepened. "Have you taken anything?"

"Yeah, some medicine. I just need to lie down for a bit. I'll be fine," Maya reassured her, though her discomfort was evident. Evelyn hesitated, her brow furrowing. "You've never mentioned them being this bad before."

Maya gave her a small, tired smile. "It's gotten worse recently, but I'm okay. I'll rest."

"Yeah, you should rest," Evelyn said, unconvinced. "I'll make dinner soon. I'll bring some up to you, okay? And if this persists, you must see a gynecologist tomorrow to find out if there's an underlying reason." Maya nodded weakly.

After checking on Maya, Evelyn returned downstairs to find Derek and Samantha still admiring the cars. She approached Derek with a soft smile.

"So, are you spending the night?" she asked.

Derek looked at her, his gaze warm. "Is that your way of asking me to?"

Evelyn nodded, feeling a sense of peace. "Maybe."

"Then I should," he said with a grin.

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed. It was Rayna. Her heart leaped with relief, and she quickly walked away from Derek and Samantha to answer.

"Rayna! I've been so worried! Why didn't you call me back? For someone who wouldn't forgive me for running off without saying a word years ago, you sure do know how to pull a disappearing act yourself!"

Rayna laughed softly. "I'm sorry, Evie. I just needed to think." Her voice was light but apologetic.

Evelyn sighed, a mixture of relief and frustration. "Where were you? I even came by your place and the bakery! Don't shut me out like that again. I was so worried."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I left the house for a while. But I'm fine now. In fact, I've made up my mind."

Evelyn's heart lifted. "You have?"

"Yes. You are right. Ethan being 'ET' is a sign that we are meant to be. I don't care what he thinks. I'm going after him. Whether he likes it or not, he's my soulmate. I'm not letting him go over some petty misunderstanding."

Evelyn laughed. "Now, that's the Rayna I know!"

"That's me, baby! On that note, are you up for shopping tomorrow?" Rayna asked.

"I'm up for anything as long as it's with you. Let's do it," Evelyn said, and Rayna squealed happily.

Ending the call, she returned to Derek, who had been watching her curiously. "Ethan better buckle up, 'cause what Ray wants, Ray gets!" she said with a grin. Derek chuckled.