A confused frown creased Derek's brows as he watched Evelyn leave. Wasn't she supposed to be feeling guilty—both for exposing his secret and for concealing her and Michael's relationship from him? Why was she making it seem as though he was at fault? And why was she still insisting she hadn't discussed his personal matters with anyone? Was she really innocent?

He mused, then narrowed his eyes. Thinking about her suggestion that he get his lawyer involved, he admitted to himself that, unlike him, Evelyn had treated their arrangement with utmost professionalism. Judging by her professionalism, it didn't make sense that she would have publicized something he'd told her in confidence, no matter how juicy the news. Certainly not when she'd signed an NDA with him.

He remembered how empathetic she'd been when he'd told her about it, and how she'd treated him better afterward. Even if everything pointed to her, he couldn't believe she was behind it. Perhaps she was truly innocent, and he'd wrongly accused her.

If Evelyn was innocent, who had revealed the news about him? And how had the person found out? He mused, then turned as he noticed he was no longer alone.

An involuntary scowl appeared on his face when he saw Michael.

"You lied to me," he growled, annoyed that Michael had deliberately kept the truth from him.

"I didn't lie," Michael said defensively. "I told you I knew her. I just didn't tell you the whole truth."

"What difference does it make? How could you hide something this important? Can you give me any good reason why you hid the truth this whole time?" Derek snapped, cutting him off. "That was my personal relationship with her; you were both only working professionally. I didn't think I should interfere."

"Interfere? If you had told me, I wouldn't have—"

"You wouldn't have what? Agreed to the interview?" Michael asked, cutting him off. "Didn't I try to stop you? What did you tell me then?" Michael asked, equally infuriated.

Derek ran a hand through his hair. "Couldn't you have just explained and told me she's your—"

"What difference would it have made? She didn't tell you about me either, did she? Even now, after finding out what a spiteful bitch she is—"

"Don't call her that," Derek growled.

"See? You're still taking her side. Why, Derek? Why are you taking her side? Shouldn't you hate her as much as I do, after finding out how she exposed your secret and hurt me? Why are you still taking her side, even after your parents asked you to stay away from her?" Michael wondered what was wrong with Derek, and why he was being so defensive of Evelyn.

"What I do or who I associate with is none of your business, at least not anymore. Not after you kept your relationship with her from me," Derek said coldly.

"I didn't know how to—"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear your excuses," Derek said, and without another word, he walked away to his car, leaving Michael to scowl at his back. Why was Derek making things difficult by being stupid? This wasn't the plan. Derek was supposed to direct all his anger at Evelyn, not him, Michael mused angrily as he watched Derek's car leave.

Inside the car, Derek sighed wearily as his driver drove him back to the hotel. He never would have imagined that after a passionate night with her—a night he'd dreamt of for six years—he would wake to a misunderstanding with her, and then find out she was the same woman who'd dumped his cousin on the morning of their wedding six years ago.

What sort of coincidence was this? Or perhaps it wasn't a coincidence; perhaps it was all planned by her? He mused, then shook his head.

They had never met before that day six years ago, so there was no way she could have approached him knowing who he was. She couldn't even remember his face when they met again in his office. And judging by how she'd resisted his advances, he doubted any of this was schemed by her.

So, if she hadn't deliberately approached him six years ago, what were the chances that, of all the people she could have run into, it was him, Michael's cousin, who had just returned to the country? Perhaps it was fate!

He paused, remembering how she'd been crying that day, and what she'd said about making a mistake. What mistake? Did it have anything to do with Michael? Was it the reason she left him? He frowned.

His frown deepened when he remembered Michael saying Evelyn had spent the night before their wedding with her lover, returning the next morning reeking of cologne. When she packed up and left after arguing with her family, everyone assumed she'd gone to her lover, but he knew that wasn't true—he was the lover she'd spent the night with.

What exactly happened? Why had Evelyn been crying? Why had she acted so recklessly? Why had she called off her wedding? Why hadn't she told him about her relationship with Michael? What was going on? He sighed again.

He would find out what really happened that day, but first, he needed to resolve the misunderstanding with Evelyn and find out who had released the information about him. After finding out who released the news, he would find out how they got it.

Taking out his phone, he dialed Susan's number. As Evelyn's boss, he expected her to investigate which of her staff had released the news, and on whose orders. He desperately hoped Evelyn's name wouldn't be connected to it. He wanted her to be innocent, and to prove him right for giving her the benefit of the doubt.