The day ended; it was past his closing hours, and he was drained, both mentally and physically. By the time Derek's last meeting finished, he was exhausted. As he drove back to his hotel, his thoughts wandered to the CCTV he had planted in his office that morning. He wondered if Michael had entered his office at any point.

The moment he reached his suite, Derek didn't bother to remove his clothes. He sat on the couch and pulled out his phone to check the security camera footage from his office. His suspicions were quickly confirmed. Michael had indeed returned to remove the bug, providing Derek with the proof he needed to expose him.

Although he had suspected Michael's involvement, seeing evidence of his betrayal made his blood boil. Needing to calm himself, he rose, removed his clothes, and headed for the bathroom. As the water flowed over him, Derek reminded himself to focus on Evelyn's exoneration rather than his anger. His thoughts drifted to Evelyn; he missed her and longed to hear her voice.

His secretary had told him that Evelyn had called to discuss the interview details. He knew she was avoiding him, but he wouldn't let that continue. Now that he had the evidence to prove her innocence, things could return to normal, and he would find a way to gain his parents' approval of her.

After freshening up, he called Evelyn. The phone rang twice before she answered.

"Hello, Mr. Stone," Evelyn greeted curtly. Derek smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Hello, Eve. How are you doing?" he asked pleasantly.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you called?" she asked aloofly, wanting him to get to the point. Although happy to hear from him, she wanted to avoid deepening her emotional entanglement with him.

"Yes. But first, how are you?" Derek said stubbornly.

"How I'm doing has nothing to do with you. Please"

"Tell me how you're doing, or keep ranting—I enjoy hearing you talk either way. How was work today?" Derek asked, and Evelyn sighed.

"I'm fine. Work was fine. Are you calling because you heard from your secretary?" she asked, wanting to keep their conversation work-related.

"Heard what?" Derek asked, though he knew what she meant. He simply wanted to hear her speak.

"We decided on a date for the interview. Does next Friday work for you?" she asked. He nodded, though she couldn't see him.

"That works for me. It would have been the end of our month-long arrangement," he said with a wistful smile.

"Yeah. So, why did you call?" Evelyn asked, wanting to avoid further personal discussion.

"I miss you, Eve. The office isn't the same without you. I could barely focus on work today," he said, and Evelyn sighed inwardly, understanding his meaning.

"Is that why you called?" she asked, trying to sound harsh.

"Ethan came around today," Derek said conversationally.

"Your sailor best friend?" Evelyn asked impulsively.

"You remember him," Derek said, pleased she recalled him.

"I was quite happy to see him," Derek added, and Evelyn sighed.

"Good for you," she said indifferently. "I'm going to hang up now if that's all," she began, but he interrupted.

"I called to tell you I got the evidence proving Michael was behind everything," he said, smiling smugly at her sharp intake of breath.

"What evidence? How did you get it?" she asked excitedly.

"I had a security camera installed in my office. It captured Michael entering my office during my absence today to remove the bug," Derek explained triumphantly.

"Oh, my god!" Evelyn exclaimed, relieved.

"I'm going to show it to my parents tomorrow and have them deal with him. And then"

"No, Derek. Don't," Evelyn interrupted.

Derek frowned. "Why not? We need to prove your innocence and punish him for his actions," he said, and Evelyn sighed.

"I know. I understand you want to help clear my name and punish Michael, but trust me, a single video won't be enough," she said reasonably.

"What do you mean?"

"I know Michael, and while I don't know his exact plans, I don't think he's finished. I think he has bigger plans, and the best way to find out what he's up to is by not letting him know you know he was behind the interview. He can easily twist the situation, and even if you won't fall for it, your parents might. If he succeeds, you'll lose the chance to discover what he's really after." Evelyn explained patiently, and Derek considered her words, realizing she had a point.

"I get it. This is so frustrating," Derek sighed.

Evelyn smiled, understanding his feelings. "I understand. But it's for the best. If you're patient, you might uncover the full extent of his plans," she said, reasoning that if Derek could expose Michael and Sandra, she wouldn't have to do anything.