Evelyn sat in the backseat of the cab, Rayna's words echoing in her mind, solidifying the decision she knew she had to make. Rayna's advice had helped her gain perspective. The past few years of carefully guarding the truth had yielded only sleepless nights and a gnawing fear of Sandra's next move.

What had hiding Sandra and Michael's affair ever accomplished? Protecting the secret had only hurt her, strained her relationship with her parents, trapped her in a web of lies, and prevented her from moving forward. Enough was enough.

Keeping everything to herself was pointless. She was done hiding behind Samantha. She wouldn't surprise Derek as planned. Today, she would tell Derek everything. She would come clean and use him to fight back.

After speaking with Derek, she would tell her parents everything that evening. Whether they believed her or chose to stand by Sandra wouldn't be her problem anymore. She would simply reveal the truth and let them decide.

Evelyn was done playing the quiet victim. She had Samantha to protect, and to do that, she had to take control and be proactive instead of cowardly avoiding confrontation. If her parents sided with Sandra, so be it. She would walk away with her dignity and, more importantly, the truth on her side.

If her parents, especially her father, believed her, then after the interview with Derek, she would resign from Empowered and return to her family magazine, reclaiming her rightful place. She would become Sandra's worst nightmare.

Taking out her phone, she dialed Rayna. "Good morning, Evie! What's up!" Rayna exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm going to Derek's office. I want to tell him everything," Evelyn said, smiling at Rayna's happy shriek.

"Yes! That's my girl! Don't change your mind, or I'll drag you there myself! I hate drawn-out stories like that. You've been quiet long enough. If you don't tell Derek, you might never get the chance, and Sandra might force the truth out of you. I'm not cut out for that drama," Rayna said, and Evelyn laughed.

"I'm nervous," she confessed.

"It's okay. It's normal. But you should do this, not just to fight Sandra, but because Derek deserves to know the truth," Rayna said, and Evelyn took a deep breath.

"Okay. I will. I'll tell him everything, about Sam. Or should I wait until the weekend?"

"No! Do it now! Don't chicken out," Rayna said, and Evelyn sighed.

"Alright. I'm at the company. I'll let you know. Thanks, Ray. I'm glad I confided in you," Evelyn said before hanging up.

As the cab pulled up to Stone Corp, her stomach tightened. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and walked inside.

Derek's secretary rose to embrace her. "Good morning, Evelyn. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Evelyn said, grinning. "Is Mr. Stone busy?"

"Not yet. He just arrived, and I was about to get his coffee. Why don't you do it?" Evelyn suggested, and the secretary chuckled, knowing Derek's interest in Evelyn. After making Derek's coffee, Evelyn knocked and entered.

Derek barely glanced up from his phone, mistaking her for his secretary. Evelyn smiled, approaching and placing the coffee in front of him.

"Good morning, Mr. Stone. Here's your coffee," she greeted pleasantly.

Evelyn watched, grinning as his head snapped up from his phone and his face lit up when he saw her.

"Is this a dream?" he asked, rising. Evelyn giggled.

"Maybe."

Derek watched her, wondering if he was hallucinating. Seeing his surprise, she grinned. "Wow! I didn't think you'd be so shocked."

"You're really here? I'm not seeing things?" he asked, genuinely pleased, his eyes warm. "You're not," she assured him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, rising from his seat.

"Do you have a minute?" she asked hopefully.

"For you, I have the whole day," Derek replied with a teasing grin, leaning back against his desk.

Evelyn laughed. "I don't need the whole day, just some time to talk."

Derek's expression shifted, concern flickering across his face. His eyes darted around the room, and Evelyn sensed tension. She saw the worry in his eyes—the uncertainty of whether his office was bugged. Without a word, he moved to her, taking her arm gently.

"Can we go somewhere else?" he asked quietly. "I'm not sure we should talk here."

Evelyn nodded. "Sure."

Derek pocketed his phone, grabbed his coffee and car keys. "Let's go," he said, leading her out.

Derek's hand rested on her back as he guided her out, sending tingles down her spine. He paused only to tell his secretary, "Cancel my appointments for the rest of the day," before turning back to Evelyn. "Where do you think we should go?" he asked in the elevator.

"Anywhere else is fine," Evelyn assured him.

A small smile touched Derek's lips. "You said something similar when we first met," he murmured.

Evelyn smiled, feeling the tension ease. "Hm."

They reached the underground parking. As they settled in the car, Derek turned to her with a playful smile. "So, anywhere, huh? How about my hotel, like we did then?"

Evelyn laughed softly. "Your hotel? Alright, that works," she said, thinking it was a fitting place to tell him everything, since their relationship had begun there.