During the drive, Evelyn stared out the window, her mind racing. How could she tell Derek about Samantha?

She knew she had to tell him the truth, but the words felt too big, too overwhelming. Perhaps she could invite him to her place and reveal everything there. That way, Samantha wouldn't just be a story—she would be real, standing in front of him. But was she ready? Ready to open the door to the past she had kept hidden?

"I must say, I'm really happy to see you," Derek said, glancing at her.

Evelyn smiled. "You looked really surprised earlier."

"You'd be surprised if you were in my shoes, considering how you've been pushing me away until yesterday," he said. She nodded. "So, you missed me?" he asked with a grin. She smiled. "Yeah," she admitted, shocking him.

"I'm struggling not to ask what brought about this change," Derek said, and Evelyn laughed softly. Before she could respond, Derek's phone rang.

"You'd find out soon enough when we talk," she said. Before Derek could answer, the phone rang. Evelyn glanced at him as he picked it up. Glancing at the caller ID, he said, "It's Sandra." Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she reached out. "Can I take that?"

Derek hesitated, his brow furrowing. "You want to take it?" he asked, wondering if she knew what that meant.

"Yes," Evelyn said, nodding. He seemed to consider it for a moment before handing her the phone. "Go ahead." Although he wanted to stick to their plan to discover Sandra's intentions, Evelyn knew about the plan, and if she wanted to take the call, he was going to let her.

Evelyn smirked as she answered the call, bringing the phone to her ear. "Hello, Sandra," she greeted pleasantly.

There was a stunned silence before Sandra's sharp voice cut through. "Who is this?" she demanded, despite recognizing Evelyn's voice.

"I'm sure you haven't forgotten my voice already. Derek is busy," Evelyn said in a soft, suggestive tone that made her stomach twist with satisfaction. "Evelyn, what are—"

Evelyn cut her off. With a deliberate drawl, she said, "He will call you back," before ending the call and tossing the phone back to Derek, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

Derek stared at her, his eyes wide in disbelief, before bursting out laughing. "What was that?"

Evelyn shrugged, her heart pounding but her smile unwavering. "Just giving her a taste of her own medicine."

Derek shook his head, still chuckling as he put the phone away. "You really have changed, haven't you?"

Evelyn looked out the window, her expression softening as the city blurred past. "I guess I have." She glanced at him, feeling a surge of determination. "And I'm not done yet."

For the first time in years, she felt in control of her life. And it felt good. Derek's gaze flickered with curiosity, but he didn't press her further, remembering her earlier comment about revealing everything later. Instead of asking questions, he changed the subject, asking about the interview.

Once they arrived at the hotel, they rode the elevator to the penthouse. Evelyn smiled, remembering that day six years ago. At the time, she had thought she was going to die. Her perfect worldview had been shattered, and she had thought she would never recover. But here she was. Time, as they said, truly did heal wounds.

"You're welcome to my abode," Derek said with a wide smile as they entered his suite.

"Thank you," she said, looking around. "I didn't really notice how beautiful this place is," she added, and Derek nodded.

"You were too busy crying to do that. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want something to drink?" he asked. She looked at him.

"You might want something strong when I'm done," she suggested, sitting down.

Derek raised an eyebrow, wondering what she would say that would require a strong drink.

"You keep arousing my interest," Derek said as he poured wine into two glasses.

He returned to the living room, setting a glass in front of her before sitting opposite.

"I'm ready to hear what you have to say," Derek said, and Evelyn took a deep breath. Feeling very nervous and unable to stay still, she rose. "I don't know how to begin."

"Maybe start by telling me what you want to talk about. Like an intro, or maybe a heading," Derek suggested.

"I want to talk about everything. What happened six years ago. Why I called off the wedding. Why I've been trying to keep you away even though I really like you, too. Everything," she said, and Derek grinned.

"I like the last part. Did you just admit you really like me?" he asked. Despite her anxiety, Evelyn smiled.

"I don't think that's the most important thing you should be curious about," Evelyn said with a sigh, sitting down again. "That day. The day we met…"

Evelyn then told Derek what truly happened, recounting how she ran off after seeing Michael and Sandra in bed and overhearing their conversation about her. As she spoke, the tension in the air thickened. She recounted every painful detail—walking into the room and seeing Michael with Sandra. Her voice wavered as she described the shock, the betrayal, the way her world had crumbled.

Derek sat silently, attentive, his hands gripping his glass. His expression was calm, though his jaw tensed slightly, a clear sign of simmering anger. He didn't interrupt, waiting for her to pour out her heart.

The room fell silent after her revelation. Derek set his glass down, leaning forward. "Why didn't you expose them? Why did you keep quiet and let them make you out to be the villain? Why did you run away?"

Evelyn shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes. "I didn't know what to do," she confessed, her voice raw. "I was hurt, Derek. And I was scared. The two people I trusted most, apart from my parents, turned out to be strangers. I left because I couldn't face them, and I was so angry at my father. I couldn't stand any of it."

"You could have taken them down, Evelyn. They wouldn't have hurt you if you'd fought back. You should have confronted them, told your parents the truth, told me, damn it!" Derek said, his voice rising in frustration. "How could you keep this to yourself for so long? You're always so stubborn and sharp-tongued with me, yet you've been hiding cowardly from the people you need to confront?"

"I didn't have any proof. And I wasn't strong enough to stand up to them. I just wanted to disappear. To lick my wounds quietly. Why did you wait six years to return?" he asked, and her heart skipped a beat.

This was the moment of truth. It was now or never.