Derek paced his suite, his mind racing with thoughts of Evelyn, his mother's stubbornness, and Michael's underhanded tactics. Remembering he hadn't yet called Evelyn to apologize and find out where she was, he picked up his phone and dialed her number.
The line rang twice before she answered. Her voice, soft but tinged with concern, came through.
"Eve," Derek paused, running a hand through his hair. "Are you alright? Where are you? I'm so sorry for what happened earlier."
A brief silence followed, then Evelyn sighed deeply. "I'm fine. I don't think you're in a position to worry about me right now. Are you okay? I feel like I've only caused trouble between you and your mom. I should never have—"
"Don't apologize," Derek interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. "You didn't do anything wrong. It was only a matter of time before I had that talk with her."
"I don't know… maybe I acted rashly," Evelyn said, the guile evident in her voice. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken Sandra's call. I just… I stand up for myself, but now it's going to complicate everything. How are you going to find out anything from her now?" Her voice was more composed.
Derek smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm glad you took the call. I loved hearing you talk to her that way. And if anything, we both know Sandra will likely be more interested in me now. She'll want me even more, thinking there's competition. Don't worry about—"
Evelyn sighed, her voice returning, softer, more vulnerable. "I just didn't want to make things harder for you."
"Trust me, Eve," Derek said, his voice softening as his thoughts returned to their earlier conversation. "I meant everything I said earlier. I hope you won't pull back again. I've got you." There was a pause, then Evelyn spoke again, relief in her breath. "Sandra was in my office earlier."
"What? She was where? What did she say? I hope she didn't cause you any trouble!" he exclaimed, surprised.
"Don't worry. I handled it," Evelyn said quickly, sensing his concern. "She came to intimidate me. She wanted me to back off because you were 'hers.' But I think I threw her off. She didn't expect me to push back." Evelyn added a small, satisfied sound.
Derek exhaled slowly, the tension easing from his shoulders. "Well, I like that. Keep pushing back. I hope you told her I'm not hers?"
Evelyn grinned. "I told her you were mine," she said, and Derek chuckled.
"I wish I were there to hear you say that," he said, and Evelyn laughed softly.
"I've decided I'm going to talk to my parents tomorrow and tell them everything," she said, her tone serious again.
"That's a good idea. It's about time. They need to know. I really don't understand why you kept it from them in the first place," Derek said. Evelyn bit her lip.
"There's something else I need to tell you," Evelyn continued hesitantly. "Can we meet? I don't think I should say this over the phone."
Derek's brows furrowed, remembering she'd wanted to say something earlier before his mother interrupted. "Let's talk over dinner, then. Will you have dinner with me?"
Before she could respond, Derek's phone beeped with an incoming call. He saw his father's name. His stomach twisted; he knew why his father was calling. His mother had likely reported him.
"Evelyn, I have to go," he said, trying to keep the tension from his voice. "My father's calling. I'll call you back."
"Okay. Be careful," Evelyn replied, worry lacing her voice.
Derek ended the call and answered his father's. "Dad?"
"Derek," his father's voice was calm, but weighty. "I need you to come home immediately."
"I'll be there soon," Derek replied, grabbing his keys and heading for the door. He knew his mother had told his father everything. The drive felt longer than usual, but he tried to stay calm and prepare for the conversation.
By the time he pulled into the driveway, his mind was racing again. His father wasn't easily swayed, but Derek hoped he could make him understand the truth.
As soon as Derek walked in, he headed for the study. The door was slightly ajar; he knocked lightly before entering.
"Sit down," his father said, gesturing to the chair. The room, filled with the scent of old books and polished wood, felt like a courtroom. Derek sat, his eyes meeting his father's with quiet determination.
"I'm sure you know why I invited you here. What happened with your mother?" his father asked, his tone measured, though Derek sensed curiosity and concern. Derek took a deep breath. "Dad, before I answer that, I need to ask you something. Who do you trust more—me or Michael?"
His father blinked, clearly taken aback. "What kind of question is that? Of course, I trust you most. You're my son," he said without hesitation.
Derek nodded, pleased. "In that case, you need to know something, and I need you to keep it between us for now," Derek said steadily.
His father raised a brow but said nothing as Derek pulled out his phone, bringing up saved CCTV footage. With a few taps, he handed the phone to his father. The screen showed Michael sneaking into his office to remove a bug.
His father's face paled. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked when finished. Derek nodded grimly.
"Michael planted a listening device in my office and tried to remove it when I wasn't there. He's been playing us all along, and he's behind the scandal. He deliberately made it look like Evelyn was responsible."
His father's hand tightened around the phone. "Why would he do that? When did you find out?"
"I found out last week."
"Why didn't you show this to us earlier? Especially your mother? Or have you shown her?"
Derek shook his head. "Not yet. I'm worried she'd find a way to justify it. You know how she is about Michael. She's too blind where he's concerned," Derek said, his voice tight with frustration.
His father stared at the footage, then looked up, his expression grave. "Still, this shows Michael is guilty and falsely accused someone," his father insisted.
"Yes, but I need more evidence to make her understand that Michael isn't who she thinks he is. He's manipulating this whole situation, and Sandra is in on it." "Sandra? The girl your mother wants you to marry?" his father asked. Derek nodded.
"Evelyn told me everything today. She told me what truly happened and why she called off the wedding," Derek said. His father raised a brow. "You seem to trust this Evelyn girl a lot," his father observed.
"Yes, I do. She's not just some girl I fell for, Dad. I've been searching for her for six years. Although I didn't know she was Michael's fiancée then, I was with her the night before their wedding," Derek revealed.
"You… how?"
"Remember I got into an accident shortly after I arrived?" His father nodded. "Yeah. You talked about some lady who was weeping," his father said. Derek nodded. "That lady was Evelyn. And she was weeping because she saw Michael having sex with Sandra that day," Derek said. His father looked at him in disbelief.
"Michael and Sandra! And yet he wants you to marry her! What's his endgame?"
Derek shook his head. "I'm not sure, but judging by what Evelyn told me, Michael was with her for her inheritance, and Sandra was onto it. So, they may be doing the same to me. Something's not right here."
His father sighed deeply. "So, what now? What do you want me to do?"
"For now, I'm acting like I don't know anything while gathering evidence. But I won't lose Evelyn in the process. I can't let Mom push her out of my life."
His father sat back, rubbing his chin. "Maybe you should pretend to stay away from Evelyn for a while. Focus on exposing Michael, and… you could take a page from Michael's book and bug their phones. That should expedite the process."
Derek's eyes widened. "Why didn't I think of that?"
His father nodded approvingly. "Because you're too worried about other things. Don't worry, Derek. I'll help. Just be careful. Michael's playing a dangerous game, and we don't know how far he'll go. And don't let your mom know I have your back in this."
Derek nodded, determination hardening. "I'll get someone to hack their phones. We'll get to the bottom of this."
His father's gaze softened. "Whatever happens, son, I'm on your side."