The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

Rayna wiped her flour-dusted hands on her apron and carefully closed the lid of the box she had just packed with an assortment of pastries.

The aroma of fresh muffins, brownies, and her signature lemon tarts filled the small kitchen in her bakery.

She smiled as she took off her apron, knowing that Melvin and Sarah would appreciate the sweet treats. But her smile faded as she grabbed her keys and headed out to her car. Her thoughts drifted to Ethan.

How do I get through to him?' Rayna asked herself, the question circling her mind as she drove down the road leading to Melvin and Sarah's house.

She tried

to reach him by phone last night and this morning, but he seemed to have blockedlisted her line.

Rayna sighed, hoping that maybe Melvin and Sarah could help.

They had always been warm and understanding, and she had been told that they had come to find her at the bakery the previous day.

She believed that was because they knew what was up, and she hoped they would know what to do to fix her and Ethan.

They had to.

Ethan was the man for her, and she didn't want to believe that she had messed it up carelessly. The idea that he had once told her he loved her only made it harder to bear his loss.

She pulled into the driveway of Melvin and Sarah's cozy home, the house that always felt welcoming and full of life. As she parked her car and grabbed the box of pastries, she tried to shake off her got this!"

nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she told herself to relax. "You're a bad bite Red out, her round belly leading the way. She grinned, her face lighting up at the sight of Rayna.

The front door opened before she even reached it, and Sarah waddled

"Rayna! Oh, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Sarah beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And you brought treats! You have no idea how much I've been craving something sweet." Rayna laughed, handing her the box. "I thought you might like these. I made extra lemon tarts, just for you." "You're a a saint,"

Sarah sighed, carefully opening the box and peeking inside. "Melvin, look what Rayna brought!" she called over her shoulder.

Melvin appeared in the doorway, his easy grin in place. "Hey, Rayna! Come on in. Sarah's been over the moon since you called to say you were coming over."

Rayna followed them into the house, feeling a bit of warmth and hope spread through her. Maybe this would help. Maybe Melvin and Sarah could give her the advice she needed to deal with Ethan.

As they settled into the living room, Sarah popped a tart into her mouth and sighed with contentment. "These are heaven, Rayna."

"Wait till you try out my new recipe," Rayna said with a proud smile as she settled comfortably in her seat.

Ito reach you all day yesterday and even the night before.

"We tried to

What happened with Ethan? He's been in such a foul mood since two nights ago, and he's not even taking calls or anything. Why is he so mad at you?" Melvin said, and Rayna shifted in her seat, feeling the weight of their attention on her. She took a deep breath and began to explain. "It was a misunderstanding," Rayna said and then explained the incident at the club.

Sarah frowned, her brows knitting together. "That's why he's upset? Because of the club incident?" "Yeah."

Rayna nodded.

Melvin's expression softened, and he sighed. "Harassment is a sensitive subject for Ethan. He has been through something like this before. Back in high school, a girl he rejected accused him of rape. It was pretty serious. He could've gone to jail if there hadn't been Saran ghed deeply, "I guess it makes sense why he is upset now.

e probably was triggered by the accusation."

He p

Rayna felt a pang of guilt twist in her chest. "I didn't know. I had no idea."

Melvin said gently. "But Ethan holds han holds grudges. It's usually not easy for him to let things go."

"I know," Me

Rayna looked at Sarah, hoping for a solution. "Do you think there's anything I can do to change his mind? I ran into him at the grocery store last Saturday and..."

"You both me last Saturday?" Sarah interrupted, her face curious.

Ethan had not mentioned anything about running into Rayna that day.

"Yeah... we sort of grabbed the same box of cereal. It was the last on the shelf. He said it was for you, so I let him have it," Rayna explained.

Sarah and Melvin exchanged an amused look, and then both burst into laughter.

At that, Sarah

"What?" Rayna asked, bewildered. "What's so funny?"

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shaking his head. "Rayna, the cereal wasn't for Sarah. It was for Ethan."

you, Rayna. I only recommended the store to him because he said he was going grocery shopping."

in confusion. "Wait, what? He lied? He said it was for Sarah, so I let him take it!"

I chuckled ked im

Saran giggled. "Looks like he played can't believe he took my box of cereals yet refused to accept my apology," Rayna said as she looked from Sarah to Melvin and then back again.

Rayna shook her head in disbelief. "I

"Listen, I believe that Ethan is my soul mate. He might not think so right now, but I believe he is, and I don't want to lose him. Can you both tell me what to do to win his heart?" Rayna pleaded.

"I wish I could help. But after seeing how upset he was because he thought we told you about his ad and made you apply for it, I do not want to get involved," Melvin said apologetically.

Sarah's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Oh, Rayna, you're a beautiful lady. Use your feminine wiles! Ethan's still a man, after all. And trust me, you're his Golden Sun. No matter how upset he is, he won't be able to resist you forever." Rayna sighed. "I don't even know how to reach him. He's blocked me everywhere."

"Well," Sarah said, glancing at Melvin, who looked hesitant, "I can give you his address."

"Sarah..." Melvin warned, but Sarah ignored him.

"It's okay, Mel. Rayna's practically family already," Sarah said with a grin. She scribbled down an address and handed it to Rayna. "I really hope you two work things out. I'd love for you to be my sister-in-law."

Rayna smiled gratefully, tucking the address into her pocket. "I hope so, too."

Just as she stood to leave, she saw Ethan standing there in the hallway, and his expression hardened the moment their eyes met.

"I see you're all still plotting," he said, his voice cold even though his heart ached at the sight of her. He couldn't believe that this was the lady he had been on the phone with for all those hours.

Rayna's heart sank, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "Can we talk?"

Before Ethan could respond, Melvin and Sarah quickly stood up, awkward smiles on their faces.

"We'll, uh, leave you two to it," Melvin said, ushering Sarah out of the room with the box of sweet treats in hand.

Once they were gone, Rayna took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry about what happened at the club and at the grocery store. I didn't mean to..."

Ethan looked at her, his jaw tight. "Forget it. Nothing's going to change. Let's pretend the ad never happened and all those calls... let's forget all about them," Ethan said as he turned to leave. "But you told me you loved me. How can you just forget all about them?"

Rayna asked, stopping him before he could leave, her voice barely a whisper.

"I loved the version of you I didn't know was you," Ethan replied harshly. "It doesn't matter anymore. I made a mistake. Let's forget it. I'm an unforgiving jerk, remember?"

Raynas heart ached at his words, but she couldn't give up.

"Please, Ethan. Can we just put this whole thing behind us? I messed up. I'm sorry. You said I'm your soul mate, remember?"

Ethan shook his head, his expression unreadable. "I told that to all the other four ladies too. You're not an exception. There was nothing special..."

"Don't, Ethan!" Rayna stopped him.

Ethan took a deep breath. "I don't hold anything against you. I'm not interested in you enough to hold any grudges. I don't want

someone like you in my life. You can move on now, 'cause I have.

I'm meeting with the next lady on my list," Ethan said, and with that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Rayna standing there.

She had not expected him to show up here, listen to her, or make things work out easily.

He was mad, and she understood better now that Melvin had told her why he was so pissed about the club incident. She knew it was going to take some time to earn his forgiveness and win his heart, but she was going to do that.