The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal

At twenty-two, Evelyn knew exactly what she wanted. She had always known it since she was fifteen and had wanted the very same thing for the past six years to marry the love of her life right after her graduation from school and start her own family.

She believed herself to be the luckiest girl on earth to have her dreams come true.

Here she was, a week after her graduation, trying on her wedding dress for the final fitting before the wedding tomorrow.

Her fiancé, Michael, was the one and only love of her life. She had met him three years ago, and it had been love at first sight for both of them. In less than twenty-four hours, they would be walking down the aisle. Ecstatic didn't do justice to what she was truly feeling.

"You're going to make the most beautiful bride ever, Eve," Sandra, her stepsister, cooed, breaking into her thoughts.

"I already feel like the most beautiful bride, Sandy. This feels like a fairytale, and I'm about to begin my happily ever after," Evelyn said with a wide smile.

"This is perfect. So perfect," Evelyn said, flashing the designer a delighted smile.

"Mike is not going to be able to tear his eyes away from you," Sandra said, admiring Evelyn as the designer added the final touch to her wedding dress.

Evelyn grinned as she twirled around, her eyes shining brightly. "Thanks, Sandy. What would I do without you?" Evelyn asked as she stopped turning and stood facing Sandra.

Evelyn's mother had died after birthing her, leaving her father no choice but to raise her alone. When she turned five, her father had married Sandra's mom, who was a single mother.

Sandra had been four years old while Evelyn was five, and they had gotten along so well together all these years and were best of friends.

"Let's hope you never find out," Sandra said with a grin, then glanced at her wristwatch.

"Shoot! I need to go see if the florist has gotten all the flowers ready as requested. Will you be fine on your own?" Sandra asked, and Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a kid. Of course, I will be okay," Evelyn assured her.

"Alright. Try to get some rest. Sleep if you can. Tonight is going to be your last night as a bachelorette, and we have to party," Sandra said in a sing-song voice, and Evelyn giggled as she watched her leave the room.

Thirty minutes later, after the designer left, Evelyn lay on her bed thinking about Michael and what it would feel like walking down the aisle with him tomorrow.

Suddenly missing him, she decided to sneak over to his place to spend some fun time with him before Sandra got back.

Picking up her car key, she hurried out of the house and got into her car. She decided to give him a call first, wanting to confirm that he was indeed at home. The phone rang four times before he picked up. "Hey, soon-to-be-wife," he greeted softly, and she blushed.

"Hello, soon-to-be-husband," she responded happily.

"Missing me?" he asked, as though he could read her mind.

"Yeah. What are you up to? Are you out? Is Rex with you?" she asked, referring to his best man.

"No. Rex isn't here yet. I'm home, trying to set up the place for my wife to move in," he said, and she grinned.

"What about you? What are you doing?" he asked with interest.

"Me? Just lying down and thinking about you," she lied.

"Alright. I can't wait to see you in your dress tomorrow. I love you so much," he said, making her smile.

"I love you so much more. I will let you get back to what you were doing..."

"I will finish up and call you back, okay?" he said, and she grinned.

"Alright, baby," she said, and with that, she hung up the call and started the car.

She couldn't wait to see the surprise on his face when he saw her standing in front of him.

Twenty minutes later, she arrived at his place and rode the elevator up to his apartment.

Wanting to surprise him, she didn't bother with the doorbell and entered the passcode for his door.

The moment she walked into the house, the smile on her face faltered when she saw the white stilettos by the door.

Did he have company? she mused as she took off her shoes and continued inside.

She wanted to call out his name, but she stopped when she saw the feminine clothes strewn across his couch: a short white cotton dress and a red blazer.

This time her brows pulled together when she recognized the very familiar clothes. These were the clothes Sandra had been wearing earlier.

She looked back at the stilettos and recognized them as the limited edition pair she had gotten Sandra for her birthday the previous year.

Why was Sandra here and not at the florist's? And why didn't Michael mention that Sandra was with him? Evelyn mused, her heart racing fast as she made her way toward the bedroom.

A part of her brain already analyzed the situation and knew what was going on, but another part of her brain didn't want to believe it.

She wanted to believe that perhaps Sandra had come here to discuss details about the flowers with Michael, and maybe tea had spilled on her dress, so she was inside looking for something else to wear. Unfortunately, the closer Evelyn drew to the bedroom, the less she believed the excuse she was making.

Sandra's laughter drifted through the half-opened door of the bedroom. "You needed to hear her earlier," she heard Sandra say.

"I already feel like the most beautiful bride, Sandy. This feels like a fairytale, and I'm about to begin my happily ever after," Sandra said, mimicking what Evelyn had said earlier, and Michael chuckled. "She is so childish and silly. The only reason I'm able to stand her is her inheritance," she heard Michael say, and her perfect world shattered in an instant.

Chapter 2

Hearing those words from Michael and Sandra was one thing, but seeing them entwined on the bed was another.

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat, and she felt the sting of betrayal cut deep. She backed away, her vision blurred by tears, and fled the house, her heart pounding in her chest. She got into her car and drove away, wanting to be as far away from them as possible.

She thought of going back home, but she couldn't. She didn't want to see anyone. She didn't want to face anyone. She didn't want to have to look into Sandra's face. She couldn't.

She kept driving, her tears blurring her vision, until she collided with another vehicle.

The screech of tires and the crunch of metal jolted her back to reality.

Her car swerved violently, and she slammed on the brakes, the force throwing her forward before the car jolted violently to a shuddering halt.

Disoriented, she wrenched her head around, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel, her mind reeling from the impact.

Across the intersection, the other car, a sleek black sedan, sat at a jaunty angle, its bumper crumpled like discarded foil. A figure emerged from the backseat, a man in a crisp suit; his face contorted in a mask of fury.

As he stormed towards her, Evelyn braced herself for a verbal onslaught. But as he drew closer, his anger morphed into concern, and Evelyn realized she wasn't prepared for this. As he got closer, the anger in his eyes softened slightly when he saw Evelyn, her face streaked with tears and her mascara smudged.

"What the hell were you doing?

Do you want to get yourself and others killed?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of concern despite his anger.

Evelyn opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a choked sob. She slumped back in her seat, burying her face in her hands.

The man hesitated, frustration warring with a flicker of worry.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, his voice softer this time.

Evelyn couldn't respond; she just kept crying, the sobs wracking her body.

"Where are you heading?" he finally asked, his voice gentle despite the throbbing vein in his temple. "I will take you there."

Evelyn shook her head, her voice muffled against her hands.

The thought of facing anyone and explaining the mess she was in was unbearable.

"Come on, lady," the man persisted, his voice firm but kind. "You're in no state to drive, and neither is your car in any state to be driven. Let me take you," he insisted.

Evelyn remained silent, the image of Sandra and Michael flashing before her eyes, a cruel reminder of her shattered world.

The man sighed, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice. "Look," he said impatiently, "either you let me take you somewhere safe, or I'm calling the cops and dealing with this the other way." Evelyn looked up and glanced at the vehicles as the weight of his threat sank in. Dealing with the police, the insurance, and the aftermath was the last thing she needed right now. With a shaky nod, she conceded defeat. "Alright," she croaked, her voice hoarse with tears.

"Good," he said, relief washing over his features. "Get in my car.

I will have yours taken care of and brought to you."

Reluctantly, Evelyn nodded and got out of her car. He guided her to his vehicle, helped her into the passenger seat, and then signaled his driver to take care of her car and bring it along.

Evelyn stole a glance at her companion as he got into the car. He was handsome in a rugged way, with dark hair that swept across his forehead. When he turned to look at her, she was met with piercing blue eyes that held a hint of curiosity.

"Where to?" he asked, his voice still laced with concern.

Evelyn bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Anywhere. Literally anywhere, as long as it wasn't her home, wasn't her life, wasn't the nightmare she was running from. "Anywhere. Just take me anywhere," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

The man raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. "That's not very specific," he said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Evelyn's resolve hardened. She didn't want conversation, didn't want pity. All she craved was a temporary escape, a brief respite from the mess that had become her life. Suddenly, a reckless thought, born out of desperation and heartache, crossed her mind.

"Your place,"

she blurted out,

shocking even herself.

The man's smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter bewilderment. "My place?" he echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Anywhere you're going is fine," she insisted.

He sighed, clearly uncertain, but left without a choice. He drove to his hotel, his mind racing with questions.

The ride was mostly silent, punctuated only by the soft sniffles she couldn't quite control.

As they pulled up to a luxurious hotel, the man turned to her.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home or to a hospital?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Evelyn shook her head. The tears finally receded, leaving behind a raw vulnerability.

The man seemed hesitant, but after a moment, he sighed.

"Alright," he said. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

"Thanks," she mumbled as he helped her out of the car and led her to his suite, leaving his driver to go fix the cars.

Inside, he guided her to sit on the couch and brought her a glass of water. She took it, her hands trembling.

"What happened?" he asked softly, sitting beside her. "Why were you crying?"

Evelyn couldn't bring herself to tell him. The words were too painful to say out loud. She just shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

Seeing that she didn't want to talk, he rose. "If you don't mind, I need to freshen up. I've had a long day," he said, and without waiting for her response, he walked into his bedroom.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he was surprised to see her standing in his room.

"What are you doing in here? Do you need something?" he asked since the only thing covering his body was the towel around his waist.

"Are you married?" she asked, looking at him with an unreadable expression that shocked him.

He blinked in surprise. "No.

Why are you..."

"Engaged? Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, cutting him off.

He was puzzled by her line of questioning but answered, "No."

"Would you want to have sex with me?" she asked bluntly.