The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

Chapter 201

As they boarded the jet, Maya couldn't help but marvel at the sheer luxury of it. She had never traveled in a private plane before, and it was an experience that left her both in awe and gratitude.

Just as she finished texting Liam and letting him know she was flying with Evelyn and Derek, Evelyn settled into the seat across from her.

"Excited?" she asked with a broad smile since she had noticed the way Maya had been looking around earlier when they just boarded Maya nodded, unable to suppress her grin. "Very. Thank you for letting me join you."

Evelyn waved it off. "It's no trouble at all. It seems like fate that we're all heading to Husla at the same time."

Maya tilted her head thoughtfully. "Who knows? Maybe it is."

Evelyn smiled as she stole a glance at Derek, who was busy speaking with the flight crew. His demeanor was calm but focused.

She returned her attention to Maya, "So, how long are you going to be in Husla?" She asked curiously.

"I can't say yet, but I will let you know as soon as I'm sure," Maya promised, and Evelyn nodded before returning to her own seat.

Alone now, Maya's thoughts drifted to her meeting with her brother once again, and she reached for the locket around her neck.

She hesitated for a moment before unclasping it and letting it rest in her palm. She looked down at the small, delicate piece of jewelry, which was the only tangible connection she had left to her family. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal of the locket as she flipped it open, and she stared into the face of the little boy in the picture.

There was something familiar about him that tugged at her heart, though she quickly brushed it off. She was sure she felt that way only because of the connection between them.

Maya gazed at the picture for a long time, wanting to familiarize herself with every detail of his face so that she would easily recognize him when she saw him.

After staring at it for a moment, she raised her head, and her eyes met with Derek, who had just finished speaking with the flight crew and was taking his seat beside Evelyn. Her heart skipped a beat for a minute when she saw the little boy's face in his, but she quickly looked away and discarded the thought.

She was beginning to imagine crazy stuff because of the duration she had spent looking at the picture.

She was certain that if she had looked up and seen Liam or any other guy there, she would have seen her brother's face in theirs, too.

As the jet ascended into the clouds, Maya reached for her bag and pulled out a book while still holding onto the locket.

"How do you feel?" Evelyn asked as she linked her hand with Derek's.

"Excited. Anxious," he said, and she nodded.

"You will meet her soon""" Evelyn said and then looked at him with a serious expression.

"Do you think she might know about what happened to your parents?" Evelyn asked, and Derek paused as he thought about it

"I don't know. I'm not sure. She was only a baby then..."

"But the lady that raised her might have told her, don't you think so?" Evelyn asked, and Derek sighed.

"Maybe. I'm sure we will find out soon," he said, and she yawned as she gave him a nod.

"Why don't you try to get some rest?" Derek suggested since he had noticed her dozing during the drive to the airport earlier, and she had been yawning a lot.

He couldn't blame her since she had woken up earlier than usual and had been up for hours thanks to his nightmares.

"Will you be okay?" She asked, not bothering to deny that she needed to rest.

"Sure. I need to think, too""" he said as he gathered her close so that

she was resting against him.

Evelyn sighed as she leaned into him. "Alright."

She shut her eyes to sleep, but after trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable position, she gave up.

"Why don't you go sleep on the bed?" He suggested.

"But I want to stay close to you," she said with a pout, and Derek smiled despite himself.

"I will cuddle you until you sleep off," Derek said as he rose and he escorted her to the sleeping area.

"Let me know if you get bored and need me to keep you company," she offered as they both lay on the bed.

"Sure," he said with a smile, kissing her forehead as she snuggled against him.

Derek held her close and waited until she had fallen asleep before leaving her to return to his seat.

As Derek returned to his seat, his gaze fell on the locket in Maya's hand, and he froze mid-step.

Something about the small, worn locket caught his attention again, as it had the night before, and he remembered seeing something similar in his dream.

Maya, sensing his gaze, glanced up. "Did you need something?" she asked, quickly closing her book and setting it aside.

Derek shook his head, his voice coming out quieter than he intended. "No, it's just... that locket. May I... see it?"

Maya hesitated, her fingers instinctively clutching the locket tighter. "Why?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, offering her an awkward smile.

"I'm not sure. It just looks so familiar, and it keeps catching my attention."

Something in his tone made Maya pause. Her eyes softened, and she held it out to him. "It's the only connection I have left to my family," she said, and Derek took the locket

with a reverence that surprised even

him.

He studied the intricate design, his thumb brushing over the tiny scratches that had accumulated over the years. When he opened it, his breath caught.

Inside was a picture of a young boy with a mischievous grin standing beside two smiling adults. The faces were unmistakable.

They were the people he had dreamt about- his parents and himself.

He stared at the locket, his hands trembling slightly. "This... this is me"" he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he looked from the picture to Maya. Maya's heart pounded as she processed his words. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

He turned the locket toward her, pointing to the picture. "That's

me. And those are my biological parents. Where... where did you get this?" His voice cracked as he looked at her, his eyes filled with disbelief and hope.

She had said it was the only connection she had left to her family.

He didn't want to believe that Maya was his sister and had been right under his nose this whole time, and he did not know it.

But at the same time, it made sense that she was the one. What were the chances that she had the key that had helped him unlock his memory? Or that they were both making impromptu trips to Husla? Maya's lips parted, but no words came out. She felt like the world had tilted on its axis. She took the locket back, staring at the picture as if seeing it for the first time.

Her mind raced through a thousand possibilities. Only a short while ago, she had looked into Derek's face and thought he looked like her brother, and here he was, saying he was the one in the picture. Derek was her brother? Her elder brother? The sister she had overheard them talking about was her?

How did that make any sense? Maya mused as she looked at him again. "This is you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Derek nodded slowly, his throat too tight to speak. "How... how do you have this, Maya?" His voice was barely above a whisper, as though he was afraid of the answer.

Tears welled up in Maya's eyes, "These are my biological parents and my elder brother, she admitted, tears dropping from her eyes.

Evelyn, who had decided to use the restroom before going to sleep and had been observing the exchange silently, gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Neither of them heard her or noticed her presence. The words hung in the air, heavy with emotion and disbelief.

Derek stared at Maya, his mind

reeling. He wanted to say

something, anything, but all he could

do was pull her into a tight embrace, his heart pounding against hers. "Maya"" he whispered, his voice breaking. "It's really you."

Maya broke into a sob as she clung to him, "I can't believe this"" she cried.

Tears streamed down Evelyn's cheeks as she watched the reunion, overwhelmed by the moment. She pressed her hand to her lips to keep from sobbing. She couldn't believe that Maya, who had been living with her all these years, was Derek's blood sister.

Maya was indeed family, after all.