The Billionaire's Unexpected Proposal by Samantha

Chapter

149

The next morning, Evelyn sat at her desk, her fingers tapping restlessly against the cool surface as she stared blankly at her computer screen.

Her mind wasn't on work. It was far from it. She was thinking about Rayna. The image of her friend's tear-streaked face from last night haunted her, making it impossible to focus.

Rayna had always been the one with a level head, the one to offer advice and support. Now, seeing her like that, broken and vulnerable, made Evelyn feel utterly helpless.

She sighed and picked up her phone, dialing Raynas number again, hoping that this time she'd pick up. But once more, the call went straight to voicemail.

'Her phone must be off, Evelyn thought, biting her lip anxiously.

What was she supposed to do now? Rayna needed her, and she didn't know how to help.

As the minutes dragged on, Evelyn found herself spiraling deeper into worry. She couldn't shake the guilt that weighed heavy on her chest. Rayna had always been there for her- Rayna had been her rock. But now, when it was Rayna who needed support, Evelyn felt lost.

I have to do something, she thought. Maybe instead of giving Rayna space, she could swing by her place during her lunch break.

Even if Rayna didn't want to talk, Evelyn could at least check in on her and make sure she wasn't crying alone.

her chair back and stood up when she saw it was a few minutes before lunch break. As she grabbed her handbag and headed for the door, another thought intruded, one that had been lingering at the back of her mind

Liam.

hadn't. She had brushed it off initially, thinking he was probably busy, but now she wondered if

to admit, and so without thinking, once Evelyn got into a cab, she pulled out her phone and scrolled

her thumb hovering over the call

and it made her wonder if she should bring

he knew about Derek. She didn't owe him

to check in to confirm that he arrived safely and see how he was doing. That

line and brought the phone to her ear,

came through the line,

didn't hear the usual cheerfulness in his voice. "I just wanted to

dropped. Then, Liam sighed. "Yeah, I've been really busy. Sorry about that. Look, I'm in the middle of something right now, but I'll call you back later, okay?" Before Evelyn could respond, the line went dead. She blinked, pulling the phone away from her

even given her a chance to say more. He had never hung up first, no matter how busy he was. The dismissal stung, even if he didn't mean it

that maybe he needed space from her, she decided to respect that and let him be, hoping that he would come around lately. He was a nice

couch in his apartment, staring at the

the way he'd made it sound. But he couldn't bring himself to

the boxes still stacked against the walls. He hadn't even unpacked properly yet because he

had applied for a job in Ludus and had moved down to be closer to her and Samantha. He had planned to surprise her, to show her that he was ready to be part of