The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

Chapter 190

Evelyn froze, her father's words sinking into her like a dagger.

"What?" Her voice cracked, trembling with disbelief. "No... that can't be true. Mom can't die!" She cried, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

On the other end of the line, her father's voice was thick with anguish. "Her heart stopped. The doctors... they did all they could."

Evelyn felt the room tilt around her. Her vision blurred as tears gathered in her eyes. "I-I'm coming to the hospital now. I don't believe you!" she choked out. Without waiting for him to say anything else, she hung up the call and threw her phone on the bed.

The woman who had stepped into her life after her mother's passing, who had tried in her own way to be a mother to her and had taken her side over Sandra's, was gone? It was impossible.

She refused to accept it.

Her heart beat very fast, and tears blurred her vision as she quickly began to pull on her just discarded clothes.

Without waiting to fully zip up her dress, she headed for the door.

Before she could open it, Derek walked in with a tray of food for her, and he frowned when he saw her fully dressed. "What's wrong? Where are..."

"I'm going to the hospital. I have to go to the hospital, she cried as she bolted out of the room.

Derek frowned as he quickly set down the glass, picked up his car key, and ran after her. "What is going on? Did someone call?" he asked as he walked quickly, trying to catch up with Evelyn, who was running down the stairs.

"My Mom""" she sobbed, stumbling as she descended the stairs.

"Dad said she's.... she's...... I have to go back to the hospital," she said, refusing to associate the word dead with her stepmother.

"Let's go. Come on," he said, trying to match her pace.

The drive to the hospital felt endless. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, her knuckles white as she gripped the hem of Derek's jacket, which she had taken without realizing it. Tears streamed down her face, and she muttered incoherent prayers under her breath. "She can't be gone," she whispered, her voice breaking. "She can't be..."

Derek reached over, placing a steadying hand on her knee. "We'll get there. Just hold on, okay?"

When they arrived at the hospital, Evelyn practically sprinted through the corridors, not waiting for Derek.

Her father stood outside Claire's room, his face pale, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he cried silently.

"Dad!" Evelyn cried, running to him. "Where is she? Let me see her!"

Her father's head jerked up, his face streaked with tears. "Evelyn..." he choked out as he pulled her into a hug, but Evelyn pushed past him, desperate to get to Claire. She shoved open the door to the

room with trembling hands.

Although Evelyn dreaded the sight of Claire lying cold and lifeless, but that didn't stop her from stepping closer and pulling down the cloth over Claire's lifeless face.

Her knees threatened to give way beneath her as her gaze fell on Claire's pale face. She looked... serene, as though asleep, but her stillness was unbearable.

Evelyn pressed a hand to her mouth, her world spinning. Claire, gone? It didn't feel real. She took another shaky step forward, her hand reaching out toward the woman who had always been a quiet, steady presence in her life.

"You can't do this to me, Mom. I refuse to lose to you. You can't leave me! I won't let you!" Evelyn cried as she lay on Claire's lifeless body.

"What am I supposed to do if you die this way? This is so unfair!

Are you trying to punish me for something? Why do I have to lose you?" Evelyn cried, unable to hold back her tears as they fell freely.

The door opened, and Derek and Eric walked in, but neither of them made any move to stop Evelyn, even though they wanted to.

"I need you, Mom! Please. I need you. Please don't leave me this way. I will forgive Sandra. I will do whatever you want me to, but please don't leave me. What am I supposed to tell Samantha? I need you! You can't just go this way, please," Evelyn cried, sobbing uncontrollably as she prayed for a miracle. Suddenly, a faint sound broke the tension in the room-a rasping breath. Evelyn froze, her heart skipping a beat when she felt the movement.

"Dad... did you hear that?"

Her father looked up, startled. "What are you talking about?"

The sound came again-a shallow, uneven breath. Claire's chest rose faintly under the sheet. Seeing this, Derek hurried out to get the doctor. "Mom!" Evelyn gasped as she jerked back, her grief-stricken face transforming into one of shock.

!Dad, she's alive!" Evelyn cried, and her father rushed to the other side of the bed, his hands trembling as he reached for Claire.

"She's breathing! Dak

"What... how?" He asked as the door burst open, and a nurse rushed in, followed closely by a doctor. "Step back, please!" the doctor ordered as they surrounded Claire's bed.

Evelyn and her father moved aside, clinging to each other as the medical team worked.

Evelyn's heart pounded as she watched the doctor check Claire's vitals. The nurse hooked her up to a monitor, and the room filled with the faint beep of a heartbeat.

"She's stable," the doctor announced after a tense moment. "Her pulse is weak, but it's there."

"How... how is this possible?" Evelyn asked, her voice shaky.

The doctor turned to her with a measured expression. "It was a rare medical situation. I believe she experienced what's known as Lazarus syndrome."

Evelyn stared at him, bewildered. "What does that even mean?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses. "As I said, it's an extremely rare phenomenon where a patient's heart stops, and after failed resuscitation efforts, they are presumed dead. However, minutes - or even hours- later, the heart can spontaneously start beating again. It's caused by a buildup of pressure in the chest during CPR that eventually releases, allowing the heart to restart. In her case, her vital signs were so faint they were undetectable, even to medical equipment..." "So you made a mistake?" Derek asked, clearly upset that his mistake had caused Evelyn so much emotional distress.

"It's more complicated than that," the doctor replied, visibly uncomfortably. "Her vital signs were nonexistent for over ten minutes, and all attempts to revive her failed. We followed protocol. But then..." He trailed off as he gestured to Claire.

"You thought

t she was gone. You told me she was gone!" Éric said, his voice trembling with equal parts relief and disbelief.

ו"

"I understand your frustration" the doctor said calmly. "But the important thing is that she's alive now. We'll monitor her closely and do everything we can." "You're

"Yes," her now to ensure th

the doctor confirmed. "It's as miraculous as it is rare. And we're monitoring her closely now to ensure there are no further complications."

Evelyn's legs gave out, and she collapsed into the chair beside Claire's bed. Tears streamed down her face. Relief and shock warred within her as she clutched her chest. "She's alive!" she whispered, as though saying it aloud would make it more real. Her father knelt beside her, his face wet with tears. "She's alive, he echoed, his voice breaking.

As the nurses adjusted Claire's IV and continued their checks, Evelyn reached for her stepmom's hand, "Thank you, Mom. Thank you for not leaving me," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Claire's

"She's waking uttered briefly, and Evelyn let out a startled gasp.

up!" up!

The doctor stepped closer, checking her reflexes. "Can you hear me?"

Claire's lips parted slightly, and a faint sound emerged - barely a whisper. Evelyn leaned in, holding her breath as her stepmother's eyes flickered open.

"Evie... Sandra..." Claire rasped, her voice weak but unmistakable.

Evelyn burst into tears, gripping Claire's hand tightly. "I'm here. I'm here. You're going to be fine."

Her father moved closer, placing a gentle hand on Claire's

shoulder. "I thought I'd lost you," he said, his voice trembling.

Claire's gaze moved between them, her expression faintly confused but full of love. "I... I'm still here, she whispered, her words fragile but steady.

Evelyn nodded, her tears falling freely. "Yes, you are. Thank you.

Thank you for not leaving me Evelyn cried, her voice shaking. Evelyn exhaled a deep, shuddering breath for the first time in what felt like hours. Claire was alive. And no matter how rare or miraculous the explanation, she would hold onto her mother and never let her go.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.