The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)
Billionaire’s 114

Chapter 114

Melvin strolled into the dining room to join Ethan, who was seated at the far end of the table. Ethan had his phone in one hand, his laptop open in front of him, and a furrowed brow that spoke of intense concentration.

The sunlight streaming through the large windows cast a warm glow over the table, but Ethan seemed oblivious to the picturesque morning.

Curious, Melvin walked over and took a seat across from him, leaning forward with a grin. "Morning, Ethan," he greeted, his voice laced with amusement.

"What's got you so focused this early?"

Without looking up, Ethan replied, "I'm just looking through my email and checking out the ladies who responded to my ad."

Melvin raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Ad? You mean that ridiculous ad you put out for a wife?" He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms.

"And how's that going? How many applicants do you have?"

Ethan chuckled without looking up, "It's over a hundred."

"What? Do you mean we have over a hundred ladies who are crazy enough to do this with you in this city?

What are you going to do then? Narrow the list down to a top ten?" Melvin asked incredulously.

Ethan finally looked up, his expression half-serious, half-amused. "Yes. I'm trying to do that. There are too many of them, and since I can't possibly meet them all, I'm just replaceing ways to streamline the process. Gotta narrow it down to at least five before I even think about meeting anyone."

Melvin burst out laughing. "Streamline? You make it sound like a business deal! This is your future wife you're talking about, not a new hire."

Ethan chuckled and shrugged. "Same difference.

Efficiency is key."

Shaking his head, Melvin leaned in again, his expression more serious now. "Why are you even going through this whole process, Ethan? We could hook you up with someone just fine. Take Rayna, for instance. I don't know what went down between you two, but she would've been a good fit for you."

Ethan's face darkened at the mention of Rayna, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Rayna?" he scoffed. "She's not my type; besides, I don't think she's that smart. I read somewhere that kids get their intelligence from their mothers. I want my kids to have the best shot at life, and I don't think Rayna has much to offer in that department."

Melvin couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of Ethan's logic. "You're judging her too harshly, Ethan."

Ethan's frown deepened as he turned back to his laptop. "Harsh? No, I'm not. I'm only stating a fact," he said, his tone more defensive now.

"What did she do to you? Why won't you say?" Melvin asked incredulously, and Ethan shook his head.

"Because I don't want to think about it. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. So, let's leave it in the past. She already gave me an impression of herself, and that impression overrides anything you're going to tell me about her," Ethan said stubbornly.

"So, you've met her just what? Once or maybe twice, yet you think your opinion of her overrides mine when I've known her for a longer time?" Melvin asked with a snort. "First impressions matter," Ethan said, and Melvin scoffed.

"Not all the time, it doesn't. That a person is sad the first time you meet them doesn't mean they are perpetually sad. We need to change this mindset that first impressions define people. Different things can influence a person's behavior the first time we meet them, and you, of all people, should know that. I don't know what she did to you, and I no longer care about it either, but you shouldn't judge Rayna so harshly.

She's a very smart lady."

"Not from what I experienced," Ethan replied, his eyes still glued to the screen, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to focus."

Melvin sighed, realizing that Ethan wasn't going to be swayed. "Alright, alright," he said, pushing his chair back. "I'll leave you to it since I have to leave for work anyway. But don't say I didn't warn you when you end up with some robotic woman who only ticks all the boxes on paper."

Ethan merely grunted in response, his focus already back on his task. As Melvin left the dining room, Ethan continued scrolling through the emails of applicants, most of whom had eagerly provided their social media handles and personal details. Some had gone as far as sending him beautiful and sexy photos of themselves. He was about to dismiss yet another application when a particular name caught his eye— Golden Sun.

He paused, intrigued by the uniqueness of the name.

Clicking on her email, he was surprised to replace that she hadn't left any social media details, something he had specifically requested in the ad. Instead, she had written a note that piqued his interest even more: [I can't reveal such personal information to a stranger I don't know. If you want my personal details, it's only fair you share something personal about yourself, too, other than your requirements. I have every right to check if you're my ideal man as well as you do.]

Ethan's lips curled into a smile, a quiet laugh escaping him. The boldness of her response was refreshing, something different from the eager-to-please nature of most of the other applicants. He decided right then that he wanted to know more about this mysterious

"Golden Sun."

He picked up his phone and dialed the number she had left, his heart beating a little faster than usual.

After a few rings, a soft, confident voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi," Ethan began, trying to keep his tone casual. "This is the guy from the couple ad you responded to."

"Oh! Hi! I wasn't expecting a response," Rayna responded, laughing awkwardly.

"Then why did you apply?" Ethan asked, confused.

"I meant, I wasn't expecting a call. Maybe an email, yes. But not a call. And I was expecting a rejection email," she confessed.

"You were? Why?" Ethan asked, amused.

"Well, I'm sure you received lots of responses, and then again, I didn't exactly respond the way you requested. So, I wasn't keeping my fingers crossed on that," she admitted with a chuckle.

Ethan laughed, "I sort of liked your response, and it made me want to know more about you. Would you mind telling me your name?"

Rayna chuckled softly. "I'm sticking with Golden Sun for now," she said, her tone playful. "I'll tell you my real name when I'm sure you're not a psychopath."

Ethan laughed, genuinely amused. "Fair enough."

"So, what's your name?" Rayna asked, liking the sound of his voice.

"Since you're not telling me your name, you can call me ET for now," Ethan said, choosing to be mysterious like her.

"ET? Like the alien?" she teased.

"Exactly," Ethan replied, grinning.

She laughed again, the sound light and musical to Ethan's ears. He had not thought he would replace someone on the list this entertaining. "Alright, ET. So, why did you reach out to me? Did everyone else suck, and you decided to try the craziest one?" She joked, and Ethan chuckled.

"I'm actually still going through the list," Ethan admitted, leaning back in his chair. "But like I said I liked your response. You stood out, and I wanted to check you out."

"Glad to hear it," she replied, her tone still teasing. "I just couldn't imagine a stranger staring at my photos without knowing anything about him first."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Do strangers not stare at them on the internet?"

"That's different if you think about it," she explained.

"Responding to your ad already puts me in a vulnerable position. I didn't want to compound that by giving away too much."

"I can see your point," Ethan said thoughtfully. "But don't you think putting up the ad made me vulnerable too?"

There was a brief pause before she responded.

"Maybe," she conceded, "but not as much as you think.

That's why I believe it's only fair you share something more personal about yourself other than your age, location, and requirements."

Ethan smiled, appreciating her logic. "I don't want everyone to have my details. That would be weird.

Imagine putting more information out there.

Everyone will see me and know that's the crazy guy who couldn't get a wife naturally and had to order one online."

Rayna giggled, "That's understandable," she replied with a hint of warmth in her voice.

"So, does calling me mean I'm one of your top ten or five? Or your runner-up?"

Ethan chuckled, amused that she reasoned like him.

"I'm still going through the list, but you'll know what number you are soon."

"Good to know," she said with a smile in her voice. "So, what now?"

As they continued talking, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that this mysterious woman might just be the spark he'd been looking for. Time would tell, but for now, he was content to explore this unexpected connection, one conversation at a time.

"You're fun. I want to keep chatting with you. Let's get to know each other and see if we're compatible enough to meet." Ethan suggested.

"You mean like a talking stage?" Rayna asked, to be sure.

"Yes. If you don't mind," Ethan said, and Rayna smiled.

"That sounds fair," she agreed. "But I'm curious-why did you put up an ad instead of dating the normal way?"

"I don't have time to date the normal way," Ethan admitted. "My job keeps me away for months, so I thought this would be a more efficient way to replace someone. I want to settle down soon." "I can relate," she replied.

"What about you? Why did you respond?"

"Well, I responded because this seemed intriguing," Rayna said, and Ethan laughed softly. "Intriguing, huh? I like that. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Golden Sun." "Likewise, ET, she said, her voice softening. "Let's see where this goes."