Chapter 1483 If Only You Had Married Derek
'Now that Michael's lost his inheritance, when the Miller Family starts raking it in, he might not even be as well off as us. Let's see how he feels about that,' Rose thought.
The room went quiet for a good thirty seconds.
Rose cleared her throat. "He does have a point, so how about..."
She trailed off, glancing hesitantly at Elliott and Luke.
Luke took a sip of water. "Mr. Jude, is the land approval really just a minor thing?"
"Luke, just call me Derek," he corrected, all polite and respectful. "My parents treat Laura like their own daughter, so no need for formalities. We're all family here."
Derek, with his refined looks and gentle voice, immediately struck Rose as a good guy.
"Derek's so polite," Rose said. "You're from the Presidential Palace. If we really consider you family, it'd be an honor."
"Presidential Palace or not, we're all just people," Derek shrugged. "My parents always told me, I might have a better background, but I'm no different from anyone else."
Luke nodded, eyes sparkling with approval.
Derek went on, "Luke, I can get the land approval with just a phone call. Then Elliott can develop the Miller Group in Whisperlyn City, Laura can start her own company, and your family can be together again. The Emerald Valley District is just a mile from the coast. Lots of villa communities there, private beaches, great climate. Perfect for living. Compared to here, Silverwood's too damp and cold, bad for older folks' joints."
Derek's words hit all the right notes for Luke and Rose.
Elliott could see they were convinced, and even he was on board.
"Alright, thanks for the help." Elliott shook Derek's hand.
Laura, lying in the hospital bed, was a bit lost in all the talk.
It wasn't until everything was settled that Laura realized Luke and Rose, who wanted her back in Silverwood, had been swayed by Derek to move to Whisperlyn City.
By then, Derek was already discussing which villa in Whisperlyn City was the best and suggesting which one Elliott should buy.
After about an hour, Derek stood up to leave. "Luke, Rose, Elliott, you're welcome at the Presidential Palace anytime. Maeve would love to see you."
After Derek left, Rose sighed. "Laura, if only you had married Derek. He's so polite and well-mannered. You're the same age, but Derek's way more mature and steady. Not arrogant or impatient. How can someone be so perfect?"
Laura stayed silent.
Yeah, Laura thought, why didn't she have a brother like Derek?
If she had a gentle brother like Derek and a quiet but protective one like Elliott, she'd be set for life. She wouldn't even care about getting married.
Luke shot Rose a look. "Don't talk nonsense. He's the President's son. And don't get any ideas. Derek and Michael are not the same. Derek's aiming for the presidency, and his future wife will definitely have an extraordinary background."
"I'm just saying how I feel," Rose said, waving her hand. "How can Derek and Michael be so different?"
"Enough, let's drop it. It's good that Laura and Michael are divorced."
Luke sighed and turned to Laura. "Laura, don't overthink it. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. If you waited a few more years to see Michael's true colors, it would be harder to get out. Once we get a place in Whisperlyn City, you can move in with us. We won't push you to get married. If you find someone you like, great. If not, it's fine to stay with us."
Laura's eyes filled with tears. "Dad, thank you."
Even though love hadn't been kind to Laura, she knew she had the strongest family support.
"My poor girl, you're so wonderful, and those men don't even realize it." Rose, heartbroken, turned to Elliott. "You better make the Miller Group thrive. I'm not saying it has to surpass the Jude Group, but at least get it into the top five in the country. Let those who missed out on Laura see how foolish they are."
Elliott smiled wryly and nodded. "Mom, I'll do my best."
Top five in the country? Rose made it sound easy.
She didn't even consider that when Elliott took over, the Miller Group wasn't even in the top five in Silverwood.
In the days that followed, Luke and Rose spent their free time house hunting. By the third day, they excitedly called Laura with good news.
"Laura, we bought a three-story villa near the coast. It's huge, with a pool, lawn, and a court. It's also close to your company, just a half-hour drive. But you'll have to wait six months; the house was just renovated, so we can't move in yet."
Rose was over the moon. "Your dad and I will head back to Silverwood to wrap things up. Elliott will stay here to set up the new company. Soon, we'll have a home in Whisperlyn City too."
"Mom, you guys are so quick." Laura was touched.
"It's all thanks to Derek. We didn't know the area, and it was hard to find a good place. Derek found us a reliable real estate agent. After we liked the house, Derek knew the developer and got us a good discount. When you're better, you should treat Derek to a meal."
"Okay." After hanging up, Laura sent Derek a message: [Did helping us buy a house in Whisperlyn City make you owe anyone a favor?]
Derek quickly replied: [Only others owe me favors, not the other way around.]
Laura smiled and replied: [Anyway, you helped our family a lot this time. I'll treat you to a meal when I'm better.]
Derek: [You really should treat me. I almost went all out for you.]
Laura: [Alright, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Jude.]
Derek: [You're being discharged tomorrow, right? I'll come pick you up and invite Luke and Rose to visit the Presidential Palace.]
Laura: [Forget it, getting into the Presidential Palace is complicated. My parents said they're going back to Silverwood tomorrow. You can visit our new house in the future.]
Derek: [It would be an honor.]
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