Chapter 1484 Can You Still Carry Me?
The next morning, after Elliott helped Laura with the discharge paperwork, Derek's car pulled up in the parking lot.
Elliott got Laura settled in the car but didn't join her on the ride to the Presidential Palace. Instead, he gave Derek a few instructions and said, "I'll stick around Whisperlyn City. Hit me up if you need anything."
Laura, sitting in the back seat, felt a wave of relief wash over her, like she was finally free.
She'd been cooped up in the hospital for over a week. Sure, the VIP ward had all the good food and drinks, but it was still a drag. Mostly, she just missed Maeve.
The whole ride, she kept asking about Maeve.
Towards the end, Laura got a bit down. "Do you think Maeve still remembers me? I've been video calling her, but she'd rather play with her toys and barely looks at me."
Derek glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
Laura had been pampered with good food in the hospital, and her skin looked better.
He rubbed the steering wheel absentmindedly and smiled. "You're overthinking it. A three-month-old baby doesn't get video calls. Besides, it's good she's not paying attention. Before, every time she saw you on the phone and the call ended, she'd cry her heart out. It was heartbreaking."
"I'm such a bad mom," Laura sighed. "When I get back, I need to spend more time with Maeve."
Derek didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed an ad from the front seat and handed it to her.
Laura looked at it and saw it was for children's artistic photos.
"Maeve's almost a hundred days old. Want to get some artistic photos of her?" Derek said. "Yesterday, Caroline came by and mentioned it too."
"I almost forgot," Laura said, her face showing regret. "Caroline mentioned it before. We planned to take photos when Maeve turns a hundred days old."
Back then, Laura and Michael had agreed on it, but they got divorced before three months had passed.
Laura sighed. "I want to, but my body..."
Derek cut her off, "I can go with you. Thea and I can help, and you can just watch."
Laura hesitated, wanting to agree but feeling shy. "But won't it trouble you? Maybe I should ask Caroline."
"Let's do it on Saturday," Derek interrupted. "Don't ask Caroline. She's been having back pain lately. Maeve's gained weight, and taking photos means holding her and being patient. Caroline might not be up for it."
"Alright, thanks, Derek," Laura said.
"Stop thanking me," Derek quickly replied. "We're close, and I really like Maeve. She's adorable."
Laura beamed at Derek's praise. "Of course, she's my daughter. But since you like kids, you should have one of your own soon. You've got good genes, and your kid will definitely be good-looking."
"We'll see," Derek said vaguely.
When they arrived at the Presidential Palace, Derek parked, opened the back door, and helped Laura out.
The parking lot was separated from her building by a garden.
Lying in his arms, Laura felt uneasy. It wasn't the first time he had carried her; he had even carried her to the hospital before. But back then, she had been in too much pain to notice.
Now, being held like a princess, she could see his chiseled jaw and collarbone when she looked up.
Her face inexplicably felt hot. "Am I heavy? Can you still carry me?"
"You're a bit heavier than before. Why don't you put your arms around my neck? It might lighten the load," Derek said, looking down.
"Okay." Without thinking much, Laura put her arms around his neck.
Derek's body trembled suddenly.
Laura was startled and instinctively held on tighter. "Hold me steady. I can't afford to fall again."
Seeing her panicked expression, Derek smiled wryly. "Don't worry, I won't drop you."
He was just taken aback by her tight embrace around his neck, causing a strange sensation.
Laura wasn't actually heavy. On the contrary, she was soft and fragrant, like a hot iron, burning yet pleasing.
After carrying Laura into the living room, Derek placed her on the sofa.
Thea immediately came over with Maeve.
Laura hadn't seen Maeve for a week and missed her terribly. Unfortunately, Laura couldn't hold Maeve, so she had Thea place Maeve on her lap.
Maeve recognized Laura and smiled brightly, still cheerful and lively.
Laura, who had been unhappy for days, suddenly felt healed.
Although Laura had divorced Michael, she had to be strong and happy for Maeve.
Not long after, Violet came over. As the First Lady, she was quite busy with various social engagements every day.
In the evening, Laura was wheeled to dinner, and Carl had returned. After expressing his concern for Laura, he said, "This afternoon, I went to Whispering Pines Manor."
As soon as Carl spoke, everyone fell silent, especially Laura, who instinctively tensed up.
Carl gave Derek a meaningful look and said, "Dad agreed. Tomorrow, he will officially announce that 50% of the Jude Group's shares will go to Julia, 30% to Aaron, and 10% to Maeve. The rest will remain with James until Maeve comes of age, at which point James will transfer them to her."
So, it was settled. Regardless of whether Michael had children in the future, it had nothing to do with him.
Laura froze in an attitude of slight disbelief, lips shut. She was quite surprised that Michael wouldn't get any shares. If Megan knew, she might be so angry that her paralysis would worsen.
"That's good," Derek said calmly, cutting a piece of foie gras, "I believe Julia will do a better job."
Carl gave Derek another helpless look but didn't say anything in front of Laura.
Violet nodded. "I've always said that the Jude Group should have been handed over to Julia long ago. She's done so much for the family over the years. Your family always thought women couldn't inherit the family business. Eric was determined to groom Michael as the successor, even though Michael constantly disappointed him. Now, Julia has been pushed to the limit, and Eric had no choice but to compromise with her."
Carl sighed and said helplessly to Violet, "No matter what, Eric is still my father."
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