Chapter 1514 Do You Like Derek?
Derek barely managed to fight down the urge to kiss her.
He just turned his head away and said, "Get in the car, let's head home."
On the drive back, Laura opened the gift and found a moon-shaped necklace inside, sparkling with tiny diamonds.
"It's gorgeous," she said, her eyes lighting up. "But it must've cost a fortune."
"Not really, just a few thousand bucks. There aren't that many diamonds on it," Derek replied, trying to keep it casual.
A few thousand dollars was nothing for families like theirs.
But Laura, feeling a bit awkward, said, "You got me such a nice gift, and I didn't get you anything."
"Didn't you give me a scarf last time?" Derek said with a laid-back smile.
"That was only a hundred bucks," Laura pouted.
"If you feel bad about it, I wouldn't mind a little something," Derek said, not holding back. "But don't worry about matching the value. That's just silly."
Laura had thought about it, but after hearing him, she let it go. "So, what do you want me to get you?"
As they passed a fork in the road, Derek seemed to think of something. "My belt's kinda worn out. Get me a new one, but nothing too pricey. I don't want people thinking I'm embezzling."
Laura got it right away and nodded quickly.
But after nodding, she started thinking.
Why a belt?
She'd been married and dated before, so she knew that giving a guy a belt or a scarf could be kinda intimate.
But seeing Derek's straightforward look, and considering she had given him a scarf recently, maybe he really did need a new belt, and she was just overthinking it.
After figuring it out, she put the necklace on, looked in the mirror, and thought that with her good skin and pretty face, she could pull off anything.
The next day, Laura wore the necklace to work.
After the morning meeting, Cassie noticed the necklace and teased, "Nice necklace. Did Remy give it to you last night?"
"No." Mentioning Remy made Laura purse her lips. "We had dinner last night, but I don't feel we will be a good match. I told him this morning that we should just be friends."
"Why not a good match?" Cassie asked, munching on a cookie. "I sent you a Facebook message during dinner, and you said he was okay."
"That was just on the surface. Later, when I ran into Michael and he started yelling at me, Remy didn't say a word to defend me. Plus, Derek has a friend who teaches at the same university as Remy. He helped me look into Remy, and it turns out Remy had dated a student before. Lots of girls at the school have a crush on him. Remy is too complicated and has too many temptations around him."
Laura shook her head and continued, "Remy has a daughter he barely takes care of. He's not a good father."
Cassie raised her eyebrows in surprise.
So, Derek had a hand in this.
Derek was indeed impressive, getting rid of a love rival so easily.
And Laura seemed to believe everything Derek said.
"What about that necklace?" Cassie asked.
"Derek gave it to me as a Christmas gift. Isn't it pretty?" Laura said, touching the necklace around her neck with a smile. "By the way, are you free at noon? I didn't get Derek anything for Christmas yesterday, and I feel bad about it. Come with me to the mall to buy him a belt as a return gift."
"A belt?" Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Laura, do you like Derek?"
Laura was taken aback. "Don't be ridiculous. I see him as family."
"Don't you know that a belt as a gift to a man is a tribute to love?" Cassie said, exasperated.
"Stop thinking about all the love stuffs. He said his belt was worn out and asked me to get him a new one." Laura rolled her eyes.
Cassie frowned. It was so obvious, she couldn't believe Laura hadn't noticed. "Maybe he's hinting at something."
"You're overthinking it. We're just friends, besides..." Laura's voice trailed off. She couldn't exactly say Derek liked men. "He sees me as family. I gave him a scarf a few days ago."
Cassie was speechless.
The behavior of these two was too ambiguous, but Laura seemed completely unaware.
Was Derek too cunning, or was Laura too oblivious?
"Alright, I'll go with you at noon."
Men's belts were easy to pick out, and Laura quickly made her purchase and checked out.
In the evening, she went for a walk in the garden with Maeve and stopped by Derek's place.
Derek had just returned and was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window talking business.
When Derek saw Laura, he quickly ended the call.
"Here's the belt I got you. Take a look." Laura handed over the shopping bag.
Derek was pleased and immediately opened it. It was a vintage-style brown belt.
"Let me try it on."
He quickly took off his jacket, revealing his shirt underneath, and swiftly removed his old belt, replacing it with the new one.
As Derek efficiently fastened the new belt, Laura noticed his slim waistline, with no excess fat.
Even though it was just a thousand-dollar belt, on Derek, paired with his physique and pants, it looked expensive.
"Thanks, I really like it." Derek smiled.
"Of course, I have good taste." Laura was happy too. After all, it was satisfying when someone liked the gift you gave them.
Moreover, she noticed Derek was still wearing the scarf she had given him, and now he was wearing the belt she had given him.
A strange feeling crept into Laura's heart, especially as Cassie's words from earlier flashed through her mind.
She wanted to say something.
But Derek's phone rang again. He picked it up and looked at her helplessly. "Too much work."
"Go ahead, I'm taking Maeve for a walk." Laura realized she almost asked a ridiculous question and quickly left with Maeve.
Derek didn't stop her.
As she left, Laura looked back and saw him seriously discussing work.
The belt buckle on his waist was particularly noticeable.
The next day at breakfast, she noticed Derek was still wearing the belt she had given him, though it was partially covered by his clothes.
She stole a glance at him, only to see him smiling and talking to Violet.
With the New Year approaching, things at the Presidential Palace were particularly busy. Derek and Carl were out all day, and sometimes Laura had to accompany Violet to evening events.
As the year-end approached, a scandal suddenly broke out at the Presidential Palace.
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