Chapter 1551 The Revenge Begins
"Don't you mind that I just mentioned Michael?" Laura suddenly turned to Derek.
"Nah, it's cool. I know when you talk about him, it's not 'cause you still care about him, but because you remember the hurt he caused." Derek leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Sweetie, get out of the kitchen and go hang with Maeve."
Laura always felt like Derek had this magic touch; being around him just made her feel at ease.
Even though they were the same age, he was always the one taking care of her.
While Derek was busy cooking, Laura took the chance to snoop around his room.
By 12:30 PM, lunch was ready. There were two dishes and a soup. The soup was a seafood mix with fresh shrimp, clams, and mushrooms. The dishes were steamed fish and a stir-fried veggie medley.
Laura was really into it.
Derek served her a bowl of soup.
Maeve, in her crib, caught a whiff of the food. She couldn't eat it, but she was still all excited and fussy.
"Don't worry, here's yours." Derek brought out a baby bowl from the kitchen, filled with some orange-red rice porridge.
"What's this?" Laura was a bit skeptical. Maeve could eat some porridge now, but she still needed to check it.
"Relax, it's porridge with a bit of carrot juice."
Derek put a tiny bib on Maeve and started feeding her like a pro.
Maeve seemed to love it after the first taste, smiling big and eagerly opening her mouth every time he brought the spoon near.
Laura felt like Maeve was never this cooperative when she fed her water.
Watching this, Laura felt touched.
In the past, when Derek wasn't busy, he'd often come to see Maeve. He'd feed her milk, give her water, and play with her.
Back then, they weren't dating. Now it was different; he was her boyfriend, and he treated her child like his own. She felt touched but also a bit complicated.
"Go ahead and eat," Derek reminded Laura.
After Maeve was full, Derek didn't put her back in the crib but held her while eating.
After the meal, he loaded the dishwasher and then played with Maeve until she fell asleep in his arms.
After putting Maeve in the crib, Laura whispered, "You're so good to Maeve."
"Are you jealous?" Derek hugged Laura from behind.
"Of course not, how could I be jealous of my daughter?" Laura lowered her eyes. "Maeve isn't your biological daughter."
"Maeve is my niece, and she's the child of the woman I love, so of course, I love her too." Derek turned her around and looked at her with gentle eyes.
Laura met his gaze for a few seconds, her cheeks turning pink.
She wanted to say something but didn't know what.
The atmosphere grew more intimate, and Derek chuckled softly, bending down to kiss her.
The kiss was slow and tender.
He started cautiously, letting her gradually get used to the change in their relationship.
As they grew more comfortable, he held her and sat on the couch, his fingers running through her hair, kissing her patiently for a long time.
Afterward, they watched a movie together until it got dark and then headed back to the Presidential Palace.
The next day, Laura was on fire during the company meeting.
Cassie kicked things off with the Christmas strategy plan, "Alright, folks, Ocean Blue used to be Madison's top cosmetics brand. But after last year's mess, a bunch of brands are gunning for that spot. For DreamDazzle Beauty Co., this is our shot. Our goal this year is to knock Ocean Blue off the top and become the biggest cosmetics brand."
The execs had a feeling Cassie was aiming high, but hearing it out loud still made them gasp.
One manager piped up, "Mrs. Brooks, isn't that a bit ambitious? Ocean Blue's got not just cosmetics, but also shampoo, skincare, and other stuff. Our product line is still kinda limited."
"True, Laura's team is growing fast, but one year might be tight. That's why we need to make an acquisition," Cassie said confidently.
Cassie stood up and had Magnus pull up some info on the big screen. "I've got a target for acquisition: PureRadiance Cosmetics from Novistrana. Their natural plant-based products are solid, and it's an old brand, but they've had some strategic hiccups lately."
The marketing manager wasn't convinced, "That brand was good a few years back, but their recent sales have tanked. Some local companies looked into it but bailed after seeing the numbers."
Cassie didn't answer but looked over at Bernice.
Bernice, a rarely-seen shareholder, had to be at the annual meeting.
Bernice chimed in, "We can quietly acquire it in the first half of the year, then team up with some young, active platforms, apps, and influencers. These folks will drive domestic buyers, and PureRadiance's rep will naturally spread. I work in the entertainment industry, so I know the ropes and have the connections. In the second half of the year, we can announce the acquisition and get celebs to endorse it."
"And the costs for these platforms?" the marketing manager asked.
"I've got the hookups, so it won't cost much. Plus, I can snag discounted rates for endorsements," Bernice replied.
After the meeting, the execs trickled out, and Laura was super impressed with Cassie and Bernice. "When did you two come up with all these plans? It's amazing."
"While you were busy with your kid and falling in love," Cassie laughed and glanced at Bernice. "But I was surprised too. I didn't know you were so business-savvy, Bernice."
"I've got dozens of endorsements and deal with advertisers all the time." Bernice lowered her eyes and sipped her hot coffee.
Bernice actually knew more about business than anyone, having been the first to dive into the business world. But fate had her as an artist now. If she showed her business chops, her identity might get questioned.
"Alright, now that it's just us three, we've handled the company stuff. Time to talk about our revenge plan." Cassie suddenly grinned, switching gears.
Laura and Bernice were both caught off guard and looked at her.
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