Chapter 1569 Acting with Impunity
Laura and Derek were just putting on a show. With a few words, they got exactly what they wanted from Magnolia and Carl.
These weren't just any folks; they were the President and the First Lady. Who in all of Madison would dare to pull such a stunt on them and actually get away with it?
After breakfast, Laura and Derek headed out together.
Carl wiped his mouth with a napkin, clearly annoyed, and said to Magnolia, "Why'd you let Derek take care of Maeve? He's a single guy with no kids. What does he know about taking care of a child? I think it would be better to ask Caroline to take Maeve back to the old house for a couple of months. After all, Maeve is her biological granddaughter, and she misses Maeve a lot ."
Magnolia smiled, not quite agreeing, "If we let them take care of Maeve, she might never come back."
Carl frowned, "That shouldn't be the case."
"You said it yourself, Caroline misses Maeve a lot. If Caroline gets used to having Maeve around for these two months, she might not want to give her back to Laura," Magnolia took a slow sip of water. "Laura is our goddaughter. Since she lives in the Presidential Palace and is willing to leave Maeve here, it shows her trust in us. A child is a piece of a mother's heart. You men don't understand. If Maeve's custody is taken away, it would be the end of Laura."
"It's not that dramatic. Caroline and the others aren't like that," Carl said, not too pleased. But Magnolia, after all, had been his wife for decades. Besides their emotional bond, there were also many shared interests that brought them to where they were today.
"They didn't fight for Maeve's custody before because they felt guilty towards Laura. But what if years passed away? Human nature is the most unreliable. Not to mention Caroline, let's talk about Michael."
Magnolia's dignified face turned slightly cold. "If Michael knows his daughter is back with the Jude family, wouldn't he frequently visit Caroline? And what about Megan? Megan can't have children. She had her eyes on Maeve before. If Megan stirs things up, Michael might really try to take Maeve back. Laura is going on a business trip for a few months and won't have time to take care of the child. If Michael sues, the judge might just rule in his favor."
Carl was left speechless.
Magnolia gently patted his hand, "Honestly, if Michael's new wife were a gentle, kind woman, I wouldn't be so strict about keeping Maeve with Laura. I think Laura would also agree to let Maeve spend more time with her father and grandparents. But both we know Megan is a bad woman. Even if Maeve stays with Caroline, she might never come back."
Carl sighed deeply, "Maybe you're right. Michael is, after all, James' biological son. Even though they are disappointed in him, it's hard for parents to completely ignore their own child. Just like how we treat Derek."
"Don't compare Derek to Michael," Magnolia said sternly, "You can't fault Derek's character. But Michael has problems with his values and morals. Michael could never raise a good child. If it were up to me, I wouldn't let Michael approach Maeve. Laura is just too kind-hearted."
Carl knew Magnolia's temper and coughed lightly, "Seems like you really have a soft spot for Maeve. It's a shame she's not Derek's biological daughter. Who knows when Derek will have a kid of his own."
"That's why I want Derek to spend more time with Maeve. She's so adorable. Maybe spending time with her will make him want to be a dad," Magnolia sighed, "If he can just have a child, that would be enough."
"Your expectations are too low," Carl said, frustrated, "As the President's son, how can Derek be like that?"
"Give it a rest," Magnolia rolled her eyes at him. "You won't be President forever. You might not even get re-elected. Even if you do, you'll only be President for a few more years. Everyone is eyeing your position. Once you're out, no one will pay much attention to Derek."
"I'm just hoping to secure more power for Derek while I'm still President. Then he can run for President himself," Carl said helplessly.
"You've been influenced by Eric," Magnolia shook her head. "There's never been a father and son both becoming President in Madison's history. The Jude family may have ambitions to set this precedent, but you can't force it. We're in our fifties. Why make life so hard? If Derek really wants to be President, he'll go for it."
"You have a point," Carl smiled bitterly.
"I think the Jude family is too greedy," Magnolia glanced at him. "Look at how much your hair has turned white since you became the President. You think about work even in your dreams and are always busy."
Carl touched his hair and sighed deeply, "Maybe you're right. I've assigned Derek to grassroots work. I didn't realize it before, but now I see that many things aren't going smoothly. None of my assistants and advisors can compare to Derek."
Magnolia chuckled, "Derek probably anticipated this, which is why he's so confident."
"So what do we do? Don't you still want a grandchild?" Carl rubbed his temples.
"Let's take it one step at a time. Derek is not normal," Magnolia said with a sigh.
Over the next two days, Laura handed over her work and completed her travel documents. In the rest of the time, she either packed her luggage at home or spent time with Maeve.
Maeve didn't know Laura was going away for a while and was still happy.
But Laura became more reluctant to leave with each passing day. On the day of her departure, she couldn't sleep at all.
In the morning, Derek put Laura's suitcase in the trunk. Laura took a deep look at Maeve, who was smiling innocently, and cried as she got into the car.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Maeve. She won't even notice you're gone," Derek handed her a tissue.
"What do you mean by that?" Laura glared at him with red eyes, "When I'm gone, Maeve will definitely miss me. She's always so attached to me."
"So you want Maeve to miss you every day and cry her eyes out?" Derek asked calmly.
Laura denied, "Of course not."
Just as Laura finished speaking, Derek reached out and touched her cheek, "Focus on your studies over there. If you miss Maeve, video call me and Arabella. I promise to come home right after work and will not go anywhere during my free time. When you come back, you'll have a chubby little baby waiting for you."
"What if Maeve loses weight?" Laura asked, deliberately finding fault.
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