Chapter 1620 A Sense of Security
When Laura got her phone, she found several missed calls from Arabella.
She thought it was about Maeve and quickly called back.
"Laura, you finally answered," Arabella said in a low voice. "Michael came over this morning, and he's been playing with Maeve."
Laura was stunned for a moment and then said, "Keep an eye on them. Don't let him take Maeve out, and make sure she doesn't get hurt while he's watching her. He doesn't have much experience with kids."
"Okay, I know. But from what he said, it sounds like he's staying for lunch."
"Whatever, I have to go to the office today and won't be back until late."
After hanging up, she struggled to get up and went to the bathroom to shower.
The bathroom was a bit messy from when Derek had carried her in for a bath last night.
Thinking about the intimacy and absurdity of the previous night made her blush again.
She quickly turned on the shower to let the hot water distract her.
When she came out, Derek was already dressed, looking vibrant and energetic, unlike her own tiredness.
"I have to go to the office," Derek said softly, fixing her slightly curly hair. "There's an urgent document I need to sign. I just had breakfast sent up. You can rest here after you eat."
"Okay."
Laura felt a bit disappointed but understood. As the President's secretary, he was bound to be busy. The fact that he had taken time off to be with her until now was already quite good. "You go ahead. I'll head to the office this afternoon."
"It's just as well you don't go back, so you don't run into Michael," Derek suddenly said.
"You know about that?" Laura was a bit surprised but not too much. After all, many people in the Presidential Palace knew Derek, and it was normal for someone to tell him that Michael had come.
"I suspect he wants to get back together with you. It would be better if you avoided him," Derek said, kissing her forehead. "I'm off."
"You don't seem particularly worried," Laura suddenly said, blinking at him. His casual remark seemed a bit out of character.
"It's not that I'm not worried. It's that you gave me enough security yesterday," Derek said with a satisfied smile.
Laura was puzzled. He said "yesterday" instead of "last night," which made a big difference. "Did I do something?"
"You formally introduced me to your friends, openly and confidently. That made me very happy," Derek said with a smile before leaving.
Laura sat on the bed, dazed for a while.
Just that gave him a sense of security?
Did he not care at all about the awkwardness of their relationship and what others might think?
Not long after, the hotel breakfast was delivered.
In the afternoon, she met Cassie at the office. Seeing the post-coital bliss on Cassie's face, Laura couldn't help but tease, "Looks like you had a good night with Joseph. You're even wearing a scarf."
"You weren't bad yourself," Cassie said with a wink. "Did you use protection?"
Laura blushed at the mention of it.
From last night until this morning, she and Derek had used up an entire box of condoms from the hotel, making her feel the front desk's curious gaze when they checked out.
"Yes, we used protection."
Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, Derek's status is not ordinary, and many people know you two. Your relationship won't stay hidden for long. Even if you sneak around, his family will eventually notice something's off, and most of his colleagues are his father's people."
Laura felt a bit anxious. "I know."
"Good, just a reminder. If you plan to stay with Derek, you'll have to be prepared for gossip. If you can't handle it, it's better to break up sooner rather than later."
Cassie admitted she was being blunt, but she could see Laura was getting deeper into this relationship.
She didn't intend to break them up, just wanted to give Laura a heads-up.
Laura nodded heavily, her previously sweet mood suddenly turning heavy.
"Let's have a meeting later," Cassie suddenly said. "To discuss the acquisition of the Ocean Blue group."
"What?" The topic change was so fast that Laura was confused.
"Didn't you see the news this morning? Megan's lawsuit yesterday caused a huge stir. Now the whole internet is mocking Michael. The Ocean Blue group's stock hit the limit down this morning, and a lot of capital fled. The group's situation wasn't good to begin with, and this time it might even delist."
Laura shook her head. "I was sleeping at the hotel this morning and didn't have time to check."
Laura was just puzzled. With the Ocean Blue group in such a state, how did Michael still have the mood to visit Maeve?
In the office building of the Presidential Palace.
Derek had just finished his urgent tasks when the internal line suddenly rang.
"Come to my office," Carl's voice came through.
Five minutes later, Derek stood in the President's office.
Carl capped his pen. "Where did you go yesterday?"
Derek frowned in displeasure. "Dad, I'm an adult. Do I still need to report my whereabouts to you?"
"Then let me ask you as the President. Where were you yesterday?" Carl's face turned serious. "As my secretary, I have the right to know your whereabouts."
Derek lowered his eyes. "I went fishing with Joseph and the others, along with Lucas and Laura."
"Since when did you get so close to them?" Carl was slightly surprised. "And why didn't you come back last night? Laura didn't come back either."
"We had a bit to drink, and it was too late. After getting off the yacht, we just found a hotel nearby."
"Seems like you drank quite a bit," Carl said coldly. "I called you several times this morning. I needed you to draft a document urgently, but you were unreachable. Derek, understand your job. You're not just any secretary; you're the President's secretary. In case of an emergency, even a slight delay could cause significant harm to the country. When did you become so irresponsible? Our phones need to be reachable 24/7."
"I'm sorry."
Derek's face turned red from the reprimand.
Carl gave him a deep look. "Derek, I'm warning you, don't do anything to disappoint me."
Derek nodded.
As he left, he clenched his fists tightly.
In the evening, Laura decided to stay at the office and work late.
It wasn't until after seven that she returned to the Presidential Palace.
As soon as she entered, she heard Maeve's laughter coming from the playroom, followed by Michael's voice.
"Michael hasn't left yet," Arabella walked over and whispered to her.
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