You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 188- Did I scare you?

The man stood tall and sharp in a black coat, his presence commanding and unwavering. The faint glow of a cigarette flickered between his fingers, illuminating his chiseled features in the cold night air.

Vivian pouted in displeasure.

"Don’t tell me he’s waiting for you. Haven’t you two gone more than half a year without speaking?"

To this day, Vivian still had no fondness for Dave—she remained a staunch supporter of Leonardo. She was well aware of everything that had happened between Laurent and Dave over the past six months.

Laurent frowned slightly and lifted her gaze toward the man standing in the biting northern wind.

It was the dead of winter, and the night was brutally cold. They had only just stepped outside, and the chill was already creeping into their bones. She wondered how long he had been standing there.

Vivian glanced at her.

"If you don’t want to see him, I can go over and send him away for you."

Laurent chuckled softly.

"Why wouldn’t I want to see him? Avoiding him on purpose would only make it seem like I have something to hide."

Truthfully, she had never deliberately avoided Dave these past months, yet they had never once crossed paths.

Word had it that after Clark was beaten and discharged from the hospital, he had left Burg Eltz with his parents, returning to his hometown to live. Perhaps he no longer had the courage or ability to stir up trouble.

But even so, Laurent felt that it was better this way. If she and Dave never met again, they could avoid unnecessary complications.

However, Laurent couldn’t help but wonder—how did he know which car was hers? Was it really just a coincidence that he happened to be leaning there? That seemed too improbable.

Over the past six months, she had known absolutely nothing about Dave. Occasionally, their daughter would mention him in passing, but Laurent would always steer the conversation elsewhere before she could hear too much. Subconsciously, she assumed that Dave must also know nothing about her.

Seeing that Laurent had no intention of avoiding Dave, Vivian chose not to say anything more. She simply waved goodbye.

"Alright then, I’ll head out first. See you after the New Year."

Laurent waved back, watching as Vivian’s car disappeared into the night. Only then did she finally turn toward her own car. Strangely, every step felt heavier than the last.

Not because of the cold.

But because of the way the man standing in front of her was looking at her—his gaze was too intense, too stifling.

She stopped in front of him, lifting her eyes to meet his, her voice calm and distant.

"Do you need something?"

Perhaps neither of them had expected that after half a year, their first words to each other would be so formal, so unfamiliar.

Dave had already extinguished his cigarette the moment he saw her approaching. Now, he simply stood there, eyes lowered, staring at her.

Even though he had yet to say a word, his gaze had already revealed everything.

Laurent had never seen a gaze so deep and intense, as though it were the hottest fire capable of melting the ice of the cold winter.

Under his persistent gaze, she felt as though something within her had been scorched. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, focusing on the distant city lights instead.

It was his voice, low and tinged with a hint of weariness, that broke the silence.

"I wasn’t on a blind date this afternoon..."

So that’s why he was here, Laurent thought. She really didn’t think it was necessary for him to explain this to her, standing out here in the cold. Tiffany had already cleared everything up.

"Emma and Lady Tiffany already explained it."

But it seemed he didn’t hear her. He continued to stare at her, speaking as if in a trance.

"But I did say a few words to her..."

Laurent didn’t respond. She had no intention of continuing this conversation, but he pressed on, his voice a bit more agitated now.

"Do you know why I talked to her?"

"Because she reminded me of you back then. Loud, unaware of the world, constantly talking in front of me."

"I thought if I ignored her, it would feel like I was ignoring you again, and that would hurt, so I decided to talk to her."

He let out a self-deprecating laugh, the sound hollow.

"Because when I talked to her, it felt like I was talking to you again, like it could somehow make up for the coldness I showed you back then."

"You know, do you think there’s a machine or medicine that could turn back time? If there were, I would wish I could go back to our past..."

He finished his sentence, his gaze still heavy, fixed on her.

Laurent stared at him in shock. She found his words disjointed, even carrying a sort of obsessive, unhealthy stubbornness.

She understood what he meant—he regretted not treating her better back then...

But how could talking to that girl help him make up for the coldness he once showed her? If that’s not unhealthy, what is it?

Laurent wasn’t sure how to respond. She stood there, stunned, staring at him. Could he be mentally disturbed?

"Did I scare you?"

It seemed like he noticed the confusion in her eyes, and he let out a faint laugh.

Laurent snapped out of it and pulled her car keys from her bag.

"It’s getting late. I’ll be going now."

She still had to drive back home. She had no intention of staying here, after all. She only planned to have a quick meal with Vivian, but time had gotten away from her, and now it was already dark.

The days were shorter in winter, unlike summer where it might still be bright at seven or eight in the evening. Right now, even though it was only around seven or eight, the night was already deep and dark. If she didn’t leave soon, her parents would start worrying.

In fact, she was trying to send him away with those words. After she spoke, he stood there, his gaze lingering on her for a long moment, before he calmly responded,

"Alright, take care on the road."

With that, he turned to leave, and Laurent also made her way toward the car, their backs to each other as they seemed to move further apart.

Laurent had only taken one step when she suddenly heard a muffled groan from behind her. She turned around in a hurry and saw him hunched over in pain, leaning against his car. Her first instinct was to rush toward him and ask, 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"What’s wrong?"

It was a shocking sight. This man, so tall and strong, the one who always seemed invincible and unyielding in her eyes, now bent over in agony. It felt unnerving, like watching a towering mountain suddenly collapse. The unease and... inexplicable panic were overwhelming.