You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 198- tempest

Since Dave had already guessed, Laurent chose to admit it.

"Where else would I be?"

When they had left the restaurant, the situation had unfolded so suddenly. She was startled by the swarm of reporters and, in the chaos, had been shielded by Leonardo and ushered into his car, completely forgetting that she had driven there herself.

"You still dare to be with him at a time like this? Don’t you think your scandal isn’t big enough?"

Dave’s voice was filled with fury. Just a while ago, a friend in the media had told him that Laurent and Leonardo were about to hit the headlines.

Immediately, he used his connections to try to suppress the news, but it was impossible.

The media thrived on profit, and with Leonardo being a top star, there was no way they could ignore a scandal like this. Having been clean of rumors for years, the moment something like this broke, it became huge—especially with the implication of him being close to a married man.

Meanwhile, Leonardo’s rivals were seizing the opportunity, pushing the story out with everything they had. Their goal was to tarnish Leonardo’s image and prevent him from bouncing back, so there were multiple forces at play, and this wasn’t something Dave could control alone.

And now, Laurent was telling him she was with Leonardo?

How could he not be furious?

He had known she was having dinner with Leonardo and had even stormed out in anger earlier. He originally intended to ruin their evening, but after calming down, he chose to let her be.

If he kept trying to stop her from seeing Leonardo, it would only fuel her resentment, and she would think he was too controlling and overbearing.

That’s why he hadn’t interfered, but now, with Laurent and Leonardo making headlines, he couldn’t help but think that if he had intervened earlier, things might not have escalated this way.

Faced with his fury, Laurent didn’t know what to say. She knew she shouldn’t be with Leonardo right now, but those reporters had been relentless. They hadn’t given her and Leonardo a moment’s peace. The entire time they were being followed, they had no place to stop, and no time to strategize. All they could do was keep moving forward as best they could.

Dave struggled to suppress his anger and spoke coldly,

"Wait there. I’ll come get you."

When Laurent heard this, her headache worsened.

"You really shouldn’t come right now."

If he showed up at this moment, wouldn’t the news get even more chaotic and intense?

It was already a mess with him being implicated, but if he came to personally pick her up and walk right into the hands of the reporters, the three of them would likely dominate the headlines for days.

Dave fell silent on the other end, knowing she was right. He understood that it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to show up and pull her out. The PR department had already been flooded with calls from various media outlets, all asking about the state of his marriage with Laurent.

If he showed up now, it would only make things worse.

But the thought of Laurent being with Leonardo, of the rumors flying about them, made him unable to stay calm.

His other work phone rang, and he glanced at the message. His temper flared instantly.

"Laurent, you really have some nerve!"

Laurent was bewildered by his shout.

"What’s wrong with me?"

She was already frustrated enough, and he was still yelling at her like that.

"Ha."

Dave ground his teeth in fury, his voice a cold, clipped sneer.

"Nice job with the divorce certificate."

Laurent instantly understood that it was Leonardo’s agent who had leaked the divorce details. The move was so swift. It seemed like they had been pushed to a breaking point. The sooner the divorce was public, the sooner the rumors about Leonardo being the "homewrecker" could be cleared up, and the less harm it would do to him.

She could also hear the sarcasm in Dave’s words.

"I couldn’t do anything about it. Leonardo is a public figure, and his reputation and image are more important than anything else. Besides, we’re divorced, so there’s no need to hide it."

Hearing Laurent defend Leonardo so vehemently, and without a word about his feelings, Dave’s anger flared even higher. He was hurt and furious.

"Do you have any idea what publicly announcing our divorce means for me, for Washington?"

"If you care so much about your reputation and the company’s interests, then why did you have to get involved in all those ambiguous situations with Clark in the first place?"

Laurent wasn’t about to back down either.

Who was he to question her?

Yes, it was true. She was the one who wanted the divorce, and she knew it would hurt his reputation and Washington Enterprises, potentially affecting the company’s stock. But if she hadn’t been so heartbroken, if she hadn’t endured so much humiliation, would she have ever been able to abandon her daughter and sever the relationship they had built over more than five years?

And now, he had the audacity to question her. Now, he expected her to consider the company’s interests and his image. But when he was involved with Clark in that ambiguous situation, why didn’t he consider her feelings? Why didn’t he think about the company’s interests then?

After Laurent’s outburst, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Dave angrily hung up.

Laurent, still fuming, tossed her phone aside. Leonardo came over, offering her a bottle of water.

"I’m really sorry about today. I didn’t expect anyone to find out we were having dinner and then bring the reporters."

Being a public figure had its own set of challenges, he thought. Sometimes, nothing could be done without causing a stir. Even something as simple as having a meal with a friend would blow up into a scandal.

Laurent, who was still drying out from her heated exchange with Dave, took the water and drank deeply, then shook her head.

"There’s no need for apologies. Didn’t my identity drag you into this as well?"

If she had been someone else, at most, the media would’ve just reported that he was dating a woman.