You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 248- running a company

The little girl woke up early the next morning and, as expected, her mother was sleeping beside her. But today, there was someone else in the bed—a third person. Her mother was holding her, while her father was holding her mother, soundly asleep.

The little girl thought this morning was absolutely wonderful, so she snuggled closer to her mother and fell back asleep.

The night before, after Dave had eaten his fill, Laurent hadn’t forgotten her daughter’s protest before bed, insisting on returning to the master bedroom to sleep with her. Dave, of course, didn’t want to sleep alone, so he followed Laurent back to the master bedroom, leading to the scene the little girl saw that morning.

Monday mornings were busy.

After breakfast, Laurent drove to work, and Dave took their daughter to kindergarten before heading to his office.

When Laurent arrived at work, the first thing she did was check her clients’ emails. One of her potential clients, with whom they had been negotiating for some time and had shown a strong interest in cooperation, sent an email saying they wanted to visit Burg Eltz. They wanted to inspect whether the company and its partnered factory were capable of fulfilling their orders. If the inspection went well, they would consider placing a large order.

This client’s name was Soul, from the United States, running a design company.

The client is king.

Laurent immediately told Matthew about the client’s visit, and Matthew agreed, assigning her full responsibility for hosting and accompanying the client to the factory. Laurent then replied to the client, welcoming them to visit Burg Eltz. She also requested that they provide their itinerary in advance to allow her to make proper preparations.

In the afternoon, the client sent the itinerary, arriving at Burg Eltz in two days, with the visit planned for a week.

That evening, Laurent told Dave that she would be very busy in the coming days because of the client’s visit, and she would need to accompany them throughout.

Dave, though somewhat displeased, couldn’t say much about it.

This was her job, something neither he nor she could control.

Yet, he still felt for her, especially when he thought about the foreign trade department Washington had established specifically for her. Although she hadn’t joined his team as he had hoped, the department was flourishing. He was the type of person who, once committed to something, would make sure it was done to perfection.

So, he tentatively suggested:

"Have you thought about joining Washington’s company to manage the foreign trade department? That way, you wouldn’t have to work so hard, and you could pass on any social engagements to your subordinates."

At his suggestion, Laurent glanced at him and then smiled.

"First of all, I’ve only been in foreign trade for less than a year. Do you really think I’m qualified to be the manager of the foreign trade department?"

Dave reached out, pulling her into his arms and seating her on his lap, his eyes full of admiration and certainty.

"If I say you’re capable, then you are."

Dave understood her character well. Once she committed to something, she would throw herself into it wholeheartedly, always striving to do better. In addition to her innate advantages in personality, he believed that if she were to lead Washington’s foreign trade department, she would be up to the task.

Perhaps it would be difficult at first, but in time, she would certainly make the department thrive.

As for his seemingly unfounded confidence in her, Laurent laughed and said,

"You’re mixing business with personal interests. Your subordinates won’t respect me, so I won’t go. Don’t even think about it in the future."

Laurent was determined not to join Washington’s foreign trade department. She knew that if she took the position of department manager, regardless of her abilities, people would just think she got the job because of her relationship with Dave. That’s not what she wanted.

What she wanted was to establish herself based on her own abilities and carve out her own place in a big city like Burg Eltz, standing firmly on her own.

After a moment of deep thought, Dave furrowed his brows before speaking again,

"Then, for now, you should learn more from Matthew. Maybe one day, you’ll start your own company."

This was the only solution Dave could think of that might help Laurent escape her current predicament.

Either she came to work with him, where he would accept everything about her, and she would have endless freedom and support.

Or she could start her own company, become her own boss, and no one would tell her what to do. She could do as she pleased.

She could rest when tired, avoid socializing with clients when she didn’t want to, and overall, live freely.

But Laurent was shocked by his words. She jumped off his lap and looked at Dave as if he were some kind of monster.

"Hey, Dave, what are you talking about?"

Laurent was so startled that she almost became incoherent.

"Start my own company?"

"How could I have the ability to start a company? Do you think a company can just be set up by anyone, just like that?"

Laurent had never considered starting her own business or becoming a boss. Her only wish was to find a stable job to support her family.

The dream of starting her own company had never crossed her mind, and now Dave was suggesting she do it. Of course, it terrified her.

Seeing her in such a panicked state, Dave couldn’t help but smile helplessly.

He reached out, taking her delicate wrist, and pulled her back into his embrace, speaking to her with experienced calm.

"Starting your own company is definitely not easy, but it’s not completely out of reach either."

Laurent looked up at him, her gaze still filled with confusion, because, to her, it really seemed far beyond her grasp.

Dave, with steady eyes, began to plan it out for her.

"I’ve looked into Matthew’s company before. He’s given a lot of room for growth to you salespeople. Every order, from the initial sample design to the final shipping and payment, is handled by you all. If you learn seriously, do it well, and practice, over time you’ll naturally grasp all the foreign trade knowledge. Plus, with your prior experience at the factory, starting your own company later on wouldn’t be a problem at all."

"The most important thing is that your personality has qualities that make people trust you. That’s a rare and invaluable trait for a company leader. Clients trust you, and that’s why they place orders with you, right? And with orders, your company is alive!"

Dave carefully analyzed everything for Laurent, and after hearing him, she felt that much of her confusion dissipated. Her future seemed much clearer.

In fact, she even felt inexplicably fired up, as if she might really be suited to running a company.

This newfound confidence, of course, came from Dave’s affirmation and praise.

However, after calming down, she sighed deeply.

"Thank you for believing in me, but I still think starting a company is too heavy a burden for me. I can’t handle it."

Laurent had never been an ambitious person, so she still felt that Dave’s suggestion was too far-fetched.

Dave chuckled, his laugh deep and pleasant.

"You still have me, don’t you? I can be your strategist for free, offering advice and planning. As for payment..."

As he spoke, he started getting mischievous again, his big hand slipping under her clothes, caressing her soft waist. Laurent quickly removed his hand.

"We’ll talk about that later. For now, my task is to keep learning, learning, and learning."

From the small, somewhat isolated factory in her hometown to Burg Eltz, to a big trading company like Matthew’s, Laurent had so much to learn.

She needed to acquire various business knowledge, not to mention learning the unwritten rules of office life. She even had to learn how to apply makeup, how to be fashionable, and how to present herself as an elegant and stunning white-collar worker.

The stylish and elegant clothes Dave bought for her when they met the fashion mogul Tina now came in handy. Laurent had originally thought those kinds of clothes would never be appropriate in a factory setting, but now she was truly grateful for them. They gave her the confidence to face clients in many situations, starting with her appearance and attire.