You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 253- No panic. No fear.

His persistence left Laurent speechless.

"Alright, alright, go take care of your work. I need to get back to the office too. I can’t just keep skipping work during business hours."

Now was really not the best time to discuss whether they should remarry. With Bert’s return, she was already on high alert, yet Dave still had the mind for romance? Men and women truly did think differently.

Dave didn’t push the issue further. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply before finally letting her go.

That evening, Laurent calmly went to the banquet. She wasn’t too concerned, as it wasn’t just her and Bert—Matthew and several other high-ranking executives from the company would be there as well.

With so many people around, she wasn’t worried that Bert would try anything inappropriate.

Before leaving, she called Dave to let him know she was heading to the banquet. He responded calmly,

"Mm. I’m already there, in the private room next door."

Laurent was caught off guard.

"You—"

Earlier, Dave had specifically asked for the name of the hotel and private room where Matthew was hosting Bert. She had assumed he was just gathering information, but she hadn’t expected him to show up in person.

"I happen to have a client dinner tonight too, so I figured I’d come here," Dave replied smoothly.

Business meeting and personal protection—he managed to balance both effortlessly.

Knowing he was close by, Laurent felt completely at ease about the banquet. A warm, bittersweet feeling filled her chest, all of it turning into gratitude.

"Thank you," she murmured into the phone.

On the other end, Dave chuckled lowly.

"There’s no need for verbal thanks anymore. Just make it up to me properly when you get back tonight."

Laurent blushed slightly.

"You... shameless!"

After scolding him, she quickly hung up the phone. She was still in the office, yet he had the nerve to make such shameless hints, leaving her face burning red.

Their group set off for the hotel where Bert was staying. As they parked in the lot, Laurent spotted Dave’s black Bentley, and an immediate sense of reassurance washed over her.

The feeling of standing side by side with him, facing everything together, was truly something special.

They still didn’t know what Bert’s return meant or what challenges awaited them, but the thought of facing it all together left no room for other emotions.

No panic. No fear.

When Matthew saw Bert in person, he was taken aback, as Bert’s face bore a striking resemblance to Dave’s.

However, Matthew was no stranger to high-stakes situations. He quickly masked his emotions and stepped forward with a smile to greet Bert.

"Hello, Mr. Soul. Welcome to Burg Eltz. It’s a pleasure to have you as our guest."

Bert smiled in return,

"Actually, my mother is from Burg Eltz. And my father..."

At this point, Bert’s gaze shifted toward Laurent, and his smile deepened.

"...is also from Burg Eltz."

Laurent could feel the provocation in Bert’s smile.

He had deliberately paused at the word "father," subtly announcing that his father was also Dave’s father. As someone who stood side by side with Dave, Laurent couldn’t help but feel discomfort at this implication.

But, despite how uncomfortable it was, there was nothing she could do but silently endure it.

Matthew smoothly took over the conversation.

"I see..."

As they continued chatting, the dishes were served, and the banquet officially began.

With so many outsiders present, Bert didn’t make things difficult for Laurent. He didn’t try to undermine her, like he had earlier in the car, with pointed sarcasm. Laurent exchanged a few words with him, but they were all formalities related to work.

On the other hand, Bert kept praising Laurent in front of Matthew and the other company executives, calling her beautiful and capable, with a professional knowledge of the business and quick wit.

His words were full of admiration, making Laurent respond with awkward, forced smiles. She could barely hold her facial expression together.

If it had been another client praising her, Laurent would have been pleased. But coming from Bert, she just felt uneasy and uncomfortable.

Moreover, Bert’s insistence on showing his admiration for her in front of the company executives—was he intentionally trying to ruin her reputation?

If Bert really placed a large order with her in the future, would people gossip and say it was because he had a romantic interest in her?

By now, Laurent began to understand that Bert’s presence, even if he didn’t make any other major moves, was already causing trouble with his subtle actions.

What is a woman’s most important asset?

It’s her reputation.

And what is the most damaging thing for a salesperson?

Being rumored to have earned orders based on their looks.

Bert was planning to destroy her in one fell swoop.

With this thought, Laurent couldn’t help but feel agitated. Everything she had today was hard-earned. The suffering and sweat she endured while working at the factory had led her to the opportunity at Matthew’s company, where she had built her career to be successful. If Bert ruined all of this—

She didn’t dare think about it. But if it were true, she knew that she would want to kill Bert.

At that moment, her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw that it was a message from Dave:

Let’s talk.

Laurent’s frustration quickly turned into calm as she pocketed her phone and gave Dave and Matthew a polite smile, apologizing,

"Sorry, I need to use the restroom."

She stood up and left.

When Laurent stepped out, Dave was already waiting by the door of the adjoining room. Upon seeing her, he immediately began walking down the hallway. Laurent followed him quietly. At the end of the corridor was a spacious platform for guests to enjoy the view. However, as it was night and quite cold, there wasn’t anyone around.

Dave waited for Laurent there. As soon as she arrived, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into an embrace.

Laurent glanced around.

"Don’t do this, what if someone sees?"

Dave didn’t seem to care.

"So what? I’m just hugging my own girlfriend. Is that a problem?"

He leaned against the railing of the platform, blocking the cold wind for her with his body, and wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm since neither of them had coats on after leaving the banquet.

Looking down at Laurent, Dave asked,

"Why do you look so pale?"

Laurent immediately vented everything about Bert’s behavior in the banquet hall. Dave chuckled after hearing it.

"I told you, we should make things official soon. Then everyone will know you’re my woman. If Bert tries to ruin your reputation later, no one will believe him. Think about it—if you’re my woman, why would you need to use your looks or underhanded methods to secure orders? They’ll assume you’re not even interested in those few deals, and wouldn’t stoop to that."

Laurent looked at him doubtfully,

"Really?"

Dave tried to reassure her,

"Think about it from your own perspective. If someone you knew who didn’t need money worked hard, how would you view them?"

Laurent shook her head, deeply troubled.

"I don’t know... I’m really scared. I feel like I’ll never escape the rumors. It’s like I’m always being pushed into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons."