You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 273-Such a tyrant

The two men stood outside, smoking in silence. In the current situation, Dave was completely in a passive position, with no control or initiative. Moreover, Tiffany and Emma Washington were in Bert’s hands, which made things even more unfavorable for them.

This was no longer just an ordinary business dispute; it had escalated into a life-and-death matter.

If it were a business fight, they would continue to battle no matter what, just like the recent malicious acquisition of Washington Co orchestrated by Bert behind the scenes.

Moreover, with their combined abilities, once they teamed up, they would never let the other side take advantage.

But now...

Morrison didn’t know what to do and turned to Dave, asking,

"Have you decided what to do?"

Dave took a deep drag of his cigarette and finally made his decision,

"Hand it over."

Just like Daniel said, he couldn’t bear any risk of losing his mother and daughter—not even the slightest risk.

Though he also felt responsible for the employees at Washington Co, the safety of his mother and daughter came first. He had no choice but to be selfish. The priority now was to protect his family.

Morrison heard his answer and chuckled softly, then said,

"Actually, I think handing it over might be a good idea."

Dave looked at him, and Morrison’s smile carried a bit of schadenfreude.

"I think once he takes the chairman’s position at Washington Co, it won’t take long before those people who prioritize their own interests will oust him from the seat. We won’t even need to lift a finger to bring him down—maybe they’ll even unite to resist his rise to power."

Morrison’s words made Dave chuckle as well. Indeed, Morrison was right. The members of the board were all driven by self-interest. For Bert, an illegitimate son who had never been acknowledged, to suddenly parachute in and take his place—of course, the board members would push him out.

"And another thing," Morrison continued, "don’t you think? No office, no burdens. The hardships and exhaustion of being in this position are something only we truly understand. Honestly, I’d be happy if someone came to fight me for this position. I’d gladly hand it over to them without hesitation." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Morrison said this while taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Too bad, though. My little brother’s completely focused on academic research. He doesn’t even think about coming to the company to help me, let alone compete for the position. Even if he just came to work here and took on any random role, I wouldn’t be so tired. But no, he went off to become a teacher at some university. Truly heartless."

Morrison seemed to be casually venting about his heartless brother, but Dave’s mood gradually lightened.

It was undeniable—Morrison was truly skilled at easing other people’s emotions, and he was a master at it.

By casually talking about the hardships of their position, he unknowingly alleviated Dave’s heavy feelings about handing over Washington Co.

Morrison made a good point. Dave had been in this position for so many years, and he was tired. Handing it over meant he could finally return to his family, spend more time with Laurent and his daughter, and take this opportunity to work on winning his father-in-law’s approval and remarrying Laurent.

With these thoughts, Dave’s mood instantly brightened.

Laurent also walked out of the house. As soon as Morrison saw her, he wisely turned and went back inside, leaving the space for the two of them.

"Have you made up your mind?" Laurent asked Dave.

Dave lowered his gaze to her, pretending to be self-deprecating as he said,

"I’m afraid I’m about to lose my job..."

Laurent instantly understood that his decision was to hand over Washington Co, as Bert wished, in exchange for Tiffany and Emma’s safety.

She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, buried herself in his embrace, and softly said,

"It’s okay, I’ll work and support the family."

What had once been a lighthearted joke was now a reality.

Yet, she was willing.

No one said a woman couldn’t provide for the family. As long as her child and the people she loved were safe and sound by her side, what did it matter who was supporting the family?

Dave held her, one hand gently stroking her hair, and softly laughed,

"Miss Laurent, you’ll have to take good care of me from now on. I’ll have no income after this."

He said it in such a pitiable way that Laurent lifted her head from his chest to look at him, feigning a stern expression.

"Well, from now on, you’d better listen to me obediently. Whatever I tell you to do, you do it. When I say ’one,’ you can’t say ’two!’"

A smile slowly spread across Dave’s face, his eyes full of indulgence.

"Such a tyrant?"

"Yes, a tyrant indeed... A fair one."

Laurent couldn’t help but laugh at how fierce she must have looked, and soon, she found herself laughing out loud.

But as she laughed, tears began to fall from her eyes. She buried herself in his embrace again, holding him tightly.

She had never loved him for his wealth—what she loved was him as a person. Whether he lost Washington Co or not, it didn’t matter to her.

The two of them stayed in each other’s arms for a while. Just as they were about to head back inside, they saw Lilian rush out in a panic, calling out to him,

"Brother!"

"Quick, hurry! Dad just suddenly collapsed! We need to take him to the hospital right away!"

Lilian was almost in tears. Daniel’s emotions had been fluctuating greatly. After Dave and Morrison had discussed things outside, Daniel, likely growing more and more worried about Tiffany and Emma’s safety, became increasingly anxious. His fear and frustration ultimately caused him to faint.

Upon hearing this, Dave immediately rushed back home. He and Morrison helped Daniel into the car, and they drove urgently to the hospital. Morrison drove, while Lilian accompanied them.

Dave and Laurent stayed behind to deal with Bert.

Dave confessed to the lord that he planned to hand over Washington Co. The lord was furious.

"No! You can’t give it all to him! According to the order of inheritance, both you and Lilian should inherit part of Washington Co!"

The lord held a deep hatred for Bert and his mother.

He despised Bert’s mother for having a child with Daniel despite his already being married, and for trying to use the child to disrupt Daniel’s family and seize his wealth.

In fact, when Bert’s mother first had Bert, she and her son had already lost any advantage with the conservative lord. If they had behaved properly, the lord might have still given Bert a part of the inheritance according to the normal succession laws.

However, their actions became too outrageous. In a fit of rage, the lord completely revoked Bert’s right to inherit.

Dave looked at the lord with a serious expression.

"Lord, the situation no longer allows us to act freely. Lilian and I don’t need anything. Lilian has a job and can support herself, and I..."

Dave glanced at Laurent standing beside him and smiled calmly.

"I have Laurent to support me."

The lord froze for a moment after hearing that Laurent would support him, then stomped his foot in frustration.

"You all seem to have made up your minds!"

"Do you want me to just stand by and watch him ruin Washington Co like this? If that happens, I won’t be able to rest in peace even after I die!"

Washington Co was founded by the lord himself. Though at his age, he no longer cared much about power and status, it was still his life’s work. How could he not be heartbroken?

Dave understood the lord’s feelings, but at this point, he could only comfort him.

"Don’t worry, I’ll have Morrison and a few old friends keep an eye on things from behind the scenes."

Although Dave said this, it was just to reassure the lord.

In truth, Dave actually hoped Bert would manage Washington Co well. That way, he would finally be free and could pursue a career that truly belonged to him.

He had always been reluctant to take over Washington Co because he didn’t want to live under its shadow. Any man with a sense of pride would want to challenge himself, to prove his own worth by his own abilities.

And he was no different.

But later, through a series of twists and turns, Washington Co still ended up in his hands.

However, after leading Washington Co to where it was today, he had already achieved success and fame. He would hand it over to Bert. Since Bert was so determined to have Washington Co, why not let him have it?

There was a saying: what you can’t have is always the best.

Bert had been so obsessed with it for so long, perhaps this psychological factor was at play. Given Bert’s neurotic nature, maybe after getting it, he would lose interest in no time.

But by then, it wouldn’t be as simple as Bert deciding to give up.

The lord was having a headache. He waved his hand, dismissing them.

"Alright, alright, the priority now is to rescue your mother and Emma. We’ll deal with the rest later."