You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 288- worth it

It was not even ten o’clock yet. With so few cars on the highway at night, he could make it back in less than forty minutes—it wouldn’t be too late.

In the living room, Cassy had just come out of the bathroom and was about to return to her bedroom when she ran into Dave, who was fully dressed and walking out of his room. She looked at him in confusion and asked,

"Where are you going this late?"

Dave didn’t bother hiding his destination from Cassy.

"I’m going back to Burg Eltz. I need to see Laurent—I miss her too much. I’ll come back tomorrow to pick up the kid."

"Oh, you silly—"

Cassy didn’t even know what to say. She could only remind him,

"Be careful, okay? Drive safe at night."

"Mm-hmm."

Dave responded as he stepped out the door.

Cassy went into their bedroom to check on the little girl who was fast asleep, then finally returned to her room. Alex, having heard her talking to Dave outside but not catching the full conversation, asked her,

"What were you two talking about out there?"

"He said he’s going back to Burg Eltz. Misses Laurent too much. He’ll come back tomorrow to pick up Emma."

Cassy turned to Alex and reported,

"He’s already gone."

Alex: "..."

After a long silence, Alex finally spoke, his face full of disdain.

"He really is something. Do you see what time it is?!"

Clearly, Alex couldn’t understand Dave’s reckless behavior. But perhaps it was precisely this recklessness that showed just how much he cared about his daughter, wasn’t it?

As Dave sped down the highway, watching the nightscape blur past on either side, he knew this was a bit crazy. But what was wrong with going a little crazy for love?

Laurent, on the other hand, hadn’t taken his words seriously. After hanging up the phone, she snuggled back under the covers and quickly fell asleep. She had to accompany clients again tomorrow and needed to be well-rested.

But just as she was drifting in a sleepy haze, a searing kiss pulled her back to consciousness. She opened her eyes, stunned to find someone hovering over her, leaving her utterly speechless.

He lowered his head again, continuing to kiss her. His tongue forcefully slipped into her mouth, biting and tangling with hers.

Still dazed, Laurent was kissed senseless until his lips began to explore other parts of her body. It was only then that she managed to catch her breath and ask, her voice already breathless,

"You... why did you come back?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he kept kissing her, teasing every sensitive spot he could find. Her body trembled uncontrollably, arching into his every touch and caress.

Taking advantage of her hazy state, Dave flipped her over so she was lying against his chest, holding her close as he nipped mischievously at her earlobe,

"Didn’t you say that if I came back, I could get any reward I wanted?"

Laurent was still confused when she felt his hands lifting her hips, positioning her.

"Tonight, I’m claiming that reward."

Selfish and domineering. Shameless and—utterly relentless.

Laurent was both annoyed and embarrassed. She pinched his arm hard.

"So you came all the way back in the middle of the night just for *this*?!"

He even had the nerve to look completely innocent.

"I went through all that trouble just to sleep with you—shouldn’t you feel moved and proud? It means you’re still attractive! After all these years, and you still drive me crazy. Isn’t that proof of your charm?"

Laurent couldn’t listen to another word. All those fancy-sounding justifications—wasn’t he just trying to get her to take the initiative for once?

So she simply flopped into his arms and held him tightly, refusing to budge.

"Nope!"

Now it was Dave’s turn to get annoyed.

"That’s not fair! You *clearly* said over the phone that I could get any reward I wanted!"

Laurent refused to acknowledge it, holding firm.

"I was half-asleep! That was sleep talk—it doesn’t count."

Dave had no way to argue with that, so he could only pull her into his arms and kiss her fiercely. Eventually, under his relentless half-coaxing, half-insisting advances, Laurent gave in.

By the end, Dave’s whole body was taut with satisfaction. Holding her afterward, he summed up the night’s passion with one phrase: *"heavenly to the point of death."*

Laurent had no intention of humoring him. Even the tips of her hair seemed to be radiating exhaustion.

Seriously. She’d been looking forward to a quiet, restful weekend, only for him to show up in the middle of the night and run her ragged. And she still had to get up early the next morning to meet with clients.

Fortunately, he managed to show some restraint. Knowing she had work the next day, he simply held her close for the rest of the night and fell asleep.

The next morning, Laurent headed off to work while Dave drove back to the small town to pick up their daughter.

Laurent was buried in work.

Dave, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to do.

Ever since Dave had been idle at home, Laurent never once brought up his future job plans or any talk about arrangements.

Just like she had said—she could be the one to earn money and support the family.

She once read a passage in a book that stayed with her:

> "I live with integrity and work hard, so that one day, when I stand beside the one I love—whether he is rich beyond measure or has nothing at all—I can open my arms and embrace him without hesitation. If he is wealthy, I won’t feel like I’m reaching above my station; if he is poor, we won’t be destitute either."

For Laurent, that had always been the meaning behind her efforts.

Marriage isn’t something that lasts or stays happy just because you say so. When two people form a family, they must be able to share both joy and hardship.

Some couples can’t even enjoy happiness together—when life gets better and the money starts rolling in, the man might develop other interests. Of course, sometimes it’s the woman who changes her mind.

Other couples can’t endure the hard times—when life hits rock bottom and everything turns bleak, it’s often the woman who can’t hold on anymore. Then again, it can be the man who falters too. Like Adeline’s ex-husband, Grant—he couldn’t handle a life of struggle, so he chose to be with a wealthy woman instead.

So, at the end of the day, it’s those who can weather both joy *and* hardship together who are the real couples.

Life is long. If one gives up on the bond built through years of marriage just because of a single setback—is it really worth it?