You're Just My Ex-Husband,My Lord-Chapter 293- a family member

After Bert had taken Washington Co in such a manner, Daniel could never look at him with anything but disdain.

Lilian stood up, holding her phone and waving it at her father.

"Dad, I’m going out to make a call."

She then turned to leave. When she reached the door, she glanced at Bert and gave a slight nod, acknowledging him.

She then turned and walked out. When she reached the door, she glanced at Bert and gave a slight nod, acknowledging him, before leaving the room to give Daniel and Bert some space.

In fact, Lilian didn’t have any call to make. It was just a reflex to want to let them be alone.

However, once outside, she paused and wondered if what she had done was the right choice. So, she called her older brother. The phone rang for a long time before he finally picked up.

"What’s up?"

Dave’s voice was noticeably different from usual. Lilian wasn’t sure how to describe it, only that it sounded... unusually... sensual?

However, having never been through such matters herself, she didn’t realize that it was one of the reactions of a man after intimate relations.

At that moment, Dave was with Laurent on the sofa after their encounter. After Laurent was forced to wear that thin layer, Lilian was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to notice what had happened on the other end.

"Um, um... Bert just came to see Dad. I left so they could talk. I don’t know if what I did was right, so I wanted to ask you."

Lilian was seeking her brother’s opinion.

"If you think it’s wrong, I’ll rush in and interrupt them."

Lilian was, after all, a girl. She had hardly been involved in anything related to Burg Eltz. She had always lived a quiet life, focused on her studies, carefree, and never had to worry about anything. As a result, she didn’t know what the relationship between her father, Bert, and her brother Dave was really like. No one had ever talked to her about it, and perhaps they had all kept her in the dark to protect her.

So, when she saw Bert earlier, she had been a little confused, and her first reaction was to run out. But thankfully, she had her brother Dave to rely on and to ask for advice.

On the other end, Dave responded to his sister:

"You did the right thing. Let them talk for a while, then just head home."

Afterward, he added:

"Alright, I’ve got things to do. I’ll hang up now."

"Hey, hey—"

Lilian shouted into the phone, but the call had already been abruptly ended. She sulked and let out a little huff.

Why was he in such a hurry to hang up? She still had more to say.

In the hospital room, Daniel wore a cold expression, while Bert remained silent, his usual attitude of wanting to infuriate Daniel completely absent.

For Bert, he had never actually intended to push Daniel to the brink. The times he angered Daniel were simply to gain his attention. He feared that if he stayed quietly in the U.S., Daniel would completely forget about him, so he resorted to all sorts of small actions to get noticed.

He had never expected Daniel’s health to deteriorate like this, let alone end up in the hospital with a heart condition.

On the day Daniel was first admitted, Bert had come by. Standing outside the room, he had watched Daniel lying there, pale-faced. It made him feel extremely upset.

So, this time, he didn’t act like before, immediately opening his mouth to provoke Daniel. After standing there for a while, he reluctantly spoke.

"I’m sorry."

He had never imagined losing Daniel as a family member.

Daniel snorted coldly.

"Sorry for what? Sorry for sending me to the hospital with your antics? Or sorry for using such despicable means to take Washington Co?"

Bert remained silent, not responding.

Over the years, Daniel had grown accustomed to Bert always opposing him in everything. Now that Bert suddenly wasn’t trying to provoke him and had become quiet, Daniel actually felt uneasy.

He glanced at Bert and noticed the genuine remorse in his eyes. For a moment, Daniel had no words to say.

Father and son stood in silence, each in their own thoughts. Lilian peered through the glass on the door, took a look inside, then turned and left.

She wasn’t sure how long they would talk, so she decided it was best to head home.

"Sit down."

This time, Daniel spoke first, though his tone wasn’t exactly friendly. He then asked, "How’s the company doing now?"

Bert sat down in the chair nearby and answered Daniel truthfully, "Not well."

For once, father and son spoke calmly without any sarcastic remarks or harsh tones.

When Daniel heard that the company wasn’t doing well, he was, of course, frustrated, but he suppressed his anger and asked him, "Do you think you’re fit to run this company?"

If it were in the past, upon hearing Bert say the company was struggling, Daniel would have been furious and started yelling. However, this time, Daniel didn’t lose his temper. Instead, he asked calmly.

After all the major changes, everyone had altered in some way.

Bert had come to realize the importance of health, especially for someone like Daniel, who was nearly sixty. Daniel, on the other hand, had begun rethinking his relationship with Bert, deciding to approach things more gently and patiently.

In response to Daniel’s question, Bert looked at him and turned the question back on Daniel.

"Do you think I’m suited for it?"

Daniel also looked at him, furrowing his brow as he asked, "Do you want the truth?"

"Mm."

Bert replied softly, and Daniel didn’t hide his opinion. He said bluntly, "Your personality is full of the arrogance of an artist, and your stubbornness... or you could say, you’re not enough of a worldly pragmatist, not smooth enough to be a good manager. That’s why I set up a design company for you, something aligned with your interests. I thought you’d manage it better that way."

Daniel didn’t say more after that. He didn’t mention how the design company Bert ran had turned into a mess.

Daniel’s words stirred Bert’s emotions.

"Back then, didn’t you just set up a small company for me to get rid of me? Wasn’t your original intention to just give me a design company to match my personality flaws?"

Daniel was angry when he heard Bert’s words.

"Bullshit! Aren’t you my son? Why would I try to get rid of you?"

Daniel, who had navigated the business world for many years, had immediately seen that Bert’s personality wasn’t suited for this industry. That’s why he had set up a design company for him in the first place.

If he didn’t care about Bert, why would he go through all that effort?

Although Daniel was heartbroken and disappointed by the actions of Bert and his mother back then, Bert was still his son, so he had paved a smoother path for him. What disappointed him, though, was that Bert had never put his heart into managing the design company.

"It’s impossible! Impossible!"

Bert suddenly lost control of his emotions and jumped to his feet.

"You can’t possibly be so good to me!"

"You’re disappointed in me, heartbroken. You set up that crappy company for me just to get rid of me, just to make sure I wouldn’t bother you anymore!"

For years, Bert had thought that Daniel’s act of setting up the design company was a humiliation. Daniel had given Dave the grand Washington Co, but all Bert got was a small, nameless design company, and he had to start from scratch.

He had always been angry, angry that Dave could sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor while he struggled to keep his company afloat.

He never expected that today Daniel would say everything he did was actually for his benefit...

Daniel couldn’t be bothered to explain any further.