Chapter 164

Vanessa still refused him, even as Dominic pleaded desperately.

"You just promised not to make me suffer anymore," she said, her voice trembling. "Don’t you realize how fragile I am right now? Are you really going to prioritize your selfish desires over my safety—over our baby’s safety? What if something happens to me? Would you be able to live with yourself?"

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she turned her face away, her lower lip quivering. The sight of her distress snapped Dominic back to his senses, extinguishing the fire in his veins.

"I’m sorry," he murmured, guilt heavy in his voice. "I lost control. It won’t happen again."

After a tense silence, he stood abruptly. "You should rest. Room service will be here soon." His voice was rough, strained. "I’ll go take a shower."

Without another word, he strode into the bathroom. The sound of running water followed—cold water, no doubt, meant to douse the heat she had stirred in him.

Vanessa exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her stomach.

She should feel guilty. Dominic had always been good to her. He’d flown across the country just to see her, hadn’t he?

But then again… she couldn’t undo what had already happened with Lucien.

She had paid a price for that night. And if she was going to suffer, she deserved something in return. Their arrangement was nothing more than a transaction—one that would end the moment she got what she wanted.

If she played her cards right, she could keep both men in her orbit without either of them realizing the truth.

Her fingers curled protectively over her abdomen. She hadn’t decided yet whether to keep the baby.

But Dominic’s reaction tonight told her everything she needed to know.

He wanted this child.

And that made it valuable.

Meanwhile, Victoria Sterling dragged herself back to the hotel, exhaustion weighing on her limbs.

She should have collapsed into bed immediately.

Instead, she booted up her laptop, determined to clear her backlog of work emails.

Evelyn Carter watched her from the sofa, idly scrolling through her phone. She didn’t want to interrupt, so she kept quiet—until a message notification lit up her screen.

Her lips curved.

She tapped out a quick reply to Alexander Kensington:

"I’m back."

Working alongside Victoria had given Evelyn a newfound appreciation for her dedication.

Victoria was diligent. Passionate. Meticulous.

She just… lacked that innate spark.

The perfume industry was cruel that way. Some people were born with an extraordinary gift—like Evelyn herself, or the legendary perfumers who dominated the field.

Others had just enough talent to scrape by.

Vanessa Blake fell into that category.

But where Vanessa squandered her potential, chasing shortcuts and schemes, Victoria worked. She studied. She practiced. She compared formulas, analyzed data, and refined her craft with relentless discipline.

That was why, when Evelyn had altered Vanessa’s formula before leaving DR Holdings, Vanessa had been powerless to fix it.

She hadn’t put in the effort to truly understand her own work.

Victoria, on the other hand?

She would have noticed the discrepancy immediately.

Evelyn’s gaze flickered back to her phone as another message came through.

Alexander’s response was brief.

"Good. Missed you."

A slow smile spread across her face.