Chapter 172

"No, but it's irritating. Still, you don't need to come and help me chase the dog."

"Are you sure you don't want my help? Because I’d be happy to."

Alexander was more than willing—eager, even—to make their relationship public.

"No! Absolutely not! I refuse!" Evelyn repeated firmly, her cheeks flushing.

Alexander chuckled, his voice warm. "I’ll always be here for you."

Of course, she couldn’t actually ask him to intervene. Dominic wouldn’t dare cause a scene in such a public place. But hearing Alexander’s reassurance eased the tension in her chest, and a soft smile curved her lips.

Dominic, watching her from across the room, felt a strange dizziness. He was so accustomed to Evelyn—her relentless work schedule, the faint scent of essential oils clinging to her clothes, her perpetually serious expression. It had all become mundane to him.

How could a woman be so dull? No charm, no allure, no softness. He had only tolerated her because of her usefulness—her willingness to help him without question, her unmatched skill in perfumery.

But that smile…

It caught him off guard.

Sweet. Playful. Was this really Evelyn? Who was she smiling at like that?

She sat right in front of him, yet she hadn’t even noticed his presence. Her attention was entirely absorbed by her phone, her expression radiant.

It infuriated him.

She was ignoring him.

No, she was pretending to ignore him.

When he thought about it, the answer was obvious—she was doing this on purpose. Earlier, when their eyes had met, he’d seen the flicker of panic in her gaze. If she truly didn’t care, she wouldn’t have reacted at all.

This was a game.

She was playing hard to get.

Dominic cleared his throat and rapped his knuckles sharply against the table.

Evelyn finally looked up.

Satisfaction curled through him.

See? You can’t resist.

"Evelyn," he said, his tone deliberately casual. "I’m talking to you. Can’t you hear me?"

She arched a brow, her voice cool. "We’re not on familiar terms."

Dominic’s jaw tightened.

"Evelyn, why are you acting like this? Even if we’re not together anymore, we can still be civil. You got your revenge—isn’t that enough? Vanessa and I made mistakes, but we’ve already dropped the lawsuit. Can’t you just let it go? Move on?"

Evelyn stared at him, wide-eyed, as if he were some bizarre creature she’d never encountered before.

What kind of twisted logic is that?

Who did he think he was?

How dare he suggest she just forget what they’d done?

"I’m sorry," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "I don’t quite follow. Revenge? What revenge? You make it sound like I’m some kind of avenging angel, but I assure you—I’ve done nothing of the sort."

Dominic leaned back, one arm draped over the back of her chair, his gaze piercing.

"Evelyn, there’s no point in keeping up this act. I’m trying to make peace here, but you’re twisting everything. Tell me—did you really never tamper with the company’s formulas while you were there? That fake formula you provided for the essential oil—wasn’t that deliberate?"

His voice was smug, as if he already had proof of her guilt.