Chapter 197

Dominic ended the call and took a moment to light a cigarette, inhaling deeply before stepping back into the house. Inside, Vanessa lounged on the sofa, meticulously peeling an orange. She made sure every last bit of pith was removed before popping a segment into her mouth.

"You look troubled," she remarked, her sharp eyes catching the tension in his expression. She wiped her hands clean and straightened up, watching him closely.

Dominic shook his head, unwilling to discuss it.

"You don’t have to tell me—I already have an idea." Vanessa smirked, crossing her legs. "I overheard bits of your conversation. It was Evelyn, wasn’t it? She’s the one who leaked our perfume formula."

Her intuition was uncanny, as if she could read minds.

Since she had already pieced it together, Dominic saw no point in hiding it. He exhaled heavily, strode to the fridge, and cracked open a beer, downing half of it in one go.

"Why are you so worked up? She’s the one who dug her own grave. If she wants to play dirty, let her." Vanessa shrugged, unfazed.

To her, it wasn’t a catastrophe. Ever since their signature perfume formula had been compromised before, she had stopped caring.

Sure, the awards she had won were tied to those perfumes—but they had been Evelyn’s creations. Vanessa had never been involved in the research or production. Without that, her value to DR Holdings had dwindled after the award season.

Once they had milked her for publicity, their focus had shifted solely to profits. After the fallout with Evelyn, Vanessa knew DR Holdings couldn’t coast on past successes. They needed something fresh to keep their clients hooked.

"Easy for you to say. But where’s the proof? We can’t even pin this on Evelyn. Right now, damage control is the priority, not revenge," Dominic explained, rubbing his temples.

The pressure was mounting. The board was breathing down his neck, demanding solutions. They were already displeased with him over the previous production line debacle.

Though the messy dynamic between him, Vanessa, and Evelyn was personal, the board had warned him to keep the company’s image pristine. The shareholders were old-school conservatives. If Dominic wanted to keep his seat as CEO, he had to keep them satisfied.

"Aren’t we already working on a new product?" Vanessa draped her arms over his shoulders, leaning in. "Just tell the board we’re launching a revolutionary line—one that’ll dominate the market. Once it hits, these temporary losses won’t matter."

She smirked. "Besides, the public’s grown bored with our old perfumes. Sales are stagnant. If the formula’s out there, why not spin it? Use this as a PR opportunity to rebrand."

Dominic frowned. "What do you mean?"

"If we can’t prove Evelyn leaked it, we say we did it—to foster healthy competition in the industry. Frame it as sharing trade secrets to push innovation. Turn the scandal into a strategic move."

Her words struck him. Dominic’s expression cleared as he nodded. "That’s brilliant."

Vanessa grinned. "Stop stressing. The real priority is getting our new line to market ASAP. Once it’s a hit, Evelyn won’t even be a blip on our radar. She’s nobody—just a minor nuisance."

Her confidence was absolute.