Chapter 20

One of the men finally stepped forward, his voice firm. "Evelyn, we're just following orders. If you have any complaints, take it up with Mr. Reeves. We're only doing what he instructed."

"Fine. You think I'm afraid of him?" Evelyn narrowed her eyes, pulling out her phone to call Dominic. The line rang, but no one answered—even though she knew he was available.

He was giving her a taste of her own medicine.

Dominic thought this would break her, force her to admit her mistakes. The man in front of her smirked, as if he’d expected the call to go unanswered. "Evelyn, your assistant has been stalling for over an hour. There’s no point wasting time when Mr. Reeves has plenty of it. Sure, the files are confidential, but they belong to DR Holdings. He just wants you to hand them over. Don’t worry—we’ll take good care of them."

Evelyn hung up, her lips curling into a cold smile. "How thoughtful of Dom." Then she turned to Sophia, her expression unreadable.

Sophia, who had been ready to fight tooth and nail to protect those documents, was taken aback by Evelyn’s reaction.

"Evelyn, you worked tirelessly on those formulas. They’re invaluable! If they’re suddenly demanding them, they must have an ulterior motive!"

Evelyn knew Dominic was watching. He wanted to strip her of her work, leaving her defenseless. If she resisted, he’d twist it into proof that Vanessa had been the real mastermind behind their past successes.

Without hesitation, Evelyn said, "Give it to them, Soph. He’s right—no matter how confidential, they belong to DR Holdings. If Mr. Reeves wants them, we’ll comply."

Sophia hesitated, but Evelyn’s tone left no room for argument. Reluctantly, she handed over the files, though her confusion was evident. She searched Evelyn’s face for answers but found only steely resolve.

The documents were thick, stacked high. The men loaded them into the waiting car before turning back. "The key to the archives room, too."

Sophia’s temper flared. "You’ve already taken everything! What do you need an empty room for?"

"Mr. Reeves’ orders."

Evelyn tilted her chin slightly. "Give it to them, Soph."

Dominic thought he had her cornered, that without those files, she’d be powerless. But the most crucial details weren’t on paper—they were in her mind.

Sophia clenched her jaw and shoved the key against the man’s chest, sending him stumbling back. He caught it easily, then climbed into the car without another word.

As the vehicle disappeared down the street, Sophia whirled on Evelyn. "Why did you let them take everything? How will you prove the perfumes were yours now?"

Evelyn smirked. "Soph, do you really think I need those files to prove myself?" She leaned in slightly, her voice low. "Trust me. I have other ways."

Dominic had set a trap, but she wasn’t walking into it blindly.

Sophia still looked uncertain, but Evelyn’s confidence silenced further questions. "Weren’t you planning to leave DR Holdings? Why did you come back?"