Chapter 247

"Let her go!" Dominic's expression darkened instantly.

"Don't be so dramatic." Lucien smirked, undeterred. He leaned in closer to Vanessa, his lips dangerously near hers.

Dominic saw red. He lunged forward, ready to strike Lucien again.

But Vanessa caught his arm. "Stop! Do you want the entire office to hear this commotion, Dom?!"

Her voice was steady, almost righteous—as if she hadn’t been entangled in that compromising position moments ago. Yet her words made Dominic hesitate. The last thing he needed was for this scandal to spread.

"Get out!" He pointed toward the door, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.

Vanessa shot Lucien a sharp look, but he remained where he was, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk still in place. His eyes, however, held nothing but disdain.

She frowned, silently urging him to leave. If Lucien stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to control Dominic’s temper. With a careless shrug, Lucien finally sauntered toward the elevator, taking his sweet time before disappearing.

"Dom—"

"I said get out!" Dominic roared before she could finish.

"I know you're furious," she said carefully, "but you need to calm down." She gestured toward the desk. "The new prototype is ready. I tested it myself—it works. I also revised the formula. Submit it for review at dawn. Once approved, we can send it straight to production."

Her voice hardened. "This will save DR Holdings. If you act recklessly now, you won’t just destroy the company—you’ll ruin everything. Do you understand?!"

Dominic stood frozen, his gaze distant, as if he hadn’t heard a word. His knuckles were still bleeding. Vanessa reached for his hand, but he yanked it away.

"You have a reason?" His laugh was hollow. "Do you think I’m a fool, Vanessa? I saw it with my own eyes!" He jabbed a finger at his face, wishing he could claw the memory away.

"Go. I don’t want to see you. You’re done here." He turned, staggering toward the elevator like a man defeated.

"Dom!" Vanessa called after him, but he didn’t look back.

She exhaled sharply, surveying the wreckage of the lab. After a moment, she tucked the prototype and documents into her bag and dialed the cleaning crew. "There was an accident during testing. The lab needs immediate cleanup before morning."

Dominic sped through the city, his mind numb. The images from the lab flashed in his head—Vanessa, Lucien, their closeness. He couldn’t shake them.

To him, Vanessa had always been perfect—gentle, playful, irresistibly alluring. She was everything he’d ever wanted. For her, he had manipulated Evelyn, risked his career, nearly destroyed himself.

And now?

Now he wasn’t sure of anything.