Chapter 252

Vanessa could sense Dominic's next move. She rushed forward, catching his blanket before it slipped, her fingers immediately working to knead the tension from his calves.

"See? Your legs are still attached! You're perfectly fine, so stop worrying. Just trust me!"

"Trust you?"

Dominic shot her a sideways glance, his lips curling into a bitter smirk. "I trusted you far too much already."

Vanessa bit her lip, swallowing her retort. With a quiet sigh, she adjusted his blanket and straightened. "I know you despise me right now—enough to want me dead. But I never lied to you, Dominic. Everything I did was for DR Holdings, for us. That doesn't excuse the pain I caused you, though. So go ahead. Hit me. Curse me. I'll take it all. But you have to stay calm. Don't hurt yourself over this. Promise me?"

Her voice was soft, laced with guilt, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Dominic remained silent, his jaw clenched, but he didn't order her out again.

"Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I heard about your accident? I thought I'd lost you forever." Her hand hovered over his, barely grazing his knuckles. "Dominic, I can't lose you. I love you."

He yanked his hand away, but she didn't flinch. "Theo confirmed the new perfume formula is flawless. That means our research is a success. However furious you are, don't let it sabotage our work. Dominic, this product will save DR Holdings."

A heavy silence stretched between them before Dominic finally spoke, his voice dripping with disdain. "He gave you the report, didn't he?"

The word "he" was spat out like poison—Lucien's name too vile to utter.

Vanessa didn't deny it. "Yes."

"You didn't bring him to Phoenix Labs just to tweak formulas." Dominic's piercing gaze locked onto her face, searching for lies. "Did you?"

"No." She met his eyes squarely.

Dominic let out a hollow laugh, his smile brittle. "Vanessa, you crossed a line."

"I did. But it was for DR Holdings. For us." She leaned closer, urgency sharpening her tone. "You know my standards. You know how incompetent most of Phoenix Labs' team is. After Evelyn's scandal, our sales are plummeting. Our reputation is in ruins. That manufacturing disaster nearly bankrupted us!" She drew a shaky breath. "If we don't launch something groundbreaking soon, we won't just miss the annual perfumery awards—we'll lose everything. The board will destroy you."

Dominic's expression remained stony.

"Two months, Dominic. That's all we have. If we fail, what happens to you? To me? To DR Holdings?"

At last, a flicker of reaction. His lips twitched, his chest rising unevenly as he shut his eyes.

When he exhaled, it carried the weight of surrender.

Because as much as he loathed to admit it, Vanessa was right.

DR Holdings was a sinking ship. The world still saw glittering success, but Dominic knew the truth—the cracks spreading beneath the gilded surface. Without a miracle product, the empire would crumble. The board would abandon him. Investors would flee.

And he refused to let that happen.