Chapter 51

"Do I really have to transcribe all these notes manually? Why can't we just scan them? If handwritten copies are absolutely necessary, we could hire someone!" Vanessa whined, her lips forming a perfect pout as she voiced her complaints.

"I've been completely exhausted lately. My mental health is deteriorating under all this stress. Evelyn's constant attacks are wearing me down!" Vanessa clung to Dominic's arm, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness.

Dominic's resolve melted instantly at Vanessa's coquettish display. He pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her slender shoulders. "You know how this industry works, darling. Most lab notes are handwritten. Do you use computers during experiments? You only digitize the final reports, don't you?" He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

But his reasoning did little to soothe Vanessa's irritation. "This is all Evelyn's fault. We would've won that award if she hadn't sabotaged us. The company wouldn't be struggling financially. We could've been expanding by now. Everything was going perfectly until she interfered!" Vanessa slammed the stack of notes onto the desk, imagining each page was Evelyn's face.

Dominic shared her fury, silently agreeing with every word. But strategic thinking prevailed - they needed concrete evidence to counter Evelyn's moves. Even with Celestia Group backing her, she'd be powerless against irrefutable proof.

After some coaxing, Vanessa reluctantly returned to her transcription task. Dominic stepped away to make a phone call once she'd calmed down. "Is everything prepared? Excellent. I've reviewed the manuscript - it's perfect. Publish it immediately." He added a few terse instructions before ending the call.

He moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows of their seventy-seventh floor office. Dominic had specifically chosen this floor when leasing the space - seven was his lucky number. Seven wonders of the world. Seven days of creation. He'd believed himself destined for greatness, blessed with fortune's favor. Until recently.

The startup phase had been challenging, but he'd overcome it effortlessly. Evelyn had created one bestselling fragrance after another, driving DR Holdings' meteoric rise.

Dominic's vision had been clear: secure the award, attract investors, expand production, double assets. Then take over the entire building, go public, establish international presence. His ambitions knew no bounds.

But someone had derailed his carefully laid plans. Evelyn's sudden transformation baffled him. She'd always been so compliant, working tirelessly without complaint, never questioning company decisions. So what if she'd discovered his affair with Vanessa?

She could have wept and pleaded for his attention. He would have happily provided for her indefinitely. What was wrong with a successful man having multiple women? Throughout history, powerful men always maintained harems. He only had two - why was Evelyn making such a fuss?

Dominic's heated breath fogged the glass, obscuring the glittering cityscape below. He wiped the condensation away with an angry swipe. He'd climbed too high to fall now. Returning to his humble beginnings was unthinkable. Impossible. He would never allow it. Never.