Chapter 65

"Let's fight then," Vanessa said with a dismissive wave. "We have all the evidence we need—I've already copied everything. Plus, we have the best legal team money can buy. Why should we be afraid of her?"

She lifted her hand, examining it with a dramatic sigh. "Look at this—my fingers are swollen and aching! I wouldn’t have had to work this hard if it weren’t for Evelyn. Dominic, we can’t let her win. You have to teach her a lesson this time. How dare she treat you like this?"

Dominic pushed her away when she leaned in, his expression grim. He wasn’t as confident as she was. "Something doesn’t feel right. Why would she insist on going to court when she knows we have all the evidence?"

Vanessa froze for a second, then shook her head.

"Impossible. You’re overthinking it. What could Evelyn possibly do? We have the data, and none of the other employees even know her. I made sure of that—kept her locked away in the lab, never let her mingle at headquarters. And now, the whole internet thinks she’s the jealous mistress who stole company secrets to get back at me. What’s there to worry about? We’ve got this in the bag!"

Dominic exhaled sharply. "It’s not that simple. You know she was the one behind all of DR Holdings’ successful products."

Vanessa’s eyes flashed with irritation. "Oh, so you do still care about her? If you like her so much, go running back to her. I’ll leave. Right now!"

Seeing her pout, Dominic pulled her into his arms. "Don’t be ridiculous. That’s not what I meant. If I wanted her, would I be in this mess? Everything I’ve done—it’s all for you, my little troublemaker."

He pressed soft kisses along her jawline until she melted against him. When they finally pulled apart, Vanessa sighed dramatically. "I hate it when you talk about her. She had you wrapped around her finger for years. Of course I’m jealous!"

Dominic chuckled. "I know, I know. But right now, we have bigger problems. Vanessa, since Eternal Bloom, we haven’t released anything groundbreaking. The board is getting restless. You’re the head of R&D—we need something fresh, something spectacular."

Vanessa hesitated.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have the knowledge—she just hadn’t used it in years. Evelyn had done all the real work while she played the charming executive. Sure, she understood the basics, but perfume-making required instinct, inspiration, genius. And right now, all her energy was spent scheming—how to keep Dominic, how to secure her place as the future Mrs. Reeves, how to live the lavish life she deserved.

She huffed. "Don’t pressure me!"

Dominic wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I’m not pressuring you. But I’m under pressure too. Think about it—if we debut a new hit at the Paris exhibition, we won’t even need to fight this lawsuit. We’ll crush Evelyn effortlessly. And afterward? We’ll take a long vacation, get married, honeymoon across Europe… What do you say?"

Vanessa could almost picture it—the fame, the luxury, the victory.

But reality crashed back in.

Creating a bestseller wasn’t that easy. She was rusty. Out of practice. Even if an idea struck her, could she actually execute it?

Dominic sensed her hesitation. "What’s wrong? Losing confidence?" He kissed her temple. "You’re not alone. You’ve got the whole lab at your disposal—including Isabella. She worked with Evelyn for years. She knows the tricks. Use her."

Vanessa bit her lip.

Maybe… just maybe… she could pull this off.