Chapter 66

Evelyn's thoughts spun wildly as Dominic made his demand. Was there truly no other way out of this?

Though no brilliant solution came to mind, she could only nod in reluctant agreement under his persistent pressure. "Alright, I'll do my best."

"I knew I could count on you!" Dominic beamed, his satisfaction evident. "As for Vanessa, I plan to confront her again. I need to know what tricks she's hiding up her sleeve."

Perched by the café window, Vanessa idly swiped through her phone while delicately slicing into a mille-feuille with her spoon.

The door burst open. Sophia stormed in, scanning the room before zeroing in on Vanessa's table. "Espresso and a chocolate éclair," she snapped at the waiter before dropping into her seat with a dramatic sigh.

"Did someone set your hair on fire?" Vanessa teased, raising an amused brow.

"Don't even joke about that!" Sophia huffed, her scowl deepening when Vanessa laughed.

Vanessa reached out, pinching Sophia's cheek playfully. "Has Dominic been giving you trouble again?"

"That snake!" Sophia's rage ignited at the mention of him. "He ordered me to be Vanessa's assistant—helping her develop new products! Can you believe the audacity?" Her voice rose with each word. "Vanessa, of all people! What does that airhead know about real craftsmanship?"

Vanessa chuckled, stirring her tea. "Come now, she's certified. And she has awards to her name."

"Awards?" Sophia scoffed. "Stolen glory, more like! First, she took your work, then your man, and now she's dragging your reputation through the mud. How does someone like that sleep at night? I swear, I'm this close to—"

"Shh." Vanessa pressed a finger to her lips, glancing around. "He hasn't been 'my man' for a long time."

"How can you stay so calm? Have you seen what they're saying online? I've been arguing with them all morning—until they deleted my comments, the cowards!"

"You—you actually argued with them?" Vanessa blinked, surprised. She hadn't checked the latest posts yet.

Dominic must have hired a team to scrub the forums clean.

The lengths he'd go to protect his precious Vanessa.