Chapter 84

Dominic was taken aback when he realized the man sitting beside Evelyn wasn’t who he had expected, but her attorney instead.

"Evelyn, was this really necessary?" Dominic leaned forward, his piercing gaze locked onto her. "Can’t we just talk like civilized people?"

Evelyn barely glanced up from her phone, her tone indifferent. "Necessary? I did agree to meet you, didn’t I? If this is extreme, what would you call your underhanded schemes?" She tilted her head slightly, a cold smirk playing on her lips. "Besides, you were the one who filed a lawsuit against me. Having my lawyer present as a witness only ensures fairness. Shouldn’t you be pleased?"

"I already told you we’d drop the lawsuit," Dominic said, frustration creeping into his voice. "We were classmates. Friends. Even if that’s over, we don’t have to be enemies."

Evelyn remained silent, her fingers still scrolling through her screen.

Vanessa bit her lip before speaking softly. "Evelyn, I know you’re still upset about Dominic and me, but feelings aren’t something we can control. You were always buried in your work, and he needed someone who could be there for him." She hesitated, then added, "You shouldn’t let personal grudges destroy DR Holdings. It was built with all our effort. Do you really want to ruin it over something so petty?"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Evelyn finally looked up, her eyes sharp. "You’re saying the company is struggling because I’m being unreasonable?" She scoffed. "Dominic hasn’t been sleeping? How tragic. But let’s not pretend you don’t know exactly what Phoenix Labs has been doing."

Vanessa’s face flushed. "We’re all in the same industry. There might come a time when we have to work together. Why make this ugly?"

Evelyn ignored her, turning instead to Julian. "Make sure you document everything they’re saying. It might be useful later."

"Already done," Julian confirmed with a nod.

Vanessa’s patience snapped. She slammed her teaspoon onto the table, drawing stares from nearby patrons. "Evelyn Carter! Who do you think you are? Do you really think you’ve won just because you tampered with the original formula?"

Dominic stirred his coffee calmly, watching the scene unfold without interference.

Evelyn finally set her phone down, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "I’m sorry, I must have misheard. Did you just accuse me of sabotaging your work?" She leaned forward slightly. "Because if I recall correctly, DR Holdings sued me, claiming I stole confidential information. So how, exactly, could I have done anything to your precious formula?"

She emphasized the word your, her gaze unwavering. "But let’s say I did interfere. With your brilliant skills, shouldn’t fixing it be child’s play? Why come crawling to me for help?"

Vanessa’s face burned. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Dominic finally intervened, taking Vanessa’s hand. "That’s enough, Evelyn. We came here to settle things, not to fight."

Evelyn’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. "Then start talking."