His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 156

Because the booking was so last minute, he hadn't been able to secure a presidential suite or even a luxury room.

The room was small and the furnishings were incredibly basic, but the heating was reassuringly strong.

There was only one double bed and a tiny sofa barely five feet long.

Virginia frowned. She pushed both their suitcases against the wall, sat down on the sofa, and hesitated, keeping her winter coat securely on.

Archer didn't say a word. He silently opened his laptop at the desk and resumed working on his pending contracts.

The room was dead quiet, save for the rhythmic clicking of the keyboard.

Leaning back against the sofa, Virginia watched him and found herself zoning out.

During the year they were married, they had essentially shared a single room.

Occasionally, he would work in his study until the early hours before returning to the bedroom, by which time she would have already showered and fallen asleep.

On the rare nights they both retired early, they would exchange a few sentences—strictly work-related, of course.

Perhaps it was the surprisingly calm atmosphere, or perhaps the memories were just too nostalgic, but Virginia slowly began to relax.

She slipped off her coat, folded it over the arm of the sofa, and got up to unpack her toiletries, preparing to wash up and go to sleep.

By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, hair blow-dried, she found Archer lying on the cramped sofa. Her coat had been neatly placed by the pillows on the bed.

"Mr. Vanderbilt..."

"Archer?"

Whether he was ignoring her or genuinely asleep, Virginia didn't get an answer.

After a moment of internal debate, she climbed into the bed.

The man on the sofa curled his legs up and rolled over, the tight crease between his brows relaxing slightly.

The blasting heat made her drowsy, compounding the exhaustion of the long-haul flight. Bundled up in the thin hotel blanket, Virginia's consciousness slowly faded.

Just as she was about to fall into a deep sleep, Archer's ringtone blared through the quiet room.

Archer grabbed his phone and hit answer.

"Yes."

"...I saw the forecast mentioned a blizzard in the UK. Make sure you bundle up, don't catch a cold." Chloe paused, then added softly, "Toby misses you so much. He's been begging for you to hold him. So... please come home as soon as you're done with your work."

Over the line, the little boy leaned in again, his curious voice echoing through the speaker.

"Daddy, why are you on the sofa? The sofa isn't comfey."

Archer went quiet for a moment, his eyes darkening. "I was just too tired from work, so I lay down here for a minute. I'll get into bed soon."

The exchange was incredibly heartwarming; anyone listening would be deeply moved.

But Virginia's eyelashes trembled, her grip tightening on the corner of the thin blanket. A heavy, dull ache bloomed in the center of her chest.

Terrified that Toby might keep asking questions and uncover the truth, she carefully sat up. Facing Archer, she silently raised her hands, mouthing and gesturing a clear message—

"You take the bed, I'll take the sofa."

Archer furrowed his brows and gave her a sharp, invisible shake of his head.