His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 50

Tonight, Chloe accompanied Archer as his date.

She looked flawless in a velvet burgundy Chanel gown, playing the role of the perfect, elegant hostess.

Throughout the dinner, she smoothly intercepted drinks on Archer's behalf and kept the conversation flowing. Every smile and gesture was flawlessly executed, as if she had rehearsed this exact routine a thousand times.

Henry Brown's gaze lingered on Chloe for a few moments, but he quickly returned his attention to Archer, discussing the specifics of their potential venture.

Halfway through the evening, Chloe excused herself to the restroom. Brown immediately leaned in, swirling the wine in his glass, and spoke in fluent English. "Archer, forgive my bluntness, but the woman beside you... she's not right for you."

Archer's expression remained perfectly still, though his fingers tightened slightly around his glass.

Brown sighed. "I've been in business for over forty years, and I've learned how to read people. When you're with her, you're not genuinely happy."

"..."

"The eyes never lie. When you look at her, there's absolutely no warmth."

He raised his glass, tapped it gently against Archer's, and left it at that.

...

In the car ride home, Chloe kept chattering about the evening, but Archer had completely zoned out.

His mind drifted back six years, to the first few months of his marriage to Virginia.

He had been hosting a foreign executive back then as well. The client had spontaneously asked to see his home and requested a traditional, home-cooked meal.

Virginia hadn't complained. She simply slipped into the kitchen.

She wasn't a master chef, but she had consulted with their staff so earnestly about the menu that the client had found it incredibly endearing.

After the dinner, they had walked the client to his car and strolled back to the house together.

It had been a freezing autumn night. Virginia had been blowing into her cupped hands for warmth, shivering beside him. Out of nowhere, she had looked up and said:

...

Meanwhile, halfway across the world.

The Vienna summit lasted three grueling days. The second it ended, Virginia and Kian flew straight back to Capital City. After landing, she headed directly to her clinic.

Being gone for three days meant she had a massive backlog of patients and ongoing research projects with the hospital. She didn't have a single second to waste.

She worked relentlessly for nearly a week before things finally stabilized.

That afternoon, she accompanied Doctor White to Capital City General Hospital's psychiatric wing for a joint evaluation of a severe PTSD case.

She had survived on two black coffees the entire morning and completely skipped lunch to make the appointment in time. She had been working nonstop ever since.

When the grueling session finally ended, she stood up to gather her files. Suddenly, her body locked up. A high-pitched ringing pierced her ears, and the edges of her vision violently faded to black.