His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 90

Her eyes were bloodshot and filled with pure terror as her entire body convulsed with violent tremors.

Archer's face tightened. He slammed his palm against the emergency call button before rushing to the bed, pulling her into his arms, and firmly patting her back.

"Archer, I was just so jealous..." Chloe clung to him like a drowning woman to a life raft, her sobbing voice fracturing with panic.

"I saw you two having dinner together, and I've noticed you spacing out so much lately... I was just so terrified. I was so scared she was going to take you away from me, that you were going to abandon me..."

Suddenly, her body went into severe spasms. She curled into a tight ball, clutching her head in what looked exactly like a catastrophic PTSD episode.

The medical staff rushed into the room. Archer immediately took half a step back to give them space to work.

Virginia stood silently at the foot of the bed, watching the entire performance.

She was a psychiatrist; she had treated countless panic attacks.

Whether it was genuine or a brilliant act, respiratory rhythm couldn't be faked...

But none of that was her problem anymore.

Adjusting her tote bag on her shoulder, she turned and walked toward the exit.

Just as she reached the door, two bodyguards in sharp black suits stepped into the frame, blocking her path entirely.

Virginia stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at Archer.

He stood in the center of the chaotic room, one hand casually shoved into his pocket, his eyes burning straight into her.

"The recording."

Just two simple words, laced with undeniable irritation.

Virginia's grip tightened fiercely on the strap of her bag. Her voice was colder than absolute zero. "And if I refuse?"

Archer casually adjusted his cuff and met her glare. "Virginia, you know perfectly well that you aren't leaving this room with it unless I say so."

He was a major shareholder in this hospital. He had absolute authority over their security personnel.

For a long moment, the only sounds in the room were Chloe's muffled whimpering and the frantic shuffling of the medical staff.

The screen lit up, prominently displaying the voice memo right on the lock screen.

Once the medical staff had filed out, he hit play, skipping forward to the middle of the track.

"...I purposefully provoked you, waiting for you to lose your temper... I threw myself into traffic... I even paid that driver to hit me..."

Chloe's voice blasted through the speaker, every single syllable sharp, clear, and undeniable.

You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

Archer paused the audio and slowly turned to look at the woman in the bed.

Every last drop of blood vanished from Chloe's face.

"You have two choices." Clenching the phone tightly, his voice was chillingly vacant, entirely devoid of human emotion. "One: You will post a public statement online right now, clarifying everything and clearing Virginia's name."

"Two..."