His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 1

Five years after their divorce, Virginia Caldwell saw Archer Vanderbilt again at St. Jude's Cathedral.

Her blind date had specifically chosen this location, claiming its flourishing prayers could sever bad ties and bless true romance.

The man stopped at every altar, lighting votive candles and bowing his head in devout prayer.

Virginia simply stood quietly to the side, her eyes lowered and her expression utterly indifferent.

As a senior psychiatrist, years of experience had ingrained rationality into her very bones. Coupled with her early life struggles, she was a staunch atheist who never believed in karma or the divine.

Perhaps the world was too bitter, prompting people to pin their hopes on flickering candlelight. But before she could even sink to the kneeler, her tears threatened to fall first.

"You should say a prayer too. My mother says it only works if we both do it."

He handed her a candle, looking unwilling to let it go.

After a two-second hesitation, Virginia took it.

She knelt on the wooden kneeler, but as she gazed at the altar, a sudden, suffocating ache struck her chest. Just as she was about to place the candle, the flickering shadows shifted, and she saw Archer walking side-by-side with Chloe Caldwell, holding a child.

Chloe was also holding a candle. She smiled brightly, reaching out to loop her arm through Archer's empty one. But just then, the child in his arms squirmed restlessly. Archer instinctively adjusted his grip to support the boy, causing Chloe to miss his arm. Instead, she patted the child's head, laughing softly and telling him to behave.

A family of three. It was an incredibly ordinary scene, yet it radiated an overwhelming sense of warmth.

Virginia froze, completely tuning out her blind date's calls for her to stand up.

Archer had changed a lot since the year they were married. He used to be stoic and composed, like a poker-faced machine. Now, there was an imperceptible sense of contentment in the corners of his eyes, giving him an undeniable human touch. Meanwhile, Chloe looked as stunning and radiant as ever, her luminous complexion a clear testament to how deeply she was loved.

Seeing him suddenly stop, Toby Vanderbilt looked around curiously in his arms. Archer didn't answer, simply setting the boy down on the ground.

When Archer stood back up and saw Chloe's face turn pale as she stared warily at Virginia, he instinctively took a step forward, blocking Chloe's line of sight.

As the worshippers behind them urged them to move, Virginia stood up from the kneeler. She casually placed her candle at the altar, turned around, and walked out of the hall with her blind date, her face entirely devoid of emotion.

Chloe. Her sister in name, and the fake heiress the Caldwells had raised for years.

Six years ago, Virginia accidentally discovered that her blood type didn't match her parents'. A DNA test confirmed her suspicions.

But before she could even search for her biological family, the Caldwells found her first. They claimed that when Mrs. Caldwell had gone into labor while inspecting a construction site, she had to deliver at the nearest clinic. A nurse's mistake led to the babies being switched. The Caldwells only discovered the blood type discrepancy that year and had been secretly looking for her ever since.