His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 131

"Yeah," Archer Vanderbilt's voice was terribly hoarse. He scanned the living room—both familiar and strange—and the small, equally familiar sofa. His expression remained natural, devoid of any embarrassment. After all, he had stayed over the last time it rained. Virginia Caldwell secretly observed his reaction. Unfortunately, his perpetually icy face revealed nothing extra. She didn't dwell on it and turned to the kitchen. On the stove, a pot of oatmeal was simmering. She had gotten up at six to cook it, adding healthy ingredients that were good for digestion. She portioned it out onto three plates and brought out the prepared sandwiches and side dishes, setting them on the dining table. Then, she called Archer and Cindy over for breakfast. Taking his seat, Archer looked down at the warm oatmeal in his bowl. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds before lowering his head to eat. The spoon hit the rim, making a faint, crisp sound. Cindy ran out after washing up. Stretching her short arms and legs, she climbed onto her dining chair by herself. "Mr. Archer, were you drunk?" "...Yeah." "Do grown-ups get dumb when they drink?" Archer's hand paused on his spoon. He turned his head to look at her. "Why do you ask?" "Because Mommy..." "Cindy," Virginia interrupted, seemingly unwilling to let her elaborate on the topic. "I'm running late, so I have to go. Mrs. Benson will be here soon to take you to school." Archer frowned slightly, putting down his spoon. "I can drop her off." "No need." Virginia rejected the offer quickly, heading to the entryway without looking back. "Mrs. Benson comes every weekday. She'll be here any minute..." Just as she spoke, the sound of the lock clicking echoed, and Mrs. Benson walked in carrying a bag of groceries. Seeing the scene in the dining room, she paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded in greeting. Skillfully, she placed the items in the kitchen and went to take Cindy's hand. "Sweetie, let's get you changed for kindergarten." As Cindy was led away, she didn't forget to turn back and wave at Archer. "Bye, Mr. Archer! Don't drink anymore!" Archer watched the tiny figure, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. Virginia changed her shoes at the door, her back to him. "There's more breakfast if you want. Just make sure the door is locked when you leave." With that, she walked out without looking back. Shortly after, Mrs. Benson left with Cindy. Archer sat at the dining chair and finished the remaining food. He stopped moving after that, sitting alone in the empty dining room. A comforting sweetness seemed to linger on his tongue. After an indeterminate amount of time, he took out his phone and called Zachary Cole. The instructions were simple: pick him up and bring a fresh suit to change into at the office. On the way to the Vanderbilt Group, Archer's phone rang. It was Logan Lambert. "Archer, you up?" "...Yeah, on my way to the office." "Good. I was worried..." Logan stopped mid-sentence. He had been concerned yesterday that Virginia would be cruel enough to ignore Archer, and he had even called the club to check. In the end, he had managed to pull it off. When it came to helping a buddy out, he was second to none. "Thanks." "Huh? Oh, you mean about yesterday. Haha, how did last night go? Did anything happen?" Logan chuckled. "No," Archer replied, even as the memory of that kiss surfaced in his mind. Knowing Archer's cold personality, Logan didn't press further and hung up. Around four in the afternoon, Virginia saw out a patient and received a call from Helena Vanderbilt. "Virginia, you don't have classes this weekend. Bring Cindy over for dinner after work tomorrow. The little girl mentioned she wanted my special dessert last time, so I made some today."