His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 140

Cindy bit her lower lip and didn't respond. She wedged a triangular block into the correct slot with her chubby hand before looking up at him. "Thank you, Mr. Vanderbilt." Archer froze, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. "Aren't you going to open it?" The little girl shook her head and spoke with absolute seriousness. "Mr. Vanderbilt, you're Toby's daddy, not Cindy's daddy. You don't have to be this nice to me." The words threw the living room into an eerie silence. Virginia had just walked out of the kitchen with a glass of water and caught the remark. She stopped in her tracks, a newfound clarity washing over her face. Archer remained silent. Right at that moment, Cindy's smartwatch lit up. He inadvertently caught sight of the screensaver—Virginia, Valentin, and Cindy. The background looked like the front of a cafe. Valentin was holding Cindy with one arm, and Virginia stood beside them, her eyes curved in a warm smile. They looked exactly like a family of three... Archer pulled his gaze away and stood up. Staring darkly at the watch, a wave of discomfort he couldn't quite pinpoint washed over him. "Mr. Vanderbilt, water," Virginia walked over, handing him the glass as if she hadn't noticed a thing. He snapped out of his daze, didn't take the glass, muttered, "I'm leaving," and turned toward the door, leaving the bags behind. Madeline's words still echoed in her ears. Virginia's gaze trembled slightly. She didn't walk him to the door, calmly setting the water down and turning back to play with Cindy. Around 9:00 PM, after Cindy had fallen asleep, Virginia curled up on the sofa, pulled out her phone, and habitually opened her anonymous chat app. Echo's profile picture was lit up. A second later, as if sensing her presence, Echo sent a message. [I'm back in the country. Currently in the city.] Virginia's hand paused, and she replied almost instinctively. [You're back? When did that happen?] Echo: [Landed a couple of days ago. Took me a bit to adjust. Are you free lately? I'd like to buy you a coffee.] This was a very direct invitation to meet up in person. Virginia hesitated. They had been chatting online for about a year, never prying into each other's identities or backgrounds. The sudden suggestion to meet offline made her a little nervous. [Still there? If it's not convenient, it's totally fine.] Virginia: [Sure.] On the other side, Echo's eyes brightened, the smile on his lips widening. [Tomorrow at 3 PM, a cafe in The Financial District. Does that work? I'll be wearing a black baseball cap and a white tee.] [Sounds good. See you tomorrow.] The next afternoon, Virginia changed into a pale yellow knit cardigan over a white camisole, pairing it with an elegant, knee-length beige skirt. To show her respect for the meeting, she made a rare effort to put on some lipstick and pulled her hair into a high bun. Pushing open the doors of the cafe, she scanned the room. In a corner seat, a guy wearing a black baseball cap and a white tee was typing on his phone. He looked very young, completely different from the mature, middle-aged man she had pictured. The guy looked around twenty. He had clear skin and clean, refined features. The half of his face that was visible radiated an untamed, boyish charm. Virginia walked over, a little hesitant. "...Echo?" The guy looked up, revealing a pair of bright eyes under the brim of his cap. The moment he saw her, he froze for two seconds before his lips slowly curved into a smile. "That's me. You must be Ms. Caldwell, right? Please, sit." He stood up, towering over her by half a head. Looking at his face, at his eyes, a strange, indescribable sense of familiarity washed over Virginia.