His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 26

A nurse sprinted from the far end of the hall, her face drained of all color, nearly colliding straight into his chest.

"What happened?" Archer demanded, his normally cold voice involuntarily tightening with genuine panic.

If his memory served him right, Virginia was taking appointments today.

The nurse shook like a leaf. "Dr. Caldwell's patient is having an episode! He has a knife... Oh god, Dr. Caldwell is still trapped inside!"

Archer's feet froze, his dark brows knitting together fiercely. A split second later, a raw, terrifying panic flooded his predatory gaze as he sprinted wildly toward Virginia's consultation room.

A small crowd had gathered at the corner of the hallway, peering nervously through the doorway, but no one dared to step inside.

The door was wide open, exposing the absolute chaos within. A tall, emaciated male patient had backed himself into a corner. Both of his hands were clamped desperately around a heavy-duty utility knife, the jagged blade aimed directly at the doorway.

The man had completely lost his grip on reality, his voice tearing from his throat in hoarse, animalistic roars. "Get out—get the hell out!"

Two heavy armchairs lay overturned. Confidential files were scattered like confetti across the room. A glass pitcher had shattered against the wall, sending a pool of water creeping across the hardwood floor.

Virginia stood just a few feet away from him. She kept one hand raised slightly, palm facing down in a gesture of absolute surrender, her voice deliberately slow and rhythmic. "Caleb, listen to me. Put the knife down. No one is going to hurt you—"

This was her patient, a man suffering from severe paranoia complicated by violent tendencies. Today was supposed to be a routine follow-up, but something had triggered a catastrophic mental collapse.

"Stay back! I said stay back!"

Caleb lunged forward with a wild, erratic step, thrusting the blade directly toward Virginia's chest.

Virginia's face turned ashen. Instinctively, she stumbled half a step back, but she refused to turn and run.

He was her patient. She knew his psychological profile better than anyone, and she was still desperately trying to anchor him back to reality.

Witnessing the horrific scene, Archer's usually impassive eyes darkened, flashing with an unhinged, frantic desperation he had never shown before.

Kian threw a sharp glance at the horrific gash on Archer's arm, his brow furrowing deeply. He immediately rushed over to Virginia.

"Gin... Ginny, are you hurt?"

Virginia numbly shook her head, her gaze entirely fixated on Archer's bleeding forearm.

Catching her frantic look, Kian's eyes flickered slightly. He took charge immediately. "Mr. Vanderbilt is badly injured. Ginny, help him patch that up. I'll get the patient restrained and relocated."

Virginia didn't even turn to look at Kian. She simply breathed out a shaky, "Okay."

The cut wasn't dangerously deep, but the blood loss was severe. The crimson liquid was pouring down his forearm in thick streams, completely soaking through the pristine white cuff of his dress shirt.

"Let's treat the wound first." Virginia couldn't even articulate the storm of emotions raging in her chest. Operating purely on instinct, she spun around, yanked open the emergency medical cabinet, and grabbed alcohol pads, gauze, and medical tape. Pointing to an upright chair, she ordered, "Mr. Vanderbilt, have a seat."

Archer didn't move an inch. He simply stared at her, and upon confirming she didn't have a single scratch on her body, the storm in his eyes finally settled into a quiet calm.