His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 309

Toby looked up at the little angel standing in front of him. The terror in his eyes faded just a fraction, and he tentatively reached out to grab the toy car.

Helena Vanderbilt walked over with a platter of sliced fruit. Seeing the interaction, a flash of heartbreak crossed her eyes, but she quickly masked it with a warm smile.

She knew that with a little ray of sunshine like Cindy around, Toby would surely pull through this nightmare soon.

"Cindy, you are just too sweet." Helena set the fruit platter down on the coffee table and turned to Virginia, who was sitting in a single armchair. "Virginia, you've raised her beautifully."

Virginia was wearing a light green French-style sundress today, her hair pulled back loosely with a claw clip, exposing her elegant neck.

She had an iPad in her hands and was browsing through the latest psychology papers. Hearing Helena's praise, she looked up and offered a soft smile.

"She's been a good girl since the day she was born. She makes things very easy for me." She set the iPad aside and crouched down by the sofa.

As a professional psychologist, she could tell at a glance that Toby was suffering from severe insecurity and even displaying mild somatic symptoms.

She didn't rush in to touch him. Instead, she maintained a safe, comfortable distance, picked up a slice of apple, and held it near the boy's mouth, speaking in a gentle tone.

"Toby, Grandma picked these out herself. They're very sweet. Do you want to try a bite?"

Toby stared at her. After hesitating for a few seconds, he leaned his head forward, opened his mouth, and took a tiny bite.

"Good boy." Virginia smiled warmly, pulling out a tissue to gently dab at the boy's mouth.

Archer was just coming down from his second-floor study when the heartwarming scene caught his eye.

Virginia was beaming, patiently coaxing the terrified little boy.

The warm glow of the crystal chandelier bathed her in a soft, ethereal light.

And Cindy was right beside them, giggling as she danced around Toby.

The little boy shot her a timid look, then gripped his spoon and shoved the fish into his mouth.

Cindy immediately copied her, scooping up a piece of BBQ rib. She wanted to drop it into Toby's bowl, but the table was too wide. Pouting, she announced, "Toby, eat lots of meat so you can grow big and tall, and then you can protect me!"

A faint, tiny smile finally appeared on Toby's face.

Helena and Archer watched the exchange, a flurry of complex emotions welling up in their eyes.

Virginia had absolutely no relation to Toby, yet when she learned of his horrific abuse, she cared for him without an ounce of hesitation. But Chloe?

As Toby's biological mother, she was actually capable of such monstrous cruelty...

With more and more smiles lighting up his little face, Toby visibly relaxed, making for an incredibly heartwarming dinner.

After dinner, Toby even struck up a conversation with Cindy and started playing with toys with her, just like he used to.