His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 314

The ruthless mastermind of the Vanderbilt Group, the eternally calm and untouchable billionaire, stood in the hospital room without the courage to answer a four-year-old child's question.

......

Inside the treatment room, the doctor finished tending to the massive abrasions on Archer's back. He changed into a dark silk shirt.

The expensive fabric draped perfectly, clearly outlining his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

But because of the thick bandages wrapped around his back, the fabric pulled tightly across his chest.

The frantic clicking of heels echoed from the end of the hallway.

A second later, Chloe Caldwell, wearing a pristine white designer dress, ran over with red, teary eyes.

She completely ignored the closed door of the VIP suite and went straight to the treatment room under the nurse's guidance.

"Archer, thank you..." Chloe lunged toward him, her voice choked with sobs.

She looked up at him with deep affection. "I knew you would choose Toby when it mattered most. You still care about us..."

Archer shifted sideways, ruthlessly avoiding her touch, his dark eyes devoid of any warmth.

"You misunderstood," he rasped. "I chose him purely because he is a child who has suffered too much. It has absolutely nothing to do with you."

Chloe's hands froze in mid-air. All the color drained from her face as she stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Take care of him. If I ever find out you've abused him again, you know exactly what the consequences will be." Archer turned to leave, pausing at the doorway with his back to her. "Also, I will find the world's leading psychiatrist to cure your condition as quickly as possible."

......

Two days later, in the afternoon, inside the lounge outside the VIP suite.

In his twenty-something years of life, he had never felt as anxious and terrified as he did right now.

"As for Cindy... I calculated the height and distance, and I was absolutely certain I could catch her..."

"I know." Virginia's gaze was crystal clear. There was no resentment in her eyes. In fact, there was nothing at all, only a dead, stagnant calm. "I don't blame you."

That absolute calm suffocated Archer far more than any hysterical accusation ever could.

He suddenly leaned forward to grab her hand. "Ginny, I..."

"You are far too calculated!"

The lounge door was pushed open from the outside. Helena Vanderbilt walked in carrying a three-tiered insulated thermos, glaring at her son in absolute disappointment.

She slammed the thermos heavily onto the coffee table and pointed right at his face. "You apply your ruthless corporate risk-assessment to your own family! In the end, you protected someone else's child, but you completely shattered the heart of the person who matters most! Why should Virginia have to understand your cold logic?"