His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 315

Archer pressed his lips into a thin line, his jaw ticking tightly as he remained completely silent.

Virginia lowered her eyes, a brief flash of pain crossing her gaze.

A second later, she stood up, picked up the thermos, and gave Helena a faint smile. "Helena, please don't be angry. Cindy was just talking about your chicken soup yesterday."

Hearing Virginia's polite, distant address, Helena's heart shattered.

Those damn kidnappers! Why couldn't they stand to see their family happy?!

......

A week later, in the banquet hall of a five-star hotel downtown.

The Tea Artistry class partnered with several charities to host a charity auction gala. The guest list was exclusively composed of the city's most elite socialites and wealthy wives.

The venue was a sea of designer gowns and clinking champagne glasses.

Mandy Sterling, having heard that Archer Vanderbilt would likely attend tonight, went all out. She wore a custom silver strapless mermaid gown and accessorized with a priceless Bulgari ruby necklace, making sure she was the most dazzling woman in the room.

Virginia, on the other hand, wore a low-key black velvet strapless gown paired with a dusty-blue silk shawl. She sat quietly by a round table in the corner.

She wore no extravagant jewelry, only a vintage Patek Philippe watch resting on her slender wrist.

Despite the minimalist look, she wasn't overshadowed by the flashy women in the room at all. Instead, she exuded an effortless, breathtaking elegance.

The auction officially began.

The first few items were paintings and antiques. Mandy raised her paddle constantly, completely stealing the spotlight, but her eyes kept searching the room.

"Our next item is the grand finale of tonight's gala. A Neon Blue Tourmaline Suite sourced directly from Paraíba, Brazil. The starting bid—ten million dollars!"

The auctioneer's voice echoed across the stage.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify