His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 341

Archer's hand, resting on his knee, stiffened for a fraction of a second. His fingers slowly curled inward as he turned his head to look at her.

"Because of what happened this afternoon? I'll have Zachary Cole increase the security detail, or we can move the sessions to a private hospital under the Vanderbilt Group. I won't give her another chance to hurt you..."

"It's not about that." Virginia turned her head, her clear eyes meeting his gaze directly. "Chloe has an extreme psychological aversion and hostility toward me. Under such a strong defense mechanism, any psychological intervention is useless."

"I'm a doctor. I only treat illnesses." She paused, her voice remaining rational, almost bordering on cold. "But in her current state, she doesn't need me. She needs her family or another psychiatrist."

Archer furrowed his brows. "Virginia, I don't understand. You're the top authority on PTSD. If you won't treat her, no one else can."

"Just consider it a favor to me, hmm?"

Virginia looked at his deep, striking features, and her heart felt as if it were being pricked by a thousand tiny needles.

Was she really that unimportant to him? Why did he have to force her even after she had explicitly refused?

"I can't help." Virginia stood up, hiding the flicker of gloom in her eyes as she gathered the files from the coffee table. "Tomorrow, I'll have my assistant send the termination notice to Chloe. If you need it, I can recommend other reputable specialists in this field."

With that, she turned and walked toward the bedroom.

Archer sat frozen in place, watching her resolute back. His jawline pulled tight, and his chest felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton, aching with a suffocating heaviness.

...

Inside the bedroom.

Virginia had just stepped out of the shower when the phone on her nightstand buzzed.

Towel-drying her hair, she walked over and tapped the screen.

It was a message from Valentin. He had sent a spectacular photo of a foreign sunset, the sky painted in brilliant shades of tangerine and pink, with rolling clouds.

Right below it was a text.

[Just finished a tough battle. The view here is beautiful, so I wanted to share it with you. How have you been? Haven't missed me too much, have you?]

Virginia frowned. She smoothly locked the screen and placed the phone face down on the table. "Just a normal chat between friends."

"A normal chat?"

Something dangerous flashed through Archer's dark eyes.

He strode forward, grabbing her wrist and pinning her down against the mattress.

The distance between them vanished. The sharp, ascetic scent of Oud & Bergamot mixed with his body wash, overwhelming her senses and trapping her completely.

"Virginia, you know exactly what Valentin's intentions are better than I do." Archer stared down at her, a storm of unprecedented anger and faint jealousy surging within his dark pupils.

His grip on her wrist was painful. She furrowed her brows but didn't struggle, merely tilting her chin up to look at him with clear, unwavering eyes.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, I have the freedom to choose my friends. Besides, we are just an ex-husband and ex-wife. You're overstepping your boundaries."