His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 360

"Are you disgusted by me?" Chloe looked up, tears streaming down her face in a pathetic display. "Because I'm sick? Because I can't control my temper, so you can't even stand to look at me?"

"Let go," Archer said, his voice dropping an octave, a frown creasing his brow.

"I won't! Archer, just wait for me, okay? When I'm better, we can go back to how things used to be. We grew up together! Nobody in this world loves you more than I do..."

She sobbed, her voice growing weaker.

Archer stared down at her.

The memory of that slender figure desperately dragging him ashore at the beach flashed in his mind.

That sliver of residual pity stopped him from shoving her off forcefully. Instead, he used his other hand to pry her fingers off his wrist one by one.

"Chloe," he looked down at her, his expression freezing over with ruthless detachment. "When you recover, you will have your own life."

He pulled his hand back, stiffly smoothing out the wrinkles she had left on his sleeve.

He despised being touched by anyone else.

"I am merely a passing chapter in your life. Someone else will be part of your future."

Chloe froze in bed, the color completely draining from her face.

"What... what do you mean? You want to cut ties with me? Because of that bitch Virginia—"

"That's enough!" Archer's expression turned glacial as he cut her off. "Get some rest."

Without lingering for another second, he turned and strode out of the room.

The second the door clicked shut, the sound of hysterical screaming and shattering objects erupted from inside.

"Archer! You can't do this to me!"

Her piercing wails and the sound of breaking glass bled through the heavy door, echoing down the empty hallway.

She snapped her head up, glaring at him with swollen, venomous eyes.

"He doesn't want me anymore... He won't even lie to me anymore!"

Liam clenched his fists, pulling out a dark gray handkerchief, and gently wiped the tears from her face.

"Archer is a heartless man. Did you really expect him to care about the past?"

He pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose, a complex emotion flashing behind the lenses.

Why couldn't his Chloe look at the people right in front of her? Why couldn't she just look at... him?

"Chloe, remember this. I will always be on your side. Whatever you want, whatever you want to do, I will make it happen for you."

A flicker of conflict crossed Chloe's eyes, but in the end, she collapsed into Liam's arms, weeping bitterly.

She was far too lonely, and she desperately needed a warm embrace.