His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 364

"Step away first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it down here," Archer said, suppressing his impatience as he took a step forward.

She had saved his life by the ocean all those years ago.

That debt of gratitude made it impossible for him to just stand by and watch her die.

"Don't come any closer!" she shrieked, suddenly tilting her body backward.

Archer's pupils contracted. His long legs exploded into motion, closing the distance in a flash to lock a vice grip around her wrist, yanking her violently back to solid ground.

A fleeting look of triumph crossed Chloe's eyes as she purposefully let herself collapse against his chest.

"Archer..." she whispered, her hands clutching tightly at the front of his shirt. The next second, her eyes rolled shut, and she went completely limp in his arms.

Frowning, Archer scooped her up into his arms and carried her downstairs.

Seeing that he had safely rescued her, the tightly coiled anxiety in Madeline snapped. Her legs gave out, and she slumped onto the ground, entirely stripped of her usual elegance.

Inside the VIP ward at City General Hospital.

The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the room.

Chloe lay on the hospital bed, an IV drip hooked up to the back of her hand.

She slowly fluttered her eyes open, her gaze landing on Archer, who was sitting on the sofa.

His tie was gone, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a glimpse of pale collarbone. He radiated an aura that practically screamed 'keep away.'

"Archer..." Chloe called out weakly.

Archer frowned. He stood up and walked over, looking down at her from above.

"Since you're awake, get some rest. Don't pull another stunt like this," he said flatly, devoid of any emotional inflection.

Chloe clenched her fists, seemingly unable to feel the sting as her nails bit into her skin.

"I just..." Chloe bit her lower lip, fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Get some rest. I'll go get you a glass of water," Archer said, entirely ignoring her tears as he turned and headed for the pantry outside.

Chloe glared at his retreating back, a vicious hatred flaring in her eyes. But as she turned her head, she spotted his phone resting carelessly on the nightstand.

She stopped crying instantly. Ensuring he was far enough away, she quickly snatched up the phone.

She had accidentally seen his passcode once before, and since he wasn't one to change passwords often, she unlocked it effortlessly.

Opening his messages, Chloe located Virginia's contact and tapped into their chat.

She raised the phone and snapped a picture of herself with Archer's suit jacket, which was draped over the sofa in the background.

She typed out a message and hit send.

[Virginia, Archer said he's worried about me and wants to stay at the hospital. You have to know that he still has feelings for me, right?]