His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 37

Cindy hopped off the sofa and circled the box again and again, her little face flushed as red as a ripe apple from pure excitement.

“It's a wobot!”

Virginia was in the kitchen washing fruit. Hearing the commotion, she walked out and immediately spotted the massive box in the living room, alongside a profoundly calm Archer.

Her brows knit together, and her steps faltered.

“Mr. Vanderbilt?”

“Don't misunderstand. The company just rolled out a new product. I'm giving this to Cindy as a... token of appreciation from an uncle.”

The word 'father' was forcefully swallowed down, replaced by 'uncle'. He occasionally forgot that their marriage was legally over.

His tone was completely flat, but seeing the little girl buzzing with joy made a deeply buried part of his heart soften.

Cindy blinked her big, dewy eyes, covering her mouth with her tiny hands as she looked at Virginia in absolute awe. “Mommy, Mr. Vanderbilt said it's for me! Can I open it?”

Before Virginia could even reply, Chloe's voice drifted down from the staircase.

“Archer.”

She was wearing a pale yellow loungewear dress today, her hair pinned up loosely, looking quite vibrant.

Her gaze swept past Virginia standing like a statue, then past the bouncing little girl, finally locking onto the massive, exquisite box.

“Is that the newest model?” Chloe walked over, tracing her fingers over the logo with a soft laugh. “You spoil that child far too much. Toby just casually mentioned he wanted a new one, and you actually had it sent over.”

Cindy blinked her massive eyes, the smile freezing entirely on her face.

Virginia wasn't particularly surprised. After all, Toby was the flesh and blood of his beloved high school sweetheart.

She was only worried about Cindy, terrified that the little girl would feel crushed.

Her lips turned deathly pale, her fingers locking up as she desperately clawed at her collar, gasping for air. One look was all it took for Virginia to know she wasn't faking it—this was a genuine somatic PTSD attack!

Virginia's face tightened. Slipping seamlessly into her role as a medical professional, she calmly ordered the nanny to take Cindy out of the room, then rushed forward to administer first aid.

She quickly unbuttoned Chloe's collar to ensure her airway was clear, barking a sharp order at Archer. “Grab a cushion. Prop her up so she's half-sitting. Keep her airway open. Hurry!”

Snapping out of his daze, Archer immediately grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and wedged it behind Chloe's back.

Watching Chloe writhe in agony, a heavy gloom settled over his features.

Ignoring everything else, Virginia crouched beside her. One hand steadily supported Chloe's elbow to check her pulse, while the other gently patted her back, setting a rhythmic pace with her soothing voice.

“Chloe, look at me. Deep breaths. Follow my rhythm—inhale... exhale... Yes, you're doing perfectly. Take your time. Don't panic. You are perfectly safe right now.”

Her voice acted like a potent sedative, and Chloe's unfocused eyes slowly began to track again.