His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 385

Cynthia tilted her head, looking as though she was thinking about it very seriously.

"Toby is my brother," the little girl answered with innocent simplicity.

"No," Archer corrected her patiently. "I mean, what if I and Mommy gave you a real brother or sister? How does that sound?"

The little girl froze.

After what felt like an eternity, as if finally grasping the meaning behind the word "real," the smile gradually vanished from her face. Her lower lip jutted out, and large tears pooled in her wide eyes.

For some reason, seeing the little girl like this threw Archer into a complete panic.

He hurriedly grabbed a tissue to wipe away her tears.

"Why are you crying? Do you not like the idea of a brother or sister?"

"If you and Mommy have a new baby, does that mean you won't like me anymore?" Cynthia sniffled, hugging her two little hands together.

Her friend Dodo had told her that once her mom and dad had a new little brother, they didn't love her as much anymore.

Cynthia wanted a sibling, but she was so scared...

Archer's heart seized. He pulled the little girl into a tight embrace, patting her back gently with his large hand. "Of course not. Even with a new baby, I will still love you."

Despite his reassurances, her little mind was still in turmoil, and she sobbed into his shoulder, her chest heaving with every hiccup.

After finally settling Cynthia down, Archer went upstairs. For a fleeting moment, he thought maybe having only Cynthia would be enough. But having a child of their own meant Virginia would be permanently tied to him for the rest of her life.

...

The faint sound of footsteps drifted from the top of the stairs as Virginia walked down.

Hearing the noise, Cynthia immediately hopped off the sofa. Without even putting on her slippers, she bounded across the soft carpet barefoot and threw herself into Virginia's arms.

"Mommy!" The little girl clung to her leg, looking up with red-rimmed eyes as she let out a tearful hiccup. "If you and Mr. Vanderbilt have a new baby, are you going to stop loving me?"

"I believe I made myself perfectly clear yesterday. Having Cynthia is enough for me for the rest of my life. I will not have any more children. Please do not fill her head with such nonsense ever again."

"Virginia!"

Realizing what she was implying, absolute fury surged within him. It took him a long moment to rein in his temper.

He stood up and walked around the desk, his tall frame looming over her and casting a dark shadow. "I didn't say anything bad to her. I only wanted to ask for her..."

"I will say this one last time," Virginia interrupted him. "I'm not having another child."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out.

Archer swallowed hard. For the first time in his life, he understood what it felt like to be so angry that it caused a physical ache in his chest.

...

The executive office at the Vanderbilt Group.