His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 39

Virginia opened the door.

She was dressed in a simple cotton T-shirt and linen pants, her hair tied back carelessly. Seeing Archer standing there weighed down by shopping bags, she paused for a fraction of a second before her expression hardened into pure ice.

“Is there something you need, Mr. Vanderbilt?” She blocked the doorway, her stance screaming rejection.

“Is Cindy doing alright? These... are for her.” Saying the words out loud somehow made a wave of guilt wash over him.

“She's doing perfectly fine, and she's already asleep.”

Cindy wasn't asleep. When they heard the knock, Virginia had told the little girl to quietly work on her puzzle and wait for her.

Archer's knuckles turned white as he gripped the handles tighter, but he stubbornly thrust the bags forward anyway. “Then can you give these to—”

“Mr. Vanderbilt.” Virginia cut him off instantly. “You don't need to overcompensate out of guilt for what happened today. Cindy is not your daughter, and she certainly doesn't lack anything.”

Her tone was level. It wasn't aggressive, but the emotional distance in her voice felt like a physical wall.

The massive bags hovered awkwardly in mid-air.

“It's getting late. You should go home. And please, stop doing these pointless things. It's a burden on you, on me, and on Chloe.”

The door shut firmly in his face.

Archer stood frozen in place, entirely unsure if the bags in his hands were heavier, or the weight crushing his chest.

He lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the elaborate pink plush rabbit poking out of one of the bags.

He couldn't fathom why they happily accepted gifts from Valentin, yet slammed the door on his.

A moment later, the motion-sensor lights in the hallway clicked off, plunging him into total darkness.

Just like whatever was left of their relationship—it seemed the lights would never come back on again...

Archer stood in the pitch black for an eternity. It wasn't until his phone buzzed with a message from Zachary, reminding him of tomorrow morning's board meeting, that he finally turned around like a machine and walked away.

“...”

Doctor White paused for a moment before suggesting, “You and Dr. Caldwell are well-acquainted. How about this: I'll give her a heads-up, and you can have her run an initial assessment first. Once I get back, we'll review the results together.”

Archer didn't respond, though his irritation seemed to multiply.

Doctor White, noticing the dead silence, didn't push the issue and simply ended the call.

His beloved protégé was basically on par with his own reputation. If she wasn't so adamant about keeping her identity private for now, even a man like Archer Vanderbilt would have a near-impossible time booking a private assessment with her!

Staring at the disconnected screen, Archer swiped his long finger across the glass. The name 'Virginia Caldwell' instantly materialized.

He hesitated for a long time, ultimately failing to press the call button.

The next afternoon, at the clinic.

Archer stood at the front desk, gave Doctor White and Virginia's names, and claimed he had a prior arrangement.