His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 40

The receptionist verified the information in the system and promptly escorted him to the elevator.

“You're here? Doctor White gave me a brief rundown of your situation. Please, take a seat.”

When Archer walked in, Virginia didn't ask any unnecessary questions. Her tone was completely flat, broadcasting absolute professionalism.

She pulled out her chair, sat down, and opened her laptop to pull up the assessment forms.

Throughout the entire session, she remained impeccably clinical, even switching her address to a polite, distant “Mr. Vanderbilt.”

“Over the past two weeks, have you frequently felt tense or restless?”

“...Yes.”

“How often, roughly?”

“I don't remember.” Archer lay back in the therapy chair, his voice monotone, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Virginia glanced up at him briefly and ticked the 'Frequent' box on her screen.

“How has your sleep quality been recently? Have you had difficulty falling asleep?”

“Occasionally.”

“And your concentration levels? At work...”

Archer's gaze had inexplicably drifted down to her wrist. He realized she was wearing the incredibly expensive moonstone bracelet he had won at the auction.

Under the soft lighting, the moonstone emitted a hazy, ethereal glow, living up to its namesake.

More importantly, the bracelet suited her perfectly, accentuating the slender, luminous curve of her wrist...

“Mr. Vanderbilt? Are you listening to me?”

“...Sorry, what did you say?”

Virginia furrowed her brows and made a quick note on her pad.

The entire assessment took forty minutes. Archer zoned out three separate times.

...

Saturday evening. Valentin had booked an incredibly upscale French restaurant. Candlelight flickered inside the private dining room, casting a warm glow over a massive bouquet of crimson roses resting on the table.

Virginia paused the moment she walked in, clearly caught off guard.

Under his eager gaze, she finally took a seat.

“This setup doesn't exactly scream 'casual dinner', Mr. Hunter.” Her eyes remained perfectly clear as she deliberately played dumb.

Valentin smirked, a rare trace of genuine nervousness flashing through his normally confident eyes. “Virginia.”

He watched as she gently pulled the roses closer. His large hands instinctively clenched into fists beneath the table. Then, as if finally making up his mind, he spoke with absolute sincerity. “I want to officially court you. Please, give me the chance to pursue you!”

The perpetually slick, flirtatious billionaire heir suddenly looked more like a restless teenager.

Virginia looked down at the roses in her lap but didn't reach for them.

After a long silence, she let out a quiet sigh. “There's something I think I need to make very clear to you first.”