His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 415

The sound of running water started.

Virginia opened her eyes in the darkness.

When the shower stopped, she closed them again, as if she had been asleep all along.

A few moments later, the door opened. Archer walked out, a towel wrapped low around his waist, his body still damp from the shower.

He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his abs sharply defined. Drops of water trailed down the hard planes of his chest, disappearing past the edge of the towel.

He walked to the edge of the bed and stared down at the woman facing away from him, his gaze darkening.

Then, he pulled back the covers on his side and laid down. It was as if an invisible river flowed right through the middle of the mattress, separating them entirely.

The next morning, in the dining room.

A lavish breakfast was laid out across the long, oval marble table.

Mrs. Gable brought out the last two glasses of warm milk before retreating to the kitchen.

Archer sat at the head of the table.

He was wearing a crisp, pitch-black dress shirt today, his tie knotted strictly, exuding an intense, unapproachable aura.

He was holding his phone, eyes lowered as his finger scrolled across the screen. The black coffee in front of him had already gone cold.

Virginia sat to his right, wearing a sharply tailored cream-colored suit over a silk camisole.

She kept her head down, focusing entirely on cutting the fried egg on her plate. Her movements were elegant, but she hadn't taken a single bite.

Neither of them said a word. The heavy silence was suffocating.

Cynthia, always observant, sat in her high chair. Cupping her glass of milk with both hands, her big eyes darted back and forth between the two adults.

She took a huge gulp, leaving a white milk mustache on her upper lip.

With that, he carried her out, fleeing the silent battlefield as fast as his legs could carry him.

The front door slammed shut, and the dining room returned to its suffocating stillness.

Virginia set down her fork and knife, picking up her napkin to dab at the corners of her mouth.

"I'm finished. I have to go." She stood up, changed her shoes at the foyer, grabbed her briefcase, and walked out the door.

Archer remained seated, watching her slender figure disappear out the door, his eyes turning darker than a starless night.

...

Meanwhile, Evelyn had gone to the CEO's office right before the end of her shift to drop off a report. The office was empty. She accidentally knocked a folder off the desk, and a faded photograph fluttered to the ground.

The girl in the photo looked to be about twenty years old. She was wearing a simple white dress, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, her bare face radiating a gentle but distant grace.