His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 416

Evelyn stared at the photo for a long time before suddenly realizing that the girl was the very same "kept woman" she had seen at South Hill.

A flash of jealousy crossed her eyes. A second later, struck by an idea, she pulled out her phone to compare.

Looking closely, her own facial structure bore a striking resemblance to the kept woman's younger self.

Remembering the recent office gossip that Mr. Vanderbilt was having a massive fight with his partner at home, a calculated scheme began to form in her mind.

After work, Evelyn headed straight to the mall and deliberately bought a plain dress that perfectly matched the one in the photograph.

To capture that bare-faced, ethereal look, she spent two hours the next morning applying a flawless "no-makeup" look, even choosing the softest, most muted shade of mauve lipstick she owned.

...

At 10:00 AM, on the top floor of the Vanderbilt Group.

The air pressure in the CEO's office was terrifyingly low.

Zachary Cole stood in front of the massive executive desk, clutching a stack of documents waiting for signatures, too afraid to even breathe.

Archer sat in his leather swivel chair, wearing a dark gray custom shirt and a navy tie with a subtle pattern.

He flipped through the reports, his lips pressed into a tight line, his entire being radiating a lethal, untouchable chill.

"This is the Planning Department's revised proposal?" He tossed the folder onto the desk, the papers smacking sharply against the wood.

Zachary tensed, speaking cautiously, "Mr. Vanderbilt, this is already the third version they've revised overnight..."

"Redo it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, lacking the patience for any further explanation.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door.

She had sat in the passenger seat of his Maybach, her hands clutching a beautifully wrapped brocade box so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

"Archer..." she had turned to him, her voice trembling with barely concealed nerves. "Will Aunt Helena hate this gift? I don't know what she usually likes..."

At the time, Virginia had only just been brought back to the Caldwells and had absolutely no money of her own.

But for this meeting, she had spent nearly all of her savings, scouring three different antique shops just to buy a vintage gemstone bracelet of average clarity and slightly uneven color.

A piece of jewelry of that quality wouldn't even be looked at by a minor branch of the Vanderbilt family, let alone the main household. Yet Archer had reassured and comforted her.

When they arrived at the estate, Helena Vanderbilt was sitting on the antique mahogany sofa in the living room. Upon seeing the bracelet, she had given a nearly imperceptible frown, her attitude cool and dismissive.

"Just set it down."

Virginia had stood frozen on the spot, utterly lost on what to do next.