His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 417

Archer had stepped forward smoothly, taking the box and placing it directly into Helena's hands. "Mom, Virginia went to a dozen shops just to find this one. Haven't you always wanted a simple vintage bracelet?"

Helena looked at her son, then at Virginia, who was holding her breath in sheer terror. She finally offered a strained smile. "How thoughtful. Mrs. Higgins, put this away for me."

In the beginning, Helena hadn't thought much of her new daughter-in-law at all.

They were from completely different worlds, and Virginia was far too quiet.

But over time, Virginia's endless care and devotion had slowly melted Helena's icy exterior.

She would preemptively bring out knee warmers on rainy days and personally cook restorative soups to send over to the estate. She put her whole heart into countless little things like that.

Helena's initial nitpicking eventually shifted into absolute adoration for her daughter-in-law.

Archer still remembered the smile that bloomed on Virginia's face in that moment; it had been brighter than the summer sun.

And slowly, he began to change, too.

What had Helena said? Ever since he married Virginia, he finally seemed human...

"Mr. Vanderbilt?"

A cloyingly sweet feminine voice yanked Archer violently back to the present.

Evelyn stepped forward, clutching her files, her skirt swishing softly with the movement.

She had caught that split second where Archer zoned out, and she was ecstatic.

She had bet right! Men could never resist the allure of their past loves, and she was playing the perfect substitute!

"Here is the R&D department's latest testing data for your review." She placed the file on his desk, deliberately softening her voice, even angling her head in a carefully calculated pose.

Archer leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes staring at her with lethal coldness.

The exact same white dress on Virginia looked naturally ethereal and resilient, but on Evelyn, it only sparked an immediate, violent wave of disgust, worsening his already splitting headache.

Archer leaned back against the leather chair, raising a hand to massage his throbbing temples.

Just then, the phone on his desk vibrated, the screen flashing the word "Mother."

He answered the call without hesitation.

"Come back to the estate for dinner tonight," Helena's elegant voice drifted through the speaker, betraying no emotion. "Just you. I didn't invite Virginia."

Archer's Adam's apple bobbed. "Alright."

That evening, at the Cloudcrest Estate.

The air conditioning in the dining room was turned up high, and the table was set with a few simple, home-cooked dishes.

Helena, dressed in an understated silk gown, paused halfway through her meal. She set down her silver fork and looked across the table at her son, who had barely finished half a bowl of soup.

Archer sat in his dark custom shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms and his signature prayer beads.