His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 427

The hospital room was brightly lit.

Chloe lay in the bed, her wrist wrapped in thick layers of gauze with faint traces of blood seeping through. Her face was as white as a sheet, and her lips were completely devoid of color.

Dressed in an oversized hospital gown, she looked so frail that a stiff breeze could have blown her away.

Archer stood at the foot of the bed, his hands tucked into his pockets, staring down at her with an unreadable expression.

What he didn't know was that just ten minutes prior, Chloe had been glaring into a mirror, aggressively slathering two thick layers of the palest foundation onto her face and coating her lips with concealer.

As for her "massive blood loss," it was nothing more than a theatrical performance, bought and paid for with a heavy bribe to the attending physician.

Hearing his footsteps, Chloe slowly fluttered her eyes open.

The moment she saw Archer, fat tears cascaded pitifully down her cheeks.

"Archer..." she breathed, her voice so weak it sounded like she was on the verge of death. "You finally came."

He didn't respond, his thumb habitually stroking the prayer beads on his wrist.

"Don't blame Liam for calling you." Chloe turned her head slightly, her tears dripping onto the pristine white pillow. "I didn't actually mean to kill myself. I just... I'm just so tired of living. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is your cold, disgusted face."

She sniffled, forcing a tragic, trembling smile that looked worse than crying.

"Do you hate me? Do you hate me for ruining your marriage with Virginia? For clinging to you like a psycho?" Her voice broke into jagged pieces.

"But I was truly sick before. I couldn't control my emotions, I couldn't control my jealousy. Now that I'm better, I realize how terribly wrong I was."

Archer frowned slightly, his eyes betraying no emotion.

"I know you despise me. You think I'm toxic."

"I promise I won't bother you anymore. I can disappear completely. But... could you just not ignore me entirely?"

"We grew up together... And back then, in that river, I didn't even care if I died, I just wanted you to live... Could you please, just for the sake of that, stay with me for a little while..."

Every single word was meticulously aimed at Archer's weakness.

He had always been a man bound by rigid principles. A life debt was heavier than heaven itself; it was a doctrine burned into him since childhood.

"I'm not ignoring you." Archer took a deep breath, pulled a chair over, and sat down. Maintaining a strict physical distance, his demeanor remained thoroughly detached. "Get some rest. I won't leave yet."

Despite her pale facade, a triumphant smile briefly broke through Chloe's tears, and she nodded obediently.