His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 428

The hospital room fell quiet, the silence broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor.

Archer leaned back in his chair, pulling out his phone to reply to an urgent business email from Zachary.

While his head was down and his fingers were flying across the screen, Chloe carefully slipped her hand under the blanket. She retrieved the phone she had hidden there and discreetly angled the camera toward the man sitting by her bed.

In the frame, his long legs were casually crossed. His sharp, handsome profile was clear, along with his custom black shirt and the distinct prayer beads wrapped around his wrist. Her own clothes and handbag were purposefully arranged in the background.

No flash. No shutter sound.

Once the photo was taken, Chloe quickly opened her messages, found the familiar contact, and sent the picture along with a caption.

[Virginia, I wasn't feeling well, so Archer dropped his billion-dollar merger to keep me company. He said he would never ignore me for the rest of his life.]

After sending the text, she shoved the phone back beneath her pillow, a wicked, triumphant smirk playing on her lips.

Virginia, if I have to suffer, you're coming down with me!

...

South Hill Estate.

The main lights in the master bedroom were off, leaving only the warm, dim glow of a bedside lamp.

Virginia leaned against the headboard in a light gray silk slip dress. The harsh glare of her phone illuminated her makeup-free face, projecting the photo and text message onto her features.

She knew that black shirt and those prayer beads all too well.

She stared at the text for a full thirty seconds before finally locking her screen.

As a psychologist, she saw straight through Chloe's pathetic manipulation. But no matter how rational and clear-headed she was, the moment she saw the photo, a sharp, undeniable pain pierced her chest.

She placed the phone face-down on the nightstand, pulled the light blanket over herself, and closed her eyes.

She didn't know how much time had passed before the bedroom door swung open.

Virginia's eyelids fluttered open. She threw off the blanket, ignoring her slippers, and walked barefoot across the carpet straight toward the door.

"Fine. I'll go."

Archer's jaw immediately locked tight. He snatched her wrist in a vice-like grip.

"What are you throwing a fit about?"

With a forceful tug, he yanked her back to the bed.

Virginia was forced to sit beside him, her wrist throbbing from the iron grip of his hand.

She frowned, a surge of heavy, suffocating frustration rising in her chest. "Let go."

"Virginia!" Archer ground his teeth, his chest tight as if stuffed with cotton. "I spend all day dealing with the outside world, and when I come home, I have to deal with your attitude... You're just taking advantage of the fact that I love you!"