His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 43

A few days later.

After finishing an assessment, Virginia asked Holly to walk the patient out. She organized the files, locked them away, and finally leaned back in her chair, rubbing her aching shoulders.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Kian: [Ginny, come down for lunch. I booked that spot you love. Waiting downstairs.]

Seeing the familiar restaurant name, Virginia smiled, the exhaustion of the past few days melting away.

Kian had been waiting downstairs for a while.

The weather was warming up, and he looked incredibly handsome in a light gray casual suit over a crisp white shirt. With his collar slightly unbuttoned, he shed the strict rigidity of a doctor for a more relaxed, effortless vibe.

He leaned against his car, bathed in the bright midday sun, looking undeniably striking.

Virginia silently mused that her senior colleague was quite a catch. She wondered which lucky woman would eventually win him over.

"Ready? Let's go. I ordered your favorite chicken soup. Make sure you have at least two bowls," Kian said, naturally wrapping a scarf around her neck. "Look at how thin you've gotten. Doctor White is going to blame me for not taking care of you."

Virginia chuckled, happily letting him fuss over her.

At the restaurant.

Virginia's eyes softened as she looked at the table full of her favorite dishes.

Without hesitating, she took a sip of the rich chicken soup.

The warm, savory broth was perfectly seasoned, sliding down her throat and comforting her stomach. Even though she had been working relentlessly alongside her mentor and colleagues, they always made sure she was well taken care of.

They knew all her likes and dislikes by heart.

Watching her eat contentedly, Kian smiled and placed a piece of tender fish on her plate. "What have you been so busy with lately? You look exhausted."

"I took on a few new patients. The cases are a bit complex, so it's draining."

"Can you handle it alone? I don't have to travel for a while, I could..."

There was a brief silence before Eleanor's voice skyrocketed. "Virginia! Your father and I raised you and put you through school! Now that you're independent, you won't even come back for a single meal?"

Virginia's face darkened, but she remained silent.

Eleanor continued to screech. "You're an ungrateful brat! A selfish, cold-blooded—"

"Beep—"

Virginia hung up. With a thunderous expression, she slammed the phone face down on the table and went back to eating her soup.

Kian frowned, clearly worried, but since she didn't offer any details, he didn't push.

He knew enough about the Suttons from counseling her over the years.

They were deeply patriarchal and greedy. Virginia had been working multiple jobs to support herself since high school.