His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 440

Archer didn't even look at her, casually flipping open another document on his desk. "Skip the dinner. The Vanderbilt Group never mistreats those who produce results."

Without lifting his head, he instructed Zachary. "Notify the finance department. Allocate a two-million-dollar special bonus pool for the tech team. Group Leader Snow takes the top credit; give her a fifty-thousand-dollar personal bonus."

Evelyn froze in her tracks.

Fifty thousand dollars.

To her, it was an incredibly tempting sum of money.

She had originally planned to use the celebration dinner as an excuse to bridge the distance between her and Archer, but his stance was brutally clear—he was simply buying off her intentions with cold, hard cash.

She clamped her mouth shut, weighing her options for several seconds before reality forced her hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Vanderbilt." Evelyn lowered her head, masking the storm of emotions in her eyes, before turning and stepping out.

......

At five-thirty that afternoon, as Evelyn walked out of the Vanderbilt Group headquarters, the suffocating heat of the midsummer sun washed over her, instantly wiping away the crisp comfort of the air conditioning.

She gripped her purse tightly, clutching the fifty-thousand-dollar check inside.

For an average person, fifty grand was a lot, but here in Capital City, where every square inch of land was worth its weight in gold, it wasn't even enough for a decent down payment on a luxury apartment.

She glanced back at the towering Vanderbilt Group skyscraper, the massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting blindingly in the scorching sun.

She refused to accept this.

Why did that bitch, Virginia, get to live safely tucked away in a high-end luxury villa without doing a damn thing? Just because she had a pretty face?

Evelyn looked down at herself.

Her outfit was almost identical to what a younger Virginia would have worn, her face clean and elegant... She was even younger and more vibrant than Virginia was now!

Even if the boss's eyes hadn't shown any emotion when he looked at her, she refused to believe he felt absolutely nothing for her!

She had worn an exquisite ivory silk dress specifically for tonight, her hair swept up into an elegant twist, making her look both refined and highly intelligent.

After several rounds of drinks, Archer stepped away to use the restroom.

Seizing the moment when Zachary was cornered by a few other executives, Evelyn discreetly slipped a packet of powder into Archer's wine glass.

Archer was famous for his ruthless methods. She absolutely didn't have the guts to slip him an aphrodisiac, terrified she wouldn't be able to survive the fallout.

The drug was just a powerful, fast-acting sedative.

......

Ten minutes later, halfway through the reception, Archer pressed a hand to his furiously throbbing temples, his footing growing unsteady.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, have you had too much to drink? Let me help you to a suite upstairs so you can rest," Evelyn said, stepping up at the perfect moment to support his arm.