His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 449

Archer's heart seized. The arm around her waist clamped down instinctively.

"But when I saw that tiny embryo on the ultrasound, I couldn't do it..." Virginia's tone was deadpan, like she was recounting a stranger's life.

"I had just earned my spot at Mercer Psychiatric Hospital. The stress was crushing, and my morning sickness was so brutal I couldn't keep anything down. I almost lost her."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Thank God for my mentors and colleagues. Kian personally found me a doctor and went with me to my appointments."

At the mention of Kian Shaw, a dark spike of jealousy flared in Archer's eyes. Yet, beneath the jealousy was a crushing wave of relief.

If it hadn't been for Kian, his Virginia and Cynthia... He didn't dare finish the thought. Biting his tongue, he stayed dead silent, letting her speak.

"I hemorrhaged when I had Cynthia and spent three days in the ICU. The rest of the staff took shifts watching her."

Archer's breathing fractured completely. He pressed her tightly against his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. The massive, immovable man was visibly shaking.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry..."

He chanted it like a mantra, but it still felt wildly inadequate.

Just those few sentences froze the blood in his veins. He couldn't even fathom the untold horrors she hadn't voiced.

He was a total bastard. When she had needed him the most... he had been guarding another woman...

Virginia didn't say anything else.

She was exhausted.

The endless cold war, Chloe's manipulation, Evelyn's petty harassment—it had completely drained her.

With tears still clinging to her lashes, she closed her eyes and eventually drifted off in his arms.

Listening to her even breathing, Archer looked down with bloodshot eyes and pressed an agonizingly restrained, desperate kiss into her hair.

He knew her walls were still up. He knew the hell between them couldn't be erased overnight.

"Who did it?"

"It... was Liam Kendrick." Zachary swallowed hard and forced himself to continue.

"I found a trail of private investments tying Liam to Capital Genetics Center. The day the samples were brought in, a three-million-dollar wire transferred directly into the director's offshore account. Following that thread led us right to a shell company under Liam's name. Furthermore..."

Zachary hesitated.

"Speak." The single word dropped from Archer's mouth like an anvil.

"We pulled the security feeds from the facility's garage and surrounding streets. After swapping the samples, Liam drove straight to Bayview Manor. We have every reason to believe that the falsified test excluding your relationship was orchestrated by both Liam and... and Chloe."

Smash!

Archer grabbed his coffee mug and violently hurled it into the floor.