His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 495

"Gemma" gritted her teeth, violently shook off his hand, and slammed the cabinet door shut with a thud.

Immediately, she smoothed her messy hair and dress, took a deep breath, and unlocked the door.

Dominic stood outside in his black three-piece suit. The moment the door opened, his sharp gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses swept over her.

"Were you in here this whole time?" His brow furrowed imperceptibly as his eyes landed on her slightly swollen lips.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, but she forced herself to maintain the arrogant poise of a spoiled heiress.

She casually tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "My dress strap came loose. I was just passing by, so I ducked in to fix it. Who knew the lock was jammed? I was stuck for a second."

Dominic's eyes darkened. He didn't respond, his gaze moving past her to inspect the dimly lit room.

Beneath the overpowering scent of her rose perfume, there seemed to be a very faint trace of... Oud?

"Is that so?" he said mildly. He smoothly draped the black cashmere coat over her bare shoulders and pulled her into his arms. "The exhibition is wrapping up, and it's windy outside. I'm taking you home."

"...Okay."

"Gemma" leaned into his embrace obediently. As they turned to leave, she couldn't help but shoot a quick glance out of the corner of her eye toward the closed janitorial cabinet.

Only after their footsteps completely faded down the corridor did the cabinet door swing open.

When Archer stepped out, there were a few streaks of dust on his custom black suit, but it did nothing to diminish his devastatingly elegant aura.

He raised a hand, his thumb lightly wiping away the trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. His dark eyes stared in the direction they had left, swirling with deep shadows.

Zachary hurried over from the other end of the corridor. Seeing the slap mark on Archer's face and the blood on his lip, he sucked in a sharp breath.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, what happened to..."

"It's fine. Did you get what I asked for?"

It was Archer.

He had changed into a crisp, wrinkle-free black coat. The red marks on his face had faded slightly. He exuded an icy, unapproachable aura, completely different from the lunatic who had lost control in the closet earlier.

"Gemma" stopped in her tracks, instinctively turning to get away from him.

"Gemma loved seafood," Archer said, stepping toward her with his long legs, his gaze locked onto her. "Her absolute favorites were caviar and seafood tartare. But you... earlier, the moment you saw them, you subconsciously covered your nose."

She stiffened.

Catching her hesitation, Archer's eyes flickered with a faint light, and he pressed on. "Don't you ever feel completely out of place with everything around you?"

Her grip tightened fiercely on her clutch.

For the past year and a half, seafood had been served at every meal, yet she always instinctively avoided it. She knew for a fact she was Dominic's wife, but for some inexplicable reason, she always felt as if she were separated from her own life by a thick pane of glass.