His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 524

"Ah! It hurts! My head hurts so much..."

She thrashed wildly, struggling with all her might to yank her left hand away.

His eyes red-rimmed, Archer pressed most of his body weight over her, his arms locking around her shoulders and arms like a vice to pin her firmly against his chest.

"Virginia, hold on, it will be over soon." He pressed her face into the crook of his neck, his voice trembling violently. "I am right here. I will stay with you..."

Kian's assistant rushed forward instantly to pin down "Gemma's" violently kicking legs, barely managing to restrain her.

Countless fragmented images exploded inside "Gemma's" mind.

The darkness in the attic of the Suttons, the cold, prejudiced treatment from the Caldwell parents, the pool of blood at the car crash scene, and the lingering scent of Oud & Bergamot that constantly surrounded her...

Finally, the images froze on a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette.

The man was always dressed in impeccably tailored suits, his actions perpetually disciplined and calculated. Even in the heights of passion, it was nearly impossible to catch a glimpse of raw desire on his face...

"Archer... Vanderbilt..." "Gemma" rasped out his name, syllable by agonizing syllable.

She bit down on her lip until blood seeped out, her hands gripping the fabric of Archer's shirt so fiercely that her nails practically tore through the material.

Once the serum was entirely injected, Kian looked at her with utter heartache, swiftly pulling the needle and applying pressure to the site.

The woman in Archer's arms convulsed violently a few more times. Whether from total exhaustion or the effects of the serum, she finally blacked out completely.

Archer remained frozen in his embracing posture, refusing to let go for a very long time.

...

Three days later, at the South Hill villa.

The heating in the bedroom was turned up high, and the heavy curtains were drawn halfway, allowing the winter sunlight to spill across the carpet through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Gemma"—no, Virginia Caldwell—slowly opened her eyes.

The tearing agony in her brain had completely faded, replaced by the groggy heaviness that came with a prolonged slumber.

She turned her head and immediately spotted the little girl asleep against the side of the bed.

The two of them locked eyes in total silence.

The guarded defensiveness and distance from their time in Chicago were gone. The confusion of being nothing but a stand-in had completely vanished.

Inside those clear, luminous eyes was the sharp lucidity and rationality that belonged solely to Ginny, laced with a trace of complex emotion.

"...You've lost weight," she said softly, her gaze gentle.

Archer's breath hitched, his Adam's apple bobbing sharply as the corners of his eyes instantly flushed completely red.

He leaned over, his large hands cradling her face, and rested his forehead against hers. He let out a long, heavy exhale.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Vanderbilt."

Before the two could even enjoy this brief moment of tender intimacy, Zachary's deliberately lowered voice echoed from outside the bedroom door.

"Boss, Mrs. Caldwell is here. She is down in the lobby, insisting that she will not leave until she sees her."