His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 6

In the next second, Virginia jolted awake.

She gasped for air like a drowning victim, her eyes unfocused, a loud ringing in her ears taking a long time to finally fade.

Her phone was ringing frantically. She glanced at the clock on the wall—it was only six in the morning. Who would be calling her at this hour?

Seeing the caller ID, she frowned, her voice rough from sleep. "...Mother, what's wrong?"

Madeline's tone was cheerful, the sound of children playing echoing in the background. "Virginia, Chloe brought you a gift from abroad and wants to give it to you. Come back and have breakfast with us."

Virginia remained silent for a moment, raising a hand to rub her throbbing temples.

"Mother, I didn't sleep well last night, and I'm not feeling great. Could you..."

Before she could finish, Chloe's sweet, laughing voice drifted through the phone. "Mom, Toby wants to see my old photo album. Is it still locked in Dad's safe?"

Madeline quickly replied to her, and the call abruptly disconnected, leaving only the dial tone.

...Whatever.

Virginia collected herself and got out of bed to wash up.

Cindy had a dance class that morning, so it was the perfect excuse to go to the Caldwell Estate and pick her up.

An hour later, Virginia pulled up to the estate. In the living room, Chloe was leaning affectionately against Madeline's shoulder, chatting happily with Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell.

The little girl building blocks with Toby spotted her first and immediately cheered, "Mommy, you're here!"

The little girl had large, expressive eyes that were exactly like Virginia's, her skin fair and soft with a luminous glow. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared, making her incredibly endearing.

This was Virginia's four-year-old daughter, Cindy.

Seeing her, Virginia's eyes filled with adoration. She immediately crouched down and opened her arms, and the little girl threw herself into her embrace.

Virginia smiled as she picked her up, kissing her soft cheek. "Did Cindy miss Mommy?"

The little girl nodded vigorously, chanting that she missed her so much.

Madeline watched the father and daughter with joy, but when her gaze shifted to Virginia, her smile thinned, replaced by a polite, distant courtesy.

"The house is big enough. If you have time on the weekends, you can bring Cindy back for a short stay. It's better when all the kids are together. Oh, by the way, when the new semester starts after the holidays, Toby and Cindy will be going to the same kindergarten. Cindy, you have to protect Toby, okay?"

Hearing this, Cindy patted her little chest like a responsible adult. "Cindy is strong! I won't let anyone bully Toby!"

She was still young, and her words were adorably slurred, making everyone in the room chuckle.

Virginia lovingly stroked her daughter's head. Glancing toward the kitchen, which hadn't started serving breakfast yet, she stood up. "I'll go pack my bags."

Her room was on the third floor.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Archer leaning against the railing of the terrace, smoking. The ember of his cigarette glowed faintly in the morning light.

Hearing her footsteps, Archer turned around. The moment their eyes met, Virginia's expression went cold. She turned to leave, but the man's voice suddenly stopped her.

"Is Cindy my daughter?"