His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 8

No one was going to take him away from her.

"Mrs. Watson, I'll feed Cindy."

Virginia's voice suddenly cut through the air, interrupting their conversation.

As soon as Cindy saw her, she happily waved her chubby little arms. Virginia took the creamy soup from the nanny, patiently blew on it to cool it down, and fed her daughter bite by bite.

The atmosphere at the dining table instantly shifted, becoming thick with tension.

Chloe froze for a moment before putting on a guilt-ridden expression. She stood up and walked over to Virginia. "Virginia, I've always felt so terrible about what happened back then. I said a lot of things out of anger, but I never meant to hurt you. I just never expected Archer to actually go to such lengths against you... all for me."

Despite the apology, a trace of unconcealed smugness and sweetness danced in her eyes.

She gently looped her arm through Virginia's. "But all of that is in the past now. You probably want to meet the people from Mercer Psychiatric Hospital too, right? This summit is incredibly exclusive, but Archer managed to pull some strings and get two tickets. When I meet Doctor White, I'll definitely put in a good word for you. I'll try to get you a chance to meet them too, okay?"

Virginia offered a tight, utterly fake smile. "Is that so? I'll thank you in advance, then."

"You're welcome."

Chloe smiled sweetly and returned to her seat beside the Caldwells.

Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell immediately praised Chloe for being so thoughtful and understanding. George Caldwell even waved his hand dismissively, reassuring her, "Don't worry, Chloe. Money isn't an issue, and we have the connections. No matter the cost, Mom and Dad will definitely get Ginny to treat you and cure you completely."

"Our Chloe was born to stand in the spotlight on that stage."

...

After breakfast, Virginia had no desire to stick around. She said her goodbyes and left with her daughter.

Even though it was New Year's Day, the clinic was open as usual. It was her scheduled day for appointments, and several patients were already waiting for her.

Because of the holiday crowds, the traffic was notoriously awful. Her car crawled along at a snail's pace. Staring at the endless sea of red taillights ahead, a wave of anxiety washed over her.

Her first appointment was at nine, and it was already ten to nine.

Virginia was just about to text her assistant to start the preliminary assessments when—BANG!—a heavy thud shattered the silence.

Lost in her own thoughts, Virginia was caught completely off guard. The impact threw her forward, slamming her chest hard against the steering wheel. A dull ache instantly bloomed across her ribs.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly, taking a moment to catch her breath before glancing in the rearview mirror.

She had been rear-ended.