His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 84

Chloe had just woken up when Archer arrived.

He strode in wearing a long black trench coat over a dark gray turtleneck. Looking down at the woman in the bed, his voice carried its usual detached chill. "How are the injuries? Is it serious?"

The moment Chloe saw him, her eyes welled up with fresh tears.

Her injuries weren't actually that bad, but at her absolute insistence, the doctors had wrapped her left arm in a sling and thickly bandaged her cleaned-up knee.

It made her look terribly battered.

"Archer... you're finally here." Her voice was hoarse and broken. "The doctor said nothing is broken, thank god, but here."

She pointed a trembling finger at her left arm. "I was so close. The car almost hit the exact same arm I injured all those years ago..."

That single sentence ruthlessly struck a nerve.

Years ago, Chloe had nearly ended her career after severely damaging her arm during an extreme sports accident overseas.

Even after it healed, her arm would suffer uncontrollable tremors during her performances abroad, causing constant mistakes. That trauma ultimately led to her PTSD diagnosis.

The incident was a lingering nightmare for her, and an inescapable thorn buried deep in Archer's conscience.

His jaw tightened, and his tone softened a fraction. "I'll have someone pull the security footage."

"...There's no need." Guilt flared in Chloe's chest. She shook her head frantically, tears soaking into her pillow. "I don't think Virginia meant to do it. I don't want to blow this out of proportion. I'm just... I was just so scared."

Playing the terrified victim, her breathing suddenly grew erratic. She gripped the blanket tight, curling herself into a tight ball on the bed.

It was the classic precursor to one of her panic attacks.

Frowning, Archer immediately hit the call button. He waited for the nurses to rush in and take over before turning on his heel and walking out.

He stood alone in the quiet corridor for a long time before pulling out his phone and making a call.

...

Virginia was warming up milk for Cynthia when her phone rang.

Staring at the caller ID, she hesitated for a few seconds before swiping to answer.

"Chloe is being treated at the downtown private hospital." The voice on the other end was heavy and dark. "She's emotionally unstable. Come over here and apologize to her."

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