His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 262

The valet scrambled forward, respectfully pulling open the rear passenger door.

Archer stepped out, his long legs hitting the pavement.

He was dressed in a dark gray bespoke suit with sharp, unforgiving tailoring that accentuated his broad shoulders and towering frame.

His tie was impeccably knotted, and the rosewood prayer beads on his right wrist shifted slightly with his movements. He radiated a stifling, untouchable authority that warned everyone to keep their distance.

Ignoring the blushing, dumbstruck socialites, he walked straight past them and stopped right in front of Virginia.

"Have you been waiting long?" His deep voice was smooth as he naturally reached out to take her unassuming handbag.

"I just got out."

Archer's gaze zeroed in on the medical dressing on her forehead, his brow furrowing slightly.

He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders like a true gentleman, gently pulling the lapels together to shield her neck.

"It's windy. Let's get in the car."

Shielding the top of her head with his hand, he waited until she was safely in the backseat before walking around to the other side to get in.

From start to finish, he didn't spare a single glance at the cluster of wealthy women.

It wasn't until the Rolls-Royce seamlessly merged into traffic that Mrs. Langley finally snapped out of her daze, all the color draining from her face.

"That... that was Mr. Vanderbilt of the Vanderbilt Group!" stuttered the woman in Chanel, her voice trembling. "He was just on the cover of the Financial Weekly last month!"

A loud ringing echoed in Mrs. Langley's ears. Her knees went weak, and a cold sweat broke out across her back.

Had she seriously just mocked the woman belonging to the most powerful man in the city? And she had bragged about a lowly Porsche to her face?!

Inside the car, the privacy partition rolled up, cutting off the driver's view.

The faint, familiar scent of Oud & Bergamot mingled perfectly with her signature white tea perfume, creating a surprisingly intoxicating atmosphere in the confined space.

Virginia pulled his suit jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him. "I'm not cold."

When he found out what she had endured all those years ago, his first instinct had been to hide her away, to tuck her under his wing where no one could ever hurt her again.

But that thought had vanished as quickly as it came.

Because he knew better. She was a soaring eagle, not a helpless canary meant to rely on a man for survival.

"I don't want to interfere with your life or your decisions," Archer said, his voice dropping lower. "But it hasn't been long since the crash. You're a doctor. You know you should be resting right now."

Virginia frowned, turning to argue with him, but he beat her to it.

"Besides, the crash was clearly intentional. Zachary Cole is still investigating."

The implication was clear: if she went back to work now, she was highly vulnerable to a second attack.

"...I understand. Thank you."

She wasn't unreasonable. And more importantly, for Cindy's sake, she intended to live a very long time.