His Wicked Obsession (Archer and Virginia) novel Chapter 78

She took a few deep breaths until her chaotic breathing slowly leveled out.

In the living room, Archer lay perfectly still.

The blanket carried the fresh scent of laundry detergent, mixed with the faint, almost imperceptible fragrance of white tea that belonged to her.

It was so familiar.

It was the exact same scent from five years ago.

He raised his hand and looked at his fingers—the spot she had accidentally brushed against. It felt as though a trace of her body heat still lingered there.

He closed his eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his grip on the blanket tightened, his knuckles stark against the fabric.

...

The next morning, Virginia's alarm went off right on time.

She opened her eyes, lay there for a few seconds, then rolled out of bed.

Out of habit, she went to check on Cindy first. The little girl was still bundled up in her covers, sleeping soundly with her doll in her arms.

When Virginia returned to the living room, she found the sofa empty.

The blanket had been folded into a perfectly sharp square and placed neatly on one end of the sofa.

On the dining table, two breakfasts were laid out.

One was oatmeal with a fried egg and toast, alongside a small dish of pickles. The other was clearly for Cindy—a small bowl of pumpkin soup, toast cut into little triangles, and a fried egg with a crooked smiley face drawn in ketchup.

It wasn't what Mrs. Benson usually made for them.

Virginia stared at the smiley-face egg for a few seconds, then reached out to touch the side of the soup bowl.

It was still warm.

It seemed he hadn't been gone long.

Her thoughts were a mess. Just then, her phone started ringing in the bedroom.

She went back to grab it. The screen displayed Archer's name.

But over the next week, the frequency of Archer showing up on time at Starcrest International Kindergarten actually increased...

On Monday, the Maybach was parked at the kindergarten entrance. Dressed in a sharp suit, he leaned against the car, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his phone to deal with work.

His gaze casually swept over the bench—it was empty. Virginia had already picked up Cindy on time.

On Wednesday, he came again.

This time, he drove himself in a low-key black Range Rover. He still had that untouchable, noble aura, his shirt buttoned strictly to the top, his wooden bead bracelet flashing at his cuff.

Virginia was delayed by something today and arrived a little late. Cindy, carrying her yellow duck backpack, spotted him instantly.

Seeing him, the little girl beamed, swinging her teacher's hand and shouting, "It's Mr. Archer! I want Mr. Archer to pick me up!"

Archer's eyes softened. He walked over, squatted down, and scooped her up into his arms.

Virginia arrived just in time to see this scene.

She looked conflicted, but still stepped forward. Just as she was about to take Cindy and thank him, the window of the Range Rover slowly rolled down, revealing Toby in his car seat.