The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 414

September 1st. The Riverdale University Opening Ceremony.

The massive gymnasium was packed with a sea of students. Sunlight poured through the glass dome, bathing the row of university officials on the stage in a golden glow.

Lawrence Sterling adjusted the microphone.

He was in his sixties, with silver touching his temples, but his posture was ramrod straight. His gaze was warm yet profound—the kind of face that instantly commanded respect.

"Students," he began, his voice not overly loud but resonant enough to command the entire arena. "Riverdale's motto is 'Virtue and Excellence.' That doesn't mean we expect you to be flawless saints sitting on pedestals."

He paused, his eyes slowly sweeping over the fresh, eager faces in the crowd.

"It means we expect you to be a seed."

"When you take root, someone provides the soil. When you break through the earth, someone shields you from the wind. When the day comes that your branches reach the sky, never forget who held you in the palm of their hand when you were nothing but a seed."

The arena fell dead silent for two seconds before erupting into deafening applause.

Lawrence offered a slight nod. Amid the roaring cheers, he stood up and was escorted off the stage by a flurry of administrators and assistants.

The VIP lounge was on the second floor, featuring wall-to-wall windows overlooking the sports field. By the time Lawrence walked in, Vanessa was already waiting.

"Excellent speech, Professor."

She wore a sharply tailored black suit, her hair tied in a sleek low ponytail, exuding a fierce, commanding energy. Once the last staff member exited the room, she shut the door behind them. The lock clicked into place.

The muffled voice of the next speaker echoed faintly through the glass.

"Throw them into a desperate situation, and they will survive. Plunge them into deadly peril, and they will live," he murmured, quoting an old proverb as naturally as if he were giving a lecture. "By putting her in the safest, most public place possible, the rats hiding in the dark won't dare make a move. And Garrison? He'll be much more compliant knowing we hold her future in our hands."

He rested the cup on his knee, his gaze drifting far beyond the campus grounds.

"I've poured twenty years into the Vitas project..."

Vanessa straightened up, the teasing smile vanishing from her face. She lowered her head slightly. The harsh afternoon sun caught half of her face, plunging the other half into deep shadow, making her expression impossible to read.

"Understood, Professor. I'll make sure... we get the Vitas Strain back!"

*

As the ceremony concluded, the crowd surged out of the plaza like a receding tide. The campus was swarming with freshmen in university t-shirts, wearing expressions of lingering excitement and total bewilderment.