The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 437

He had schemed and manipulated the entire industry, sacrificing his own power to give Sloane a better future. He had even willingly surrendered the ultimate control over the Vitas Strain!

And yet... he had personally pushed her right into this kid's arms!

"It's my job."

Garrison withdrew his hand and picked up the medical file, flipping it open. His thumb pressed harshly into the edge of the paper, his knuckles turning white, but his voice was as stagnant as dead water. Not a single fluctuation in tone. "The patient may remain inside. The plus-one can wait in the hallway."

Josh was visibly delighted by the title.

He glanced at Sloane, a smirk curling on his lips, and whispered, "Plus-one."

Sloane gave him a baffled look. "What are you smiling about?"

"Just thinking about it..."

Josh stuffed his hands into his vest pockets, winking at her. He kept his voice low, but the boyish, triumphant pride leaked through every syllable. "I guess I'm officially your plus-one now."

Sloane froze for a second before playfully nudging his shoulder.

"Stop messing around!" She didn't use any real force. It was more like a kitten batting a paw, but the interaction was devastatingly natural—the kind of effortless physical comfort that only existed between people who belonged to each other.

Josh laughed, rubbing his shoulder, handed her the medical file, and backed out into the hallway to sit in the waiting chairs.

As he sat down, he threw one last glance into the room. His eyes met Garrison's. Josh gave a polite, condescending little nod, then looked down at his phone.

Garrison absorbed every second of it.

The playful nudge, the hand-off of the files, the way they looked at each other—every microscopic detail felt magnified and seared directly onto his retinas. Bright, agonizing, and impossible to avoid.

She wanted to send a message. She had a boyfriend now.

He needed to stop trailing her from the shadows, and he needed to drop whatever delusions he was holding onto.

"Your vitals are perfectly normal."

Garrison pulled the stethoscope from his neck, dropping it next to her file. He sat back down and began aggressively typing her results into the computer. The keystrokes echoed sharply through the room, louder and faster than usual.

Sloane zipped up her hoodie and leaned forward slightly.

"Dr. Foster, I wanted to ask... Can we remove the heart monitor patch from my chest? I feel like..."

"That is entirely unnecessary."