The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 521

Her mind flashed back to the sight of Garrison beaten and covered in blood, yet refusing to make a single sound. She remembered his extreme, almost unnatural calmness when backed into a corner—that kind of composure didn't just come from nowhere.

What exactly had he been through?

She suddenly realized she knew almost nothing about him...

Seeing her spoon hovering in mid-air, completely silent and refusing to look up, that heavy, sinking feeling in Josh's chest flared up again.

He placed the second peeled egg onto her plate, nudging it closer to her bowl. His voice was soft. "Sloane, eat the eggs while they're hot."

"Thank you." Sloane snapped back to reality, giving a quiet response before sinking back into her silence. She lowered her head and resumed eating.

She picked up a piece of the egg, took a small bite, and chewed it for a long time before finally swallowing. Then, she took another bite.

Watching the top of her head and the slight tremor in her fingertips, Josh felt as if his insides were being twisted into knots. He held back his frustration again and again until he finally let out a heavy sigh, asking the question she wouldn't voice herself:

"Sloane, how badly... is Dr. Foster hurt?"

Sloane's movements finally stopped.

"He... suffered internal trauma and broke four ribs. It's really bad. But the surgery was a success, and he's out of danger. He just hasn't woken up yet. The doctors said the next seventy-two hours are critical, so they're keeping him in the ICU for observation."

"I see. That's good then."

He lowered his eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing, "His family should be arriving from the city soon to take over. Once we're done eating, I'll take you back. The hospital has staff, and they don't let family stay in the ICU anyway. You need to go home and rest for a couple of days. When there's news, we can come back and check on him."

Sloane shook her head.

Her voice was quiet, but incredibly firm.

"The police haven't notified the Foster family yet," she said. "Officer Wyatt told me the case is complicated. If the news gets out, it might put Garrison in more danger, so... until his family gets here, I can't leave."

"Sloane! The boss is awake!"

Sloane's eyes lit up instantly. "Okay, I'll be right there."

She grabbed her coat from the chair and bolted toward the door. She didn't look back, didn't hesitate, didn't even bother to tell Josh, *"I'm leaving."*

Josh's hand was still suspended in the air—he had tried to reach out to stop her, but his fingertips only caught the faint breeze trailing from the edge of her coat.

He watched her back as she darted across the street and disappeared into the hospital entrance. His hand felt terrifyingly empty, as if something he had held onto for a long time had been violently ripped away by the wind, leaving not even an echo behind.

Slowly, he pulled his hand back. He looked down at the half-finished bowl of oatmeal and the egg she had taken two bites of before discarding. A bitter, self-deprecating smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

That half-asked question didn't need an answer anymore.