The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 571

Vanessa helped Garrison up.

He leaned almost all his weight against her shoulder. He felt as light as a bag of bones, his feet sinking into the floor like cotton.

The second he was upright, his head jerked to the side as he coughed up another mouthful of blood. Dark red droplets sprayed across the concrete like blooming flowers.

He gasped for breath for a long moment, wiping the bloody froth from his lips with the back of his hand. Then, he looked up at her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. You've done so many terrible things... did you really think you could just walk away?"

Vanessa froze for a second, then laughed.

It was a soft, pitying laugh, like she was indulging a hopelessly naive child.

"Why wouldn't I be able to walk away? Everyone here works for me. I put you in this cell, and I can take you right out."

She wrapped her arm tighter around his narrow waist, pulling him closer. Her voice dropped to a soothing hum.

"Stop being stubborn. Come with me."

Supported by her, Garrison's footing was unstable, but the corners of his mouth suddenly curved into a smile.

He lifted his bloodshot eyes to meet hers. There was no anger, no fear—only a quiet, almost pitying calm.

"Give it up, Vanessa."

"What are you talking about?" Her smile faltered, her brows furrowing slightly.

The next second, the ceiling erupted in blinding light. It wasn't the dim, flickering tubes from before—hidden, high-powered floodlights blasted on from the recesses of the walls, illuminating the interrogation room like a stadium in broad daylight.