Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 272

Arthur knew he couldn't dodge the question. He mumbled a vague, incoherent response, too terrified to speak clearly. "Me."

"Who?" The air pressure in Silas's office plummeted instantly. A storm of bone-crushing shock and fury brewed in his dark eyes.

Arthur was terrified out of his wits and immediately started backpedaling. "Please don't be mad, Mr. Thorne! They definitely got it wrong! There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Ms. Horgan. The only time we even speak is when I'm relaying your orders. You have to believe me!"

Silas didn't answer. He just stared at him with a heavy, predatory gaze.

Arthur shifted his feet in a panic, a thin layer of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. His voice was tight and rushed. "Mr. Thorne, you have to believe me. I've been with you for years. You know exactly what kind of person I am. I would never dare cross that line with Ms. Horgan!"

"Enough." Silas cut him off, his tone impatient and icy, laced with a faint trace of indignation. Of course he knew Arthur and Willow had nothing going on. If he lacked even that basic level of judgment, he wouldn't be sitting in the CEO's chair at Merit.

What he couldn't figure out was where exactly he had gone wrong. Why would the staff rather link her with Arthur than with him?

Arthur opened his mouth to explain further, but Silas waved him off in annoyance, dismissing him from the office.

Stepping out of Silas's office, Arthur felt a massive weight lift off his shoulders. He wiped the sweat from his brow and pressed a hand over his racing heart. Thank God Mr. Thorne hadn't taken his anger out on him.

At the same time, he mentally cursed that bastard Clarence Vance a thousand times over. It was one thing to start a rumor, but the idiot couldn't even pick the right target. If Clarence had spun the rumor about Silas instead, he probably wouldn't have met such a brutal end.

After Arthur left, Silas picked up his phone, intending to call Willow and ask her to come up. But on second thought, he set the device down, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed straight downstairs.

On the 25th floor, everyone was working at a fever pitch. When they suddenly saw the CEO appear, a wave of shock rippled through the bullpen. Silas rarely showed his face down here; any directives were usually passed down through Assistant Vance.

Such a striking, powerful executive in the flesh had everyone swarming, eager to make a good impression. "Mr. Thorne, is there something we can help you with?"

"I'm looking for Director Horgan," Silas stated bluntly, making no effort to hide his intentions. "Is she in?"

Silas casually pushed the door shut behind him and stepped closer. "Did everything earlier scare you?"

Willow knew he was referring to the stunt Clarence had pulled. She shook her head. "I'm alright. I actually noticed he was up to something early on, so I prepped for it. When it finally went down, it wasn't that bad."

"I admire your courage, but don't ever pull a stunt like that again." Silas's tone was deadly serious.

Willow thought she had crossed a line. "Did I do something wrong? Did I violate company policy? Just tell me, and I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"It has nothing to do with the company." It was simply that he couldn't stand the thought of her putting herself in danger.

Even though she had come out on top and the risk hadn't been life-threatening, the mere idea of her facing that scum alone—spending sleepless nights plotting her defense while he remained completely in the dark—left Silas feeling a suffocating wave of anxiety.