Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 316

After the event organizers personally stopped by to greet Silas, the official program began.

The morning progressed through the standard opening remarks and industry overviews before finally transitioning to the guest speaker presentations.

The speaking slots were meticulously scheduled. Representing Sinclair Group and Merit Biotech, Vivienne and Willow were placed at the very end. Vivienne was the penultimate speaker, while Willow held the grand finale slot.

When Vivienne's name was called, she strutted up to the stage with triumphant arrogance.

Truthfully, she didn't consider Willow a threat today. She thought Willow looked drab, lacked social grace, and, most importantly, Vivienne had complete control over the only cutting-edge patents Willow possessed. She stepped up to the podium fully intending to crush her.

Standing center stage, Vivienne rested her manicured fingers lightly on the microphone. Her gaze swept slowly across the audience before locking onto Willow with a look of pure, condescending provocation.

Capitalizing on the technology Willow had left behind, combined with Julian's expert coaching, Vivienne's thirty-minute presentation was undeniably stellar. It was substantive, properly highlighted the new patents, and ended to thunderous applause.

The praise rolled through the audience like a tidal wave.

"Sinclair Group really is a powerhouse. Those new patents are absolutely groundbreaking. It looks like the future of gene editing is safe in the hands of the corporate giants."

"Agreed. The technology is cutting-edge, and the speaker was fantastic. For someone so young, her expertise is remarkable. A brilliant rising star."

"You did well," Julian replied. While his face remained cool, he gave her the validation she craved. "The segment on the new tech was especially strong. The crowd clearly loved it."

His words sent Vivienne over the moon. The applause of a hundred strangers meant nothing compared to a single compliment from Julian. She immediately started making grand promises. "Don't worry, I'll work even harder to develop more groundbreaking patents for us in the future."

On the other side of the aisle, Willow hadn't spoken a single word since Vivienne took the stage. Her face was an icy mask of sheer professionalism. The rest of the room might have been fooled, but she knew the truth: every single piece of new tech and patent Vivienne had just paraded was the exact work Willow had been forced to surrender when she left the company.

To think Vivienne would brazenly use her own life's work to steal the spotlight and elevate Sinclair Group. It was the ultimate act of thievery.