Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 317

Silas's attention had been entirely on Willow, and he immediately noticed the shift in her demeanor. "What's wrong? Are you feeling alright? We can always pull you from the lineup if something's off."

"It's fine. I'm not going to cancel a scheduled presentation over a personal issue," Willow replied, declining his offer. Besides, she had major plans for the stage.

She turned to look at him. "Mr. Thorne, if I deviate from the script we discussed yesterday, will you hold it against me?"

"I promise I won't do anything to damage Merit Biotech's reputation, but things might get a little chaotic in here."

Silas didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. "Say whatever you need to say, and do whatever you need to do. Merit Biotech and I will always have your back."

Though he could tell something profound had triggered her, he didn't pry. He respected her, supported her, and was ready to be her absolute shield.

His words anchored her completely. While she was one hundred percent confident in her upcoming counter-attack, she knew it would inevitably drag Merit Biotech into the crossfire. Knowing she had his explicit permission erased any lingering hesitation.

The announcer called her name, and Willow stood up to take the stage. As she walked past Vivienne, she caught a sneering side-eye and clearly heard her mutter, "You're just going up there to make a fool of yourself."

Willow ignored her, her steps growing firmer with every stride. Originally, she had only come to this summit to share knowledge and exchange ideas; she had never planned to actively target Vivienne. But since Vivienne was pushing her to the brink and weaponizing her own stolen research against her, she had no choice but to strike back.

A heavy silence fell over the room. The host was visibly sweating, terrified of stepping on the toes of either Sinclair Group or Merit Biotech. Unsure of how to proceed, he looked toward the backstage crew for a lifeline.

In the audience, a flash of panic crossed Vivienne's face. She never imagined someone as restrained as Willow would dare challenge her in such a prestigious setting. Though Vivienne was convinced she had scrubbed the data clean and left zero evidence of theft, she desperately wanted to shut this down. She furiously shot glares at the event staff, demanding they intervene.

But she had forgotten one crucial detail: the staff didn't answer to her. They answered to Silas.

Moments later, Silas's voice cut through the tension. Unhurried, composed, and carrying the unshakable authority of a man who could fix anything for her, he issued a simple command. "Let her speak."