Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 320

"Who exactly is this Willow Horgan? She's so young, yet she actually managed to secure data from the Broad Institute and produce a massive breakthrough?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's with Merit Biotech. Silas Thorne is clearly backing her. Do you have any idea how much power the Thorne family wields? There isn't a problem on earth they can't solve."

"That's not how science works. Merit Biotech might have endless money, but you can only buy what already exists. If something requires original research and development, it takes raw talent and genius. Do you honestly think Sinclair Group doesn't have money? We haven't cracked this tech yet because we lack the brilliance, not the budget."

"Fair point. The girl is undeniably brilliant."

The atmosphere in the room hit a fever pitch. Across the chaotic sea of attendees, Willow locked eyes with Silas. A flicker of guilt tugged at her; she had completely derailed a massive industry summit and worried he might be angry.

But Silas didn't look angry in the slightest. Through the crowd, he arched a brow at her, his expression radiating a clear, unmistakable message: brilliantly done.

Beside him, however, Julian and Vivienne were anything but calm. Taking in the absolute trainwreck unfolding before him, Julian shot Vivienne a look of pure disgust. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded icily.

He knew Willow had left behind certain patents and tech when she departed the company, but he never fathomed Vivienne had copied them verbatim, errors and all, dragging Sinclair Group's reputation through the mud on a global stage.

Willow knew exactly where she stood. There was zero chance the data Silas had provided her was compromised. But in the heat of the moment, she refused to drag Silas into the mud with Julian, so she deflected. "You're more than welcome to contact the Broad Institute yourself. If they claim I've infringed on their data, I won't say another word, and I will gladly face the legal consequences."

Julian aggressively doubled down. "Why go through the trouble? You're standing on the stage right now, and you've had plenty to say already. Why can't you just tell us exactly where you got those files?"

Listening to him, Willow felt a profound wave of disgust. If there hadn't been a room full of industry leaders watching, she wouldn't have even bothered giving him a polite response.