Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 380

He wasn't wrong. Willow knew that to a man of his immense wealth, the rent—hell, the entire purchase price of the property—was pocket change.

But she cared. She needed an equivalent exchange to feel comfortable. She couldn't just live in a luxury apartment for free.

"You have to give me a number, Silas. I can't live here in good conscience if I'm freeloading."

"Money is the most meaningless thing in the world to me," Silas replied evenly. "If you're so determined to pay rent, you can pay me in a different currency."

"A different currency?" Willow frowned. "What else do you accept?"

"Anything. As long as it comes from you, I'll take anything but money."

Willow was thoroughly confused. "For example?"

"For example, you could take me out to dinner tonight. You could go somewhere with me tomorrow," Silas said, watching her reactions closely. "Or, you could develop a few more high-level patents for Merit Biotech. Like I said, money is useless to me. I value those things much more."

He framed it strategically. He knew that if he just told her to pay him with dates, she would panic. He had to include the patents—a professional, tangible output—to balance the scale.

Willow stood rooted to the spot, completely baffled. She looked at the open door, then back at Silas. "What is this?"

Silas offered a slow, devastating smile. "Exactly what it looks like. This is my apartment. Starting today, we're neighbors."

The previous afternoon, the moment Arthur secured Willow's unit, Silas had ordered him to buy the adjacent penthouse as well. The owner of this unit had also gouged them, demanding an astronomical sum far beyond three times the market value.

Silas hadn't even blinked. He finally had a legitimate excuse to live steps away from her. He would have paid ten times the price just to share the same hallway.