Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 393

Their professional circle was inherently small, meaning gossip spread like wildfire—especially when it involved a titan like Professor Smith. It didn't take long for the news of his impending arrival to reach Willow and her team.

Silas Thorne was naturally the first to know. However, ever since he had accidentally overheard Willow's conversation with Julian, he had deliberately scaled back his contact with her. He figured if she wasn't interested in him romantically, he shouldn't suffocate her with his presence.

They only crossed paths today because they were attending the same summit. As it wrapped up, Silas pulled Willow aside to share the news, adding that Professor Smith would be officially partnering with Sinclair Group.

Willow obviously knew who Professor Smith was; nobody in their industry didn't. She also immediately connected the dots on why he was joining Sinclair Group. During her time abroad, Vivienne had been one of his students. She was undoubtedly the one pulling the strings.

"They're probably bringing him in to fill the void Leo's team left," Silas noted.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Willow agreed.

"I've heard this Smith guy is incredible. A real legend in the field," Silas added.

"Absolutely. Anyone in our line of work knows him. For a lot of people, working alongside him is the ultimate career dream."

"Maybe I can arrange a meeting with him when the time comes."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Since he's partnering with Sinclair Group, Merit Biotech's projects will inevitably overlap with theirs. We'll definitely cross paths."

A heavy silence settled between them after that.

Silas glanced at her, clearly wanting to say more, but the time and place were all wrong. More than that, he was terrified that once he started talking, he wouldn't be able to stop. He had promised himself he wouldn't pressure her, and he intended to keep that promise.

Instead, he opted for a safe pivot. "Did you have anything else you wanted to discuss?"

Back in her office, Willow felt a suffocating tightness in her chest. She couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but she knew it had everything to do with Silas.

She didn't have the luxury of dwelling on it, though. Professor Smith was arriving soon. Sinclair Group was undoubtedly gearing up for a massive offensive, and Willow needed to stay ten steps ahead.

She was deep into a stack of files when her phone buzzed with a call from Leo. "Hey, what's going on?" she answered.

Leo cut straight to the chase. "Director Horgan, did you hear? Professor Smith is flying in, and he's teaming up with Sinclair Group."

Ever since their last conversation, Leo had stopped calling her 'Chief.' Terrified he might slip up in public, he forced himself to use 'Director Horgan' even when they were alone, just to build the habit.

It was the smart move. Once they fully transitioned to Merit Biotech, keeping things professional would protect them both.