Thankfully, I could still lose myself in my work. Eva and I managed to make significant progress with the preparations for the mass-market production of the patch. We’d scheduled our final approval meeting with the FDA protocol team.

Agent Marks had spoken with my assistant and set up an appointment for later in the week. I’d put my legal team into a conference room and told them to prepare for the FBI. I didn’t know what they were going to come up with, but I felt relieved to have delegated something unpleasant to people I trusted. It was win-win: I was happy to not deal with the FBI, and my legal team was happy to earn their thousand-dollar-an-hour rate.

Nervous excitement thrummed through me as I worked. I’d almost forgotten about Clive Warren and his troubling message when my phone buzzed. I ran into one of the private rooms in the lab and locked the door, out of breath when I finally answered.

“Collect call from Santa Clara County Correctional Facility—will you accept the charges?”

“Yes.” I caught my breath while I heard the line click over.

“Lauren,” Clive said, “I was thrilled you wanted to hear from me.”

“Don’t be a prick, Clive. I literally don’t have time for it.” Just the sound of his voice made my blood boil. He’d been incarcerated to avoid being killed, and still, he wanted to play games.

Clive clucked his tongue. “That doesn’t sound very philanthropic of you, Lauren. Or grateful. I’m the reason that you and Gabe aren’t in prison, remember? At least you could pretend to thank me.” It sounded as if being in jail had afforded him his first night’s real sleep in a long time, and that his personality had been restored as an unfortunate result.

“I said thank you. That’s the message I sent.”

“But now you just sound ungrateful, not that I’m surprised. I think your admirable intelligence makes you think you deserve all sorts of special treatment.”

I closed my eyes and counted backward from ten. I wanted to unleash a litany of curses on Clive, but that wouldn’t help me right now.

“I don’t think I deserve special treatment. And of course I’m grateful that you helped both me and Gabe.” I paused for a beat, choosing my words carefully. “But I was surprised that you helped clear Gabe of the charges. I know there’s no love lost between you two. And I didn’t understand what you meant when you said that you did it for your benefit. That’s why I need to talk to you. I think we’ve gotten to a place where we can at least be honest with each other. I need you to explain what you meant.”

Clive sighed. “I wanted you cleared of the charges because I dragged you into this, and I know it.”

“And what about Gabe?”

“He’s free now so he can…protect you. Or maybe, if karma really exists, he’ll end up as collateral damage.” Clive’s voice was calm and casual.

My stomach plummeted. “Why do you hate him?”

“I don’t hate him, but you chose to partner with him, not me. He won, and I lost, and I was forced to go down the path that brought me here. You can’t blame me for hoping that he feels what I feel someday. That he loses like I’ve lost. Because that’s what justice is, Lauren.”

It occurred to me then that Clive might be totally fucking crazy. “No one made you go down that path, Clive. Gabe sure as hell had nothing to do with it. I never chose between you two. Your offer wasn’t up to my standards. Dynamica’s was a good fit. It was business. You chose to steal from me and sell my information to Jiàn.” I remembered that the call was being recorded, but I was too frustrated to care.

“I only did that when you refused my offer. I wouldn’t have involved them if you’d cooperated with me.”

“I was never going to sell you my company, Clive. After spending a year on my board, you should have known that.”

He laughed, but it sounded bitter. “I guess I overestimated the attractiveness of my offer.”

“You stole from me and then tried to blackmail me into partnering with you. I think you deluded yourself. It wasn’t an overestimation. Your offer was never attractive.”

“Your directness is going to give me a headache, Lauren.” Clive went quiet for a moment. “She reminds me of you, you know.”

Gooseflesh raised on my arms. “Who?”

“Li Na. But you’re much nicer.” Another bitter bark of laughter escaped him. I pictured him with that patchy beard and shuddered.

“What do you mean, Clive? And is she going to hurt me? Is she going to hurt Gabe?”

“I already told you—you’re going to be last. You’re just going to wish you were first.”

“Who’s going to be first, Clive?”

“I’d love to tell you, but apparently, I’m just a lowly pawn.” He chuckled again.

Fear and disgust trickled through me, coiling in my belly. “Give me your best guess, then.”

“Well, it would have been me. But since I’m safe in here, and you’re going to be last, that only leaves…huh. Who could that be?”

Panic rose up inside me like bile. “Clive—”

“Good-bye, Lauren. And good luck. Even though you’re much smarter than the rest of us, don’t ever underestimate the power of luck. You’re going to need it.”