Launch preparation kept me busy for the rest of the week. We met with the FDA and presented our latest results from our clinical trials. I held my breath and crossed my fingers that the final approval would come through soon. While we waited, we moved forward with our in-house manufacturing process.

We were hurtling toward the release in surprisingly good shape.

I had neither seen Gabe nor spoken to him. I texted him every day, just to make sure he was still alive, but only got back terse responses, such as Still alive and Still pissed.

After another week passed, he sent me another text: I want to see you. That’s non-negotiable. I can’t handle worrying about you like this.

I waited until I calmed before I wrote him back. I didn’t want to run the risk that I would throw my plan out the window so I could selfishly be in his arms again. I miss you more than anything, but I think we need to stick with the plan.

Not. Fucking. Happy about it. What do I have to do to get an audience with you?

Wait for me. And you’re not an audience. You’re my boyfriend.

Doesn’t really feel like it, Your Highness.

So he was safe, but he was angry with me. I guess that was the price I had to pay.

He sent me sporadic texts for the rest of the week, but I didn’t respond. I didn’t want to fight with him. I just wanted us both to live long enough so that we could actually have a life together.

Otherwise, things were almost eerily quiet. My employees felt the pressure to get everything in order. Many of them were sleeping at Paragon for just a few hours each night, rising early and heading back to the lab. Eddie had increased security to the point where our office felt a little bit like Fort Knox, which suited me just fine. I didn’t want to get hurt, but more than that, I wanted to protect the people who’d loyally worked with me for so long.

And we were so close. At long last. Once we got our government approval, there was nothing standing between us and the market. Over the past six years, I’d formed partnerships with domestic labs all over the country; they were ready to begin using the patch for patient testing as soon as it was approved. Dynamica had set up our foreign distribution partnerships, so that piece was in place, as well.

Eva and I were talking in the lab when my phone buzzed. It was Leo. Need to see you.

I headed immediately to his office, knowing that the coder wouldn’t summon me unless it was important. He and Dave hadn’t left the Paragon grounds in weeks. I had to order them to go outside and occasionally take walking breaks. They were starting to resemble zombies, or teenagers who’d been playing video games for a week straight.

“What’s up?” I asked as I went into Leo’s office. The coders were in their typical positions: Leo was slumped over the keyboard at his desk, and Dave sat on the couch, balancing his laptop on his bony knees. Food containers, candy bar wrappers, and empty coconut-infused-water bottles were still scattered everywhere.

I wrinkled my nose. “I think housekeeping needs to get in here.”

“Huh?” Leo sat up, propping his glasses on top of his head and rubbing his bloodshot eyes.

“Nothing. What did you want to see me about?”

“I’ve got an update for you. Dave and I were able to remotely hack into Jiàn Innovations.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I said, too surprised to censor myself.

Leo actually chuckled, something I’d never seen him do before. “We set up a remote server so they can’t trace us—at least, not easily. I’ve been in for two days, but I wanted to monitor it first before I got you all excited. I examined their systems and figured out when they had their automated backup scheduled. I went in and copied some of their files during that time. I have them for you.”

I was stunned. “You’re kidding me.”

“I’m not.” He smiled at me, and I could see this was a big deal for him too. He handed me a flash drive. “These are the files for your laptop. Stay off Wi-Fi.”

“Thank you.” I turned to Dave. “Have you spoken to Mr. Betts at all?”

Dave shook his head. “No. It’s weird. He usually calls me all the time to bug me and ask if you’re okay. He’s been quiet this week.”

I nodded, trying to mask my disappointment with a small smile. Gabe was still angry with me, but at least I could finally have a look at Jiàn Innovations’s files. “You two have done some amazing work. Go take a walk. You both look like you need it.”

I hustled to my office, instructing Stephanie to hold my calls and keep everyone out. Then, holding my breath, I opened up the files we’d just stolen from Jiàn Innovations.

* * *

I reviewed the files for hours, long after the sky turned dark. I didn’t even notice the time passing. I should’ve gone down to the lab to get things organized, but Jiàn’s specs, and the story they told, had me riveted.

They’d invented a patch, using the technology Clive had supplied them with.

And it wasn’t working.

I reviewed their test results and saw that they had charted a very similar course to the one I’d been working through last spring. With each failed trial, they tweaked the technology and tried again. And failed again. And again and again.

They’d been testing furiously, every day, at all hours of the day. They were working as hard as we were, but they still hadn’t put the puzzle pieces together correctly.

Paragon was poised to beat them to market. Based on their most recent reports, we could do it.

I sat back in my chair. I wanted to be comforted by their results, or lack thereof. Instead, the information just made me feel wary. Clive had warned me that Jiàn Innovations would figure the technology out eventually. And I also knew they were dangerous. If they couldn’t work out the patch on their own in such a tight timeframe, what would they do?

Clive had said they’d be coming, and that because they might need my help, I would be the last to go. Having ascertained where they were in the development process, my stomach sank. They weren’t as close as they should be. We were clearly going to beat them to market.

If they didn’t show up and try to kill me first.

* * *

“Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor, wake up.” A hand nudged me, and I jumped. I sat straight up in my desk chair, utterly confused. Morning sunlight streamed through the windows. What appeared to be a small puddle of drool was pooled on my desk where I’d been sleeping. I tried to wipe it up with a tissue as I peered at Stephanie, who was looking at me with a concerned expression on her face.

“Are you sick?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Oh. Okay.” The worried look didn’t leave her face, but she pulled out her tablet and began tapping on it. “You have a bunch of messages. Gabriel Betts called fourteen times. He was starting to get…”

“Offensive?” I offered.

“Aggressive,” she said politely. “He asked you to call as soon as you can. Also, Jennifer Schilling called for you. She said she’d tried to reach you on your cell phone, and that it was urgent.”

“Anything else?”

Stephanie shook her head. “Just your mascara…You might want to take a look.”

I held up my hand, motioning her to stop. “I can only imagine. I’ll take care of it.”

She gently smiled and bustled out. “I’ll get you some coffee.”

I smiled back weakly. Coffee would suffice, but the only things that would really make me feel better were a case of wine and a voodoo doll of Li Na Zhao. But as neither would magically appear in my office, I sighed and picked up my phone.

I called Clive’s lawyer first.

“Hello?” Her voice was hoarse, and she was sniffling.

“Jennifer? It’s Lauren Taylor, returning your call. Are you okay?”

“No.” She blew her nose. “Clive Warren is dead. The guards found him this morning.”

I slumped back in my chair. I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. “What? How?”

“Someone stabbed him multiple times. No one knows who, and none of the prisoners are talking.”

“Jesus.”

“I thought you should know right away. Clive said if anything happened to him to call you first.”

“Did he say why?”

She sniffled. “To warn you. He said it was to warn you.”

“Okay,” I said, even though nothing was okay.

“He gave me something for you,” she said after a pause. “A sealed letter.”

“Doesn’t that need to be admitted into evidence?”

“Not yet. It’s currently protected by attorney-client privilege. He told me he wanted you to read it before anyone else saw it, including me. I’m having it couriered over. It should be there shortly.”

“Okay,” I said again.

“It’s not okay, and we both know it.” She blew her nose again. “I’ll speak with you soon, Ms. Taylor. Stay safe.”