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Bethany looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. I’d rather have her feisty than petrified.”
“But not if it gets her killed. Or…anything else.” I shut that train of thought down immediately, feeling sick. I couldn’t bear to think about what could be happening to her. If I let myself imagine the possibilities, I’d end up rocking in a corner, a prime candidate for the psychiatric ward.
My phone buzzed, and I lunged for it, like I did every time it made any sort of noise now.
It was a text from Li Na.
My attorney sent me another update. With a few changes, the P&S is in good shape. Meaningful progress has been made. My guards have updated me, and I’ve instructed them not to harm your sister—*if* you do what I ask. Once you’ve finished the materials list and have an update on the IP transfer docs, I am open to arranging her release in exchange for you.
Will work on those documents today, I wrote back immediately. I want to do this as soon as possible. TELL YOUR MEN NOT TO TOUCH HER. If anything else happens to Hannah, the deal is off!
You don’t need to make proclamations—just send my attorney an update, Li Na texted back. I’ll be in touch.
My hands were shaking as I put the phone down.
“Who was that?” Bethany asked.
I went to the window and looked outside, my mind racing. “Li Na. She wants us to wrap up the materials list and send it over today. Can we do that?”
I felt Bethany staring a hole into my back, but I didn’t turn around.
“Sure. But what happens after that?”
“I’m not sure yet,” I lied. “I just know that I want this done as soon as possible. So let’s get going, okay?”
I couldn’t dwell on what was going to happen to me. I had to get my sister back at any cost…even if the cost was my own life.
I refused to think about Gabe—about how he would feel. About how I would feel if I had to say good-bye to him. If I thought about it, I would break. And there was no room for error now.
Hannah’s life depended on it.
Bethany and I spent the rest of the day getting everything together, and we had several conference calls with my intellectual property team. They were preparing my licenses for transfer, along with contracts for the few patents I’d acquired over the years.
There was so much work to do, I wasn’t sure how we were managing it. But the nineteen-hour days Bethany and I were putting in helped make a dent in the process, and my determination to move forward as swiftly as possible kept me on track.
“Babe.” Gabe’s voice brought me back to the present and the quick glass of wine we were having before bed. “You spaced out on me for a second. What’s going on?”
I swirled the red wine around, watching the trail it left on the glass. “I’m just figuring out what’s left to do.” I shivered. If I did as Li Na asked—if I went to her—there would be nothing else to figure out.
Except how to say good-bye.
I could barely stand to look at Gabe’s handsome face, which was lined with worry. I hadn’t told him about the earlier texts from Li Na. I couldn’t bear to.
We were interrupted by a text from Bethany. Petra gave prelim approval on the materials list. She made a couple of changes. I’ll send you the updates for your review. If you approve, we’ll get started on the rest of it.
I bit my lip and put the phone down. “That was Bethany. She said she’s updating this round of docs based on the other lawyer’s comments. Then she’s sending them back over to me for review.”
Gabe scrubbed his hands over his face. “This is happening so fast.”
I nodded. “Li Na told me what she wanted, and I’m giving it to her. I’m not going to put up a fight. It’s not worth it.”
“What’s next?”
I took a gulp of wine and looked out the window, searching the stars for Orion, my favorite constellation. “I have to reach out to my investors, and I need to tell the staff that we’re winding up the business. Then there’s the rest of the documentation, which will be a lot of work. But after that, Paragon will be…gone. It will be part and parcel of Jiàn Innovations, where I’m sure Li Na will promptly run it into the ground.”
“What’re you going to do about your employees?”
I winced. This part gutted me. “I’m going to give them six weeks’ severance, which is as much as I can afford. And that’s it.”
