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I started pacing with renewed fervor. “I built Paragon from nothing except my dreams, but I made it work. It was a big deal for me to take on Dynamica even as a partner. I’ve never trusted anyone enough to do that—but even though I trust you, I still want to call the shots. I can’t give up control and just be a vice president. Even if it’s for your company—because it’s yours and you built it. I want something that’s mine, that I built. Do you understand?”
His dimple flashed. “Yes, I know Your Grace doesn’t play well with others.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m not—and quite frankly, I’m happy to hear you say it. I was wondering if Li Na had taken all the fight out of you.”
“I do feel a bit like a deflated balloon,” I admitted.
“Don’t. And don’t be worried about my feelings—wait a minute, you aren’t worried about my feelings, are you?”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed. It sounded foreign coming from my mouth. “Your self-esteem seems pretty intact to me.”
“You got me there.” He chuckled. “So, what do you want to do? Screw Li Na? Rescue your sister, keep Paragon and the patch? Stay on as CEO?”
“In a perfect world, yes. But that’s not reality. I need this to be over with Li Na. I don’t want to live looking over my shoulder—or worse—for the rest of my life. Clive Warren warned me. He said she wouldn’t stop, and I should’ve listened to him. When I screwed her over and launched the patch, I made an enemy for life. And now look what’s happened. Hannah, Wesley…”
Gabe held me close. “It’s not your fault.”
“I appreciate you saying that, but this is my cross to bear. I need to make this right—I need to get Hannah back, to have Wesley be okay, and to never go through this again. If Li Na gets Paragon in exchange, it’s worth it. Without my company, my life might not look how I always envisioned it, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay. All I want is to be able to walk away with my family intact.”
Gabe nodded, holding me close. “In order to move on…I think you need to let Paragon go. I hate to say that, but I think you’re right, babe.”
“That’s exactly how I feel. Now that my employees are settled, I just want this to be over. And then I’ll start all over again.”
Gabe nodded, then went quiet for a minute. I thought the conversation might be over until he looked up at me.
His eyes glittered. “Maybe there’s a way we can win.”
“Win? That’s not even a word I’m considering right now. I don’t see a situation where we can walk away with both my sister and my company. And Hannah is the only thing I really care about.”
“Of course she is, and I would never do anything to jeopardize getting her back. But if we can find her before the closing…maybe there’s a chance we can get her out.”
My heart raced. “Do you know something I don’t? Has Ash called you?” Ash and Levi were out with two teams running surveillance in Oakland, trying to find where they were hiding Hannah.
Gabe held up his hand. “No, and I don’t mean for you to get your hopes up. I’ve just been thinking…about Li Na.”
“What about her?”
“I’ve been thinking maybe she should go fuck herself. Because why should the bad guys win?”
“They shouldn’t. But I need to get her out of my life. That’s what I want, once and for all.”
Gabe nodded. “I get it.”
“She’s never going to leave me alone—I can see that now. It breaks my heart to lose the patch, but my family’s more important to me.”
“That’s why you can’t go to Shenzhen.”
I sighed. “I don’t want to fight about that right now, okay?”
“Fine.” He didn’t look like he meant it.
“Back to Paragon—once the sale goes through—yeah, Li Na wins, the bad guys win. It isn’t fair, but who said life was fair?”
“No one. But you don’t have to leave everything to fate.” Gabe’s gaze held mine. “I think Li Na can get Paragon and still lose.”
I shook my head, confused. “Can you elaborate? Because I’m not seeing this.”
