Longing (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #7): A Billionaire Romance

by Ainsley St Claire

  “I think you’re fine,” Charles says. “I’m okay with moving this to the next level, and then maybe we can have discussions about whether or not we move forward with Black Rock.”

  I nod. “I’ll send over the NDA and see if I can’t move this along.” We hear the dogs going absolutely crazy and Margo yelling at them to come back inside as they’re running in and out of the front door.

  CeCe rolls her eyes. “It must be a raccoon.”

  We go through several other prospects, and an hour and a half later, we finally finish up. As we drive back into the city, Bella shares, “I really like the culture that your company has, particularly with your leadership team, and I really wish that was something we had over at Black Rock. It certainly is something I wouldn’t mind exploring and trying to make happen with my team.”

  Chapter seventeen

  Isabella

  I really had a nice weekend with Christopher. Each time I look at him, I think of all the things I want to do to him and have him do to me. He’s been a little distant since the partners’ meeting, and I have a feeling they spent a lot of time talking about Black Rock because several mentioned it when they were done with their meeting; I’m cautiously optimistic they will fund us.

  We decided we were going to stay at Christopher’s, so when the alarm sounds early on Monday morning, we start our regular routine of going for a run. It’s three and a half miles round trip that we pound our way through. I like the change in the scenery of our run.

  After we shower and dress, Christopher drops me at Union Station so I can take BART into Berkeley, and he goes in to work. It’s a nice routine.

  After a long morning of teaching, I spend some time in the department, keeping my office hours, and I run into my advisor.

  “How are things going at Black Rock?”

  “I think we are hitting our stride. Would you like to look at some of our research data?”

  “I’d love to.” He pulls up a chair, and I walk him through the various data and show him some of our promising results.

  “I’m impressed. You look like you might be on to something.”

  “I hope so.”

  “How are things going with Dr. Johnson?”

  “We haven’t found our groove yet, but I’m sure we will.”

  He looks at me funny and wishes me well as I pack up to get back to the lab in San Francisco.

  I greet Mindy, and she smiles at me. As I start down to my office, I hear, “Ms. Vargas, I’d like to see you in my office.”

  “Of course.” I drop my things off in my office and put my lab coat on, not sure what Dr. Johnson will want to see. Then I join him in his office.

  “Why weren’t you in the lab this weekend?”

  I’m a bit startled by his question. “I wasn’t physically in the lab this weekend, but I worked all weekend.”

  “Where are you with your research?”

  I’m not sure where he’s going with this, but I try to answer truthfully. “Well, I had a little bit of a hiccup on Friday night when my computer was stolen out of the back seat of my boyfriend’s car, but everything is all good now. I was back up by Saturday morning and continued to go through the data all weekend.”

  “Why haven’t you posted it on the server?”

  I rarely post data to the server, particularly on weekends when I can never be sure our data won’t be breached. “Because I haven’t quite figured something else out and wanted to explore it with our lead scientist”

  “Well, let’s get a move on it; we’re not here to play. I hate these days that you come in halfway through our day.”

  “I understand it’s inconvenient, but this is the situation we’re in right now.”

  “Leave my office now.”

  I get up and go into the break room for a cup of coffee. Two of the research assistants are there, and we talk briefly about what they did for the weekend.

  Before I even have a chance to take a sip of my drink or put something in my stomach, I hear Dr. Johnson bellow for me. “Ms. Vargas, can you please come into my office again? Now.” I roll my eyes and hope that none of the staff saw me do that. I debate if I want to just shoot him or push him off a bridge.

  I walk into Dr. Johnson’s office, and find he has two large men standing behind him. “What can I do for you, Dr. Johnson?”

  He hands me a piece of paper. “Your employment here at Black Rock is terminated immediately. You’re in breach of your contract.”

  “Excuse me? This is my company.”

  “According to this contract, because you’re in breach of article 2C, your shares revert back to the company and, in essence, me.”

  I’m in complete shock, and I’m not sure what to do. Then my anger kicks in. “Dr. Johnson, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull here, but I own 51 percent of this company, and there’s nothing you can do about that. How do you figure I violated confidentiality?”

  “By posting false information on the internet. I guess you thought that, by sharing our research with the world, you’d be able to take credit for my patented delivery system and you’d be able to rid me of your company. Well, it backfired, and you are no longer part of Black Rock.”

  “I did no such thing.”

  He hands me a bunch of papers. “Here is my proof.” Then he motions to the two men standing behind him. “These two gentlemen standing behind me are with the sheriff’s office, and you have fifteen minutes to vacate the premises, or you will be arrested for trespassing.”

  I glance through the papers he’s handed me. They are completely foreign to me. This is my research and I can see they are my notations, but I’m not familiar with these websites. How could they have been uploaded to these sites. “These are scientific sites with my notes, but I didn’t post these. How did they get out? Who posted these?”

  “You did. We traced them to your computer. Your time is ticking. You will be arrested if you don’t vacate the premises.”

  “You will not be able to take this company away from me.”

  “Just watch me.” He looks at his chubby, hairy arm and says, “Tick tock. You’re down to eleven minutes.”

  I storm out of his office and go collect my belongings, packing up my bag and picking up a few things, including the most recent research that was put on my desk. I know I’ve been framed by that weasel, but fighting him right now isn’t going to do me any favors.

  As I walk out of my office, most of the staff is standing in the hallway, watching my nightmare unfold. “I’m very sorry about this.” I don’t know what else to say. They each hug me as I make my way to the exit.

  Dr. Johnson announces, “Get back to work. I’m not paying you to loiter around the office. And, Ms. Vargas, you have fifteen seconds to leave, or you will be arrested.”

  After exiting the building and calling up a rideshare, I call Christopher. He answers on the first ring. “Hey, babe, what’s up?”

  “You’re not going to believe what just happened.”

  “Good news?”

  “Unfortunately, the exact opposite. Dr. Johnson seems to have created a reason that I’m in breach of contract and has fired me from my own company and is taking over all of my shares.”

  “Wait a minute. What are you talking about? How’s that possible?”

  I fight back the tears. “Can… can I come over to your offices and see if you can help me look at this? Maybe we can ask Sara to look at it too?”

  I hear Christopher expel air from his lungs. “Of course, come as quick as you can get here.”

  The rideshare speeds across the thirty blocks to his office. As I stand in the waiting area, I take in his offices. Black Rock is so dreary in comparison. This place is slick—clean lines, open space, lots of glass that brings in the natural sunlight, and I see people smiling.

  Christopher comes into the waiting area and gives me a comforting hug. That alone helps me feel a bit better. “Let’s get you a drink.”

  I follow him to a room that is stuffed full
of snacks and some leftover pizza that apparently was today’s lunch. He points to a fridge with a glass front, and I can see almost every kind of beverage imaginable, including beer and wine. I think about a glass of wine, but I ask for a carbonated water.

  “I know you had coffee this morning and probably a snack bar for lunch. What can I offer you here?”

  I spot a sleeve of almonds and an apple and take both. “Thank you.”

  He grabs a sports drink and a package of peanut butter crackers, and I follow him to a small conference room. Sara waves and joins us.

  After a tight hug, she says, “Christopher has only told me the basics. Tell me what happened.”

  I walk her through how we collect our data, how I leave it for Dr. Johnson most nights on his desk, and upload them to the company’s secured cloud, about my computer being stolen, and I cry when I tell her how important this company is to me.

  “Let’s look at the partnership agreement and his supposed proof,” Sara says in attempt to soothe me.

  I hand her the “proof” of my deception and begin booting up my computer to pull the partnership agreement. While she looks through the print outs from the website of my data, she asks, “Is this your data?”

  “I think so. It looks like my notations.”

  “Who has access to the secured cloud?”

  “As far as I know, just the two of us—Dr. Johnson and me.”

  “Are you familiar with these websites?”

  “I’ve never heard of them. I’m not even sure they are considered proven scientific sites.”

  “So, we wouldn’t find you’ve posted on these sites before?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  I look at one notation and see my name is Bella in these notations. “The strange part is, professionally I’m known as Isabella Vargas. Like your sister-in-law, I don’t go by the name Bella except for family and friends.”

  “Interesting.” Sara is taking copious notes.

  While she reads the agreement, I fight the tears, and Christopher rubs my back. “You’re going to be okay.”

  Sara looks at me, and I can tell she doesn’t have good news for me. “Who was your attorney that drew up the partnership agreement?”

  “It was someone Dr. Johnson knew.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of. This is not to your advantage at all, and it’s your research and the application of his method.”

  “So, what does that mean?”

  “It’s not good right now. The contract is written that while you may ‘own’ 51 percent of the company, he owns all the rights to your research outside of the company.”

  “I’m confused,” I say. “Outside of the company?”

  “Often companies will explore multiple ways for the drugs to work. In this case, if the company dissolves, he owns your research and can use it in another company.”

  I feel beyond defeated. I drop my head back and stare at the ceiling. This can’t be happening to me.

  I try to explain myself. “We were going into this like probably newlyweds do—going in with no expectations the relationship would fail.”

  “I’m not familiar with the websites he claims I leaked my research to. It doesn’t make any sense that I would leak my own research. This isn’t open source material. This is how to develop a cure, and it takes years and years of proprietary research. This is my PhD dissertation. It makes no sense.” I’m almost yelling and people in the office are looking at me.

  Sara lets out a big sigh. “I think you need to get your own counsel, and I think it’s time that you pursue this with Dr. Johnson, if this is how you describe it. I have some recommendations you can consider.”

  I have no money. I doubt they’d take this work on contingency.

  “Do you think it’s possible that Dr. Johnson was the person who broke into your vehicle on Friday?” Sara asks Christopher.

  “I don’t know, but I think they were after Bella’s computer since they left her bag with the research, my iPod, and thirty-dollars’ worth of change in my car. They didn’t even go after anything else of value,” Christopher reasons.

  Sara squeezes my arm. “I want to stress to you, this doesn’t mean we don’t have other avenues to chase.”

  I nod, but I’m not sure what those other avenues might be.

  Christopher turns to look me in the eyes. “Did he tell you that he signed the NDA this morning and sent over financials to Dillon? He’s also sent Cameron and his team some of the data you provided.”

  I shake my head, and I feel my world beginning to spin upside down. “I guess what you’re telling me is that I’m totally out of the loop. How long have you been negotiating with him?”

  “Nothing to worry about. We’re going to get this fixed,” he attempts to console me.

  “You’re negotiating with him without me. You knew I was the major shareholder. How is it possible that you would be going around me? We spent the weekend together, and it mysteriously didn’t come up?” I’m beginning to go over the edge. I need to get out of here. I can’t believe my world is tumbling down around me, and I’m learning that my boyfriend, who I’ve told about all of the problems in my company, has been negotiating with the person who is behind me losing my company. How is this possible?

  I can’t take this anymore. I need to get out of here. I thought he understood. I pick up my bag and purse. “I should go.”

  “Wait, Bella. We need to talk about this,” he pleads.

  “You can reach out and call or text me later. We’ll see where we’re at.” I have no intention of ever answering his calls or doing anything with him again. I can’t do this. I can’t take this kind of disappointment, and he knew all along the situation with Dr. Johnson, and yet he continued down the path with him. I feel betrayed.

  Chapter eighteen

  Christopher

  This couldn’t go more sideways if I had planned it. I pick up the phone and call Jim. “I’m going to send you over some material on one of the companies that were looking at. Their data was recently posted up on the internet, and I was hoping that you and your team might be able to track down where it came from. This would be more on a personal level for me, so you can send me the bill for it. This is regarding my girlfriend who we talked about on Sunday night. It seems they’re doing exactly what Emerson suggested, and they’re trying to get rid of her.”

  “Not a problem. We’re happy to look at it.”

  “I just sent it to you.”

  “We’ve seen this happen before. I want to warn you that there are chances it can’t be undone.”

  “I understand. I also think that, if he’s the one behind uploading the information, then chances are he would be the one in breach of contract. It would also point out that we have a different issue going on and a company that wouldn’t be a wise investment.”

  “It just arrived.” I wait patiently while he looks at what was sent over. “Interesting. I’ll have someone from my team check this out.”

  “Thanks, Jim. Her laptop was stolen from the back of my car on Friday night. It seems very suspicious. If we can find out where this is all coming from, that would be a great help.”

  “You reported the theft to the police?”

  “Yes.” I pull my cell phone from my pocket and pull up the information. “It’s case 19-2947.”

  “I’ll let you know what I find out. It may take a few days.”

  I need to make sure she knows that I’m behind her and support her.

  Me: We’ll get through this together.

  I’m disappointed that I don’t see the bouncing bubbles telling me she’s responding. I debate my next steps, and I guess I need to share with Mason what’s going on.

  I knock on the glass outside his office. When he motions me in, I sit down and go through everything that’s happened.

  “Do you think we should continue to move forward with Dr. Johnson, or do we change and only invest in Bella, or just walk away?”

  I know this is a test. He alre
ady knows what he wants to do, but he wants to see what I think. “Dr. Johnson doesn’t know the material. They’ve lost their lab manager and their chief researcher, which in the end could mean, if we finance him, we’ll be financing something that’s going to go belly up.”

  He smiles at me, and I know I’ve given the right answer. “These things have a way of working their way out. Let’s see what everybody determines when they look solely at their piece of the puzzle. Then we can decide what to do, but I agree with what you’ve laid out. So, if Emerson and Dillon have concerns, we need to rethink giving them any money.”

  I text Bella again.

  Me: Hey, please call me back. Please?

  I still don’t see the bouncing bubbles, so I try a different tactic.

  Me: Here’s an update. I’ve forwarded all the information that you left regarding their reasoning for letting you go and what was posted on the internet to Jim. I’m convinced that Dr. Johnson was behind putting it up on the internet, and if we can prove that, that could get your company back.

  Crickets. She doesn’t respond, and I don’t see bubbles rotating. Nothing. My stomach sinks. I desperately want to talk to her.

  After work I go by her house. It’s dark, so I know she’s not there, but I knock anyway.

  I text her again.

  Me: I’m at your place. Are you home? Please talk to me.

  Nothing. I don’t know what to do. I’m completely at a loss. I’m torn between what we should be doing and what’s not happening.

  I don’t sleep well, and I’m beyond upset and disappointed. I feel like I have lost my best friend in the whole world. We haven’t been together long, but the loss is a crater.

  I get up early like I would even if she was here, and I go for a run. It isn’t the same without her, but I push hard. I wish she would talk to me.