LAUREN (Silicon Valley Billionaires Book 1)

by Leigh James

  He nodded. “Just make sure you don’t go near him. I don’t like that he keeps physically coming around you. He’s dangerous.”

  “About that… If your offer still stands to send a private message to him, I accept. But it has to be one of your men. Not you. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “I can take him.” Even half-asleep, he still wanted to fight.

  “Of course you can,” I said soothingly. “But now that Dynamica and Paragon are partners, I’d like to keep you out of jail. So send him a message, if that’s what you want. At least it’ll get him distracted and give him something to think about. I have some…plans. I think I have an idea about what to do, but it’s going to take some time.”

  He tried to wrangle those plans out of me, but I only promised to call him later. I had to get to work. Then I kissed him good-bye. I didn’t want to leave him, but I couldn’t be a child about it, even though that was exactly how I felt when I left—bereft, as if I were a small child leaving her favorite blanket behind.

  I had my driver take me home so I could change. I hadn’t checked in with my men last night. I hoped they’d slept in the guesthouse with the other security, but I was too mortified to even ask. Yet if Timmy and the driver had been judging me, they’d given no sign. I should probably give them both raises.

  My gaze ran over my desk, pausing at the picture of my parents. They looked warm and happy in the photo, with colorful fall leaves in the background. They’d been visiting me in Cambridge during my freshman year when the photo was taken. It had been a happy weekend. We had gone to the North End for pasta, spent an afternoon in Harvard Square people watching, and visited the harbor seals outside of the aquarium. I remembered hugging my mom and kissing my dad on the cheek, the feel of the early October sun warm on my face.

  For the first time in a long time, I felt a sharp pang of longing for them.

  I wondered if they would have liked Gabe. A small smile sprang to my face. Of course they would. He was impossible not to like—kind, protective, intelligent. And I knew they would want me to pursue a relationship with him if it made me happy. My mother, in particular, had always worried that I would only ever be married to my research.

  I could feel my parents with me still. I always did. I knew they were proud of me. When they were alive, they’d supported every decision I’d made. They’d always trusted me to do the right thing.

  And that was what I had to do now. Even though it was going to be difficult.

  Taking a deep breath, I hit Clive’s number.

  “Lauren?” He didn’t sound surprised at all.

  “I’m going to accept your offer. I don’t want my technology going to a third party—I’ve worked too hard on it for too long. I’ll have to present the offer to my board, though, and my investors. This isn’t going to happen overnight.”

  “That’s all I needed to hear,” he said. “You’re doing the right thing—trust me.”

  I told him I would keep him posted. I couldn’t get off the phone fast enough.

  But there was someone else I needed to call. The only person who could help me pull this off.

  “Hannah?” I hated to wake her up, but I needed her. “I need a press conference called. For early next week. I need local and national coverage. And call the FDA approval team and the board, please. I need to schedule emergency meetings with them. They need to hear this from me first.”

  Hannah was able to arrange a video conference with the FDA the next morning. I ran through the results of my successful clinical trials and sent them the documentation. I’d worked with the same small group of government scientists from pre-market approval since Paragon’s inception. They’d recommended I pursue the Product Development Protocol course of approval for the patch. What that meant was that I kept them apprised of my progress on an ongoing basis. We had an agreement about what Paragon had to do to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the patch before it could be sold.

  The FDA group was happy with the first successful trial I’d run, and they were thrilled that I’d already started compiling additional positive results. Still, before I could start selling my technology, they needed more proof. Proof was what I promised them in the coming weeks. I needed to conduct round-the-clock clinical trials, as well as intense study of the test subjects after use of the patch.

  I told them it was because I was worried about competitors getting to market first. Which was neither the whole truth nor a lie.

  They said if I delivered, they would expedite the approval process. Through the past six years of research and ongoing reporting, I had demonstrated a market need for my noninvasive, fast-acting technology. The FDA supported my vision. If I could execute it safely, they were behind me one-hundred percent.

  My FDA meeting gave me the confidence boost I needed before I met with the board. I told the board about Clive’s initial offer, my rejection of it, and his subsequent breach of Paragon’s computer system. They took the news better than I’d expected, better than I’d given them credit for.

  I explained that he’d offered to buy a majority stake of the company. I showed them his announcement, outlining his supposed partnership with “one of the biggest stars in healthcare technology.” I told them about his threat to sell the technology to a foreign buyer, and we discussed the possible pitfalls of involving the FBI at this point. I had every intention of turning Clive over to the authorities eventually, but the timing needed to be right. A lot of discussion and a lot of strategizing followed, then finally, they turned back to me. “What do you want to do, Lauren?” Allen Trade, one of my original board members and a former Nasa advisor, asked me.

  “I told him I would sell to him—but I lied. I want to gut him. And I want to take the prototype to market as soon as possible.”

  “Then let’s do it,” Allen said.

  Their support was unanimous.

  We somehow arranged to get hold of all our major investors throughout the course of the week, which was surely a sign of divine intervention. I relayed the ongoing positive results of the clinical trials to them, and I disclosed the details of what had happened with Clive and the security breach. Every single investor agreed to fund the more intense research in order to stage a rapid launch. Every single one of them said they were still one hundred percent on board. These were the people who’d believed in me from the beginning.

  I feared moving forward so quickly, but I had faith—faith in myself, faith in my lab and its workers, and faith in the technology. Clive’s threats had made me feel as if the tide was turning against me, but maybe the opposite was true. Maybe the universe was trying to protect me. Perhaps this was a message that it was time to move forward and that I needed to be brave.

  I read a text from Gabe just before I went out to the press conference. The thing we talked about—all set, it read.

  I shuddered, knowing it had something to do with Clive but wondering exactly what he meant.

  And by the way, I miss you.

  Now I shuddered with pleasure.

  I miss you, too. I flushed as I hit send, hoping my text pleased him. I felt exposed by my own honesty—where were my microbes and lab slides when I needed them?

  Gabe wrote back immediately. I like it when you play nice, babe.

  I clutched the phone to my chest.

  Hannah smoothed my hair and dotted some more lip gloss on me. With everything going on at the lab, I hadn’t spent much time with her. “You look perfect.” She raised her eyebrow at me, critically scanning my face, taking in every detail. “You’re glowing. Are you just excited about the patch? Did you get a new moisturizer? Or—”

  I raised my hand to stop her, cutting her short. “I’ll tell you later. Or not,” I said under my breath, as I headed downstairs.

  “I heard that!” she yelled.

  I ignored her, taking deep breaths to calm down. I did not enjoy public speaking, but the press conference had an important purpose. I needed to be brave.

  Timmy opened t
he doors for me, nodding encouragingly. The light was bright outside, and a crowd of reporters and cameras were gathered. Microphones were set up at a podium, and I strode to it. I could hear my breathing, which reminded me of the other night with Gabe. That thought brought a smile to my lips, and as soon as I felt it, I had the courage to speak.

  “As many of you know, Paragon has been developing a biomedical prototype for many years. What many of you don’t know is what our prototype is. Today is the day you find out.”

  I cleared my throat as murmurs spread throughout the crowd. “Paragon has created a revolutionary patch designed to scan human cells and detect diseases and mutations…instantly, painlessly, and for a fraction of the cost of normal tests. I’ve called you here today to make an important announcement. Our prototype is ready, and it’s working. We will be making it commercially available as soon as next year, pending all necessary government approvals. In the interim, I appreciate you giving Paragon the privacy it needs to continue this process and to protect its trade secrets. I will be making additional announcements about our progress soon.”

  I looked out at them all, and a smile of triumph spread over my face. This was real. It was really happening.

  “I am honored to have been part of the team that’s brought this technology from a vision to a reality. Our invention is going to change healthcare as we know it, making the world a better, healthier place to live. I won’t be taking questions now, but if you want to address them to my publicity director, Hannah Taylor, she’s available via email. Thank you.”

  A thousand flashes went off, but they no longer fazed me. My baby was finally working and was on the brink of being released to civilization. Nothing was going to get in my way.

  I’d stake my life on it.

  I called Gabe late that night from the lab. He congratulated me on a successful press conference, and I wished I could be with him to celebrate.

  But I had to ask him about Clive. “How did it go with you-know-who?” The weight that had been in my stomach all day over Gabe’s earlier text suddenly felt heavier.

  “My men reported that, and I quote, you-know-who ‘almost shit himself’ when they met him in the parking lot of the restaurant he chose for lunch today.”

  My jaw dropped. “What did they do to him?” What had I done to him?

  “Nothing. They just told him that they were independent contractors, and that they’d been hired to keep an eye on him. And that if he went near you again, or contacted his third-party buyer, they would beat the crap out of him. And that he would never know who hired them.”

  “I told you to send him a message. I didn’t say that the message should include the phrase ‘beat the crap.’” I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but hearing this was hard—because I’d been the one to ask for it.

  “He’s fine—they didn’t touch him. Not yet.”

  “I’m pretty sure he knows who hired them,” I said. “Where did you find guys who would do that for you?”

  “They’re from my brother’s firm. They’ve worked for me for a long time, and they’re loyal.”

  I shivered. “And they do…things like this…regularly?”

  Gabe cleared his throat. “Silicon Valley’s a lot rougher than it looks. With all the Whole Foods and Waldorf schools, I know it seems crunchy, but you have to watch your back. I learned that the hard way. Now I protect what’s mine.”

  I listened, fascinated, waiting for him to go on.

  “I timed it so he heard from me first—so he didn’t do anything stupid in response to your press conference.”

  “Okay.” My heart was pounding again. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, babe. Now hurry up and launch the patch. I’ll be waiting for you, but now that I’ve had a little taste, I want more.”

  “I want more, too.” The words were out of my mouth before I could censor myself.

  Gabe chuckled. “You’re pretty fun when you’re not being extraordinarily frustrating…I can’t wait to see you again. And Lauren?”

  “Yes?”

  “Stay safe. You need to keep your security with you at all times, okay? Promise me. Just because he’s been warned doesn’t mean he won’t react.”

  A chill went through me. “Okay. I promise.”

  “Good. Well, I’m going to bed. It’s lonely in my bachelor lair without you. So go save the world and then get your hot body over here.”

  “It’s a date.” I laughed as we hung up and then I clapped a hand over my mouth. I couldn’t believe that I, Lauren Taylor, the so-called Reigning Queen of the Biotech Industry, seemed to now have a boyfriend. And he thought I was pretty fun and had a hot body. He’d also had his men physically threaten my mortal enemy today.

  I also couldn’t believe that, even though I’d given the press conference of my life today, and we were finally making progress toward the launch, the only thing on my mind before I drifted to sleep on my office couch was…Gabe.

  Chapter 10

  The next few weeks flew by, with me busy in the lab preparing for the launch.

  I’d just spent the morning with Eva, my head researcher. She looked at her laptop, brows furrowed.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She sighed and turned to me. “Just because I’m scrunching my face up doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It means I’m concentrating.” Her face relaxed into a weary smile. “Maybe you should take a look. See what’s got me so interested.”

  She pushed the computer toward me, and I sucked in a breath, eager and nervous. We were conducting another round of clinical trials, and we were running out of time.

  What I saw thrilled me. I turned to Eva. “All of these subsequent tests were positive?”

  “That’s right. Since Test Subject 1,201, all of our testing has been positive.” Eva’s eyes shone with excitement. “We’re making significant progress toward our FDA approval.”

  In a very un-Lauren Taylor-like move, I threw my arms around her. “I’m so excited!”

  Eva laughed and patted my back. “I can tell.” Her words came out muffled against my hair.

  I’d finally made enough headway that I could leave work and see Gabe, which thrilled me. Although I was concerned by how much he’d been occupying my thoughts for the past few weeks, I still paced as I waited for him, watching from my office as the evening sky darkened. A quick knock sounded before the door opened.

  “Finally.” Gabe’s eyes shone with warmth as he came in.

  I let out a shaky breath and went to him, hugging him and relishing his closeness. ‘Finally’ was right.

  My phone rang, and I pulled away.

  Gabe watched me, his eyes slightly hooded, as I shakily picked up the phone.

  “Lauren. It’s Leo.” He sounded tense.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. I’d spoken to him earlier in the day and he’d said everything was fine.

  “It’s Clive. I just found something. I need you to come look at this.”

  My heart pounded. “I’ll be right there.”

  Gabe watched me, a worry creasing his brow. “What’s the matter?”

  “Leo found something in Warren Technology’s system.” I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “I need to go look.”

  “Can I come?”

  I nodded, relieved he was there. “Of course.”

  We headed directly to Leo’s office.

  “I need you to look at these, to confirm if it’s what I think it is,” he said when we arrived.

  He pulled up the documents on his screen, and I read through them quickly. File after file, attached to an email to Clive from an anonymous contact, showed studies that had been recently conducted on a patch that contained technology extremely similar to Paragon’s. I held my breath as I scrolled through the reports. They showed similar results to the tests we’d run in the spring, before I’d discovered the component I’d been missing.

  “Can you trace who this email’s from?” I asked.

  “I�
�m on it. So far, I’ve only traced it to a proxy server in Russia.”

  I sighed, looking back at the screen. The tests reflected the outdated information Clive Warren had stolen. I’d set up our computer system to guard against the possibility of being hacked, and herein lied the benefit—the technology they’d stolen was not the technology that worked.

  Still, Clive was an accomplished scientist. It was only a matter of time before he, or whoever he was working with, figured out the flaws and worked out the technology.

  I just had to make sure Paragon’s patch made it to market before that happened.

  “What do you see?” Gabe asked.

  I sighed. “Exactly what I was worried about. Someone is running tests on a patch similar to ours, and they sent the results to Clive. It’s probably his foreign buyer, the one he said wouldn’t be ‘hampered’ by government compliance.” I closed the documents and turned to Leo. “Thank you. I need you to continue to monitor this. Alert me to anything new.”

  Gabe and I went back into the hallway, and I stood there for a minute, catching my breath. My nerves were shot, and my body was humming with adrenaline.

  Gabe watched me carefully. “You’re coming with me,” he said.

  “Not tonight. I can’t.” I shook my head. “I have to stay. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I need to be here if Leo finds anything else—”

  Gabe took me by the elbow, either interrupting me or totally shutting me down—I wasn’t sure which. “Leo has your phone number. He’ll get hold of you. You need to take a break, Lauren, and eat something. You’ll feel better in the morning if you take care of yourself. It sounds like it’s going to be another long week.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but he continued to ignore me, guiding me to my office and collecting my things. Thank goodness my assistant, Stephanie, had gone home for the night. I could only imagine the look on her face if she saw Gabe hustling me around like this.

  I usually didn’t get hustled around. But Gabe outweighed me by about eighty pounds, and he didn’t appear to be taking no for an answer.