“No,” Sarah said. “Serena told him the delay was due to a bank holiday in the UK. He believes her.”

A shadow fell over my desk.

I looked up to see Julian Vance standing in the doorway.

He was holding his phone, his face grim.

“Claire,” Julian said. “We have a problem.”

“What is it?” I asked, putting Sarah on speaker.

“Adrian’s lead counsel just filed a motion in Cook County,” Julian said. “They’re claiming your Chicago designs are unauthorized modifications of their proprietary technology.”

“They’re trying to block our groundbreaking,” I said.

“They’re doing more than that,” Julian said. “They’re offering a settlement.”

“What kind of settlement?”

Julian stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Adrian just boarded a private jet to Chicago,” Julian said. “He wants to meet you.”

The phone in my hand vibrated.

An unknown number appeared on the screen.

I answered it, my heart thumping against my ribs.

“Claire,” Adrian’s voice said, sounding thinner and more strained than I had ever heard it. “We need to talk.”

“Claire,” Adrian’s voice said, sounding thinner and more strained than I had ever heard it. “We need to talk.”