Jaya’d spun in a slow circle, until she was facing the mirror on her dresser. Looking at her reflection, she’d said, “What weapons do I have at my disposal?” Her bare hands, and nothing else. She blinked and watched her reflection blink back. You have gorgeous hair, she heard one of her governesses saying. And an aunt had once said to her mother, when she thought Jaya wasn’t listening, “You’ll have to keep an eye on this one, Parvati. Boys are going to be chasing her from the time she turns fourteen.”

Hmm. Jaya had walked closer to her reflection. She did have a rather symmetrical face, and wherever she went, plenty of suitors. Who was it that said, “Beauty is a weapon; a smile is its sword”? Could she use that against Grey Emerson somehow?

And then it came to her almost immediately.

“You could break his heart,” she whispered to her reflection. “You could make him fall in love with you and wreak havoc on his life, just like he wreaked havoc on yours. You could teach him to never come after the Raos again.” Yes, she could certainly do that. The Emersons had shown her that emotional pain was infinitely worse than physical agony.

Now, as Jaya explored her new quarters, she thought about the decision she’d made. She felt a faint stirring of guilt, like leaves in a light breeze, at the thought of the extreme deception she’d be carrying out. But in the next instant, she pushed it away. An eye for an eye, that had always been her motto. She could let Grey Emerson believe she was the only one for him. She could pose as his perfect “other half.” She could be toxic and cancerous on the inside, but beautiful and serene on the outside. She could slowly infiltrate his life until he had no choice but to love her. And then she’d break his heart completely. Let Grey Emerson feel the torment of a shattered soul. Let him take it back to his father, to the entire Emerson clan—the Raos weren’t as meek or helpless as they seemed to think.

But… could she really pull this off?

Jaya walked to the dresser and ran a finger along its polished stone top, considering the enormous task before her, feeling the thrill of purpose, a twinge of anxiety at the unknown. Grey Emerson had to have a lot of poison in his heart for what he’d done to the Raos. But Jaya was certain that if she pretended she had no doubts about him, if she pretended to be suitably submissive and sweet and smitten, his giant male ego would have no hope but to fall for her.