Jaya sighed and turned away from the mirror, pacing restlessly back toward the window. She would’ve never guessed the first time she fell in love, it would be a lie. There would be no fairy-tale Prince Charming for Jaya. But that was exactly what had to happen. In order to weaken Grey Emerson, Jaya had to get him to be vulnerable with her. And what made boys more vulnerable than love?

But there was something missing. How could Jaya get close enough to Grey to make this work? She grasped her ruby pendant, remembering a perfect spring fragmenting into a vicious summer.

Appa had bought the necklace in Dubai in March. Before he’d left, he’d asked her what she wanted, and Jaya had said a red rose. Of course, Appa, being the generous, lavish man he was, had bought her a 24-karat gold-and-ruby rose pendant on a slender gold chain instead. It was stunning; eighteen rubies as big as her pinkie nail coiled in a tight spiral to the center, each ruby a cleverly stylized petal. Jaya had never seen anything like it. When Appa had handed it to her, nestled in its pale cream velvet box, she’d gasped. He’d smiled fondly. “Yes,” he’d said. “That was my precise reaction when I first saw it. A beautiful jewel for my beautiful gem of a daughter.” It had been an idyllic time, mild and slow and happy.

But then… then the earth shook. Grey Emerson had come after Isha for no reason at all. The maliciousness of the photos and rumors he’d fed to the press had taken them all by surprise. Never in recent memory had things been this ugly. What had he been doing in Mysuru that summer anyway? Had he gone there specifically to see how he could hurt the Raos? But why now, and why Isha?

Jaya took a deep breath, steadying herself. These were questions she’d get answers to one day soon. But for now, how was she going to make sure she had enough time to work on Grey Emerson? Yes, she was eating breakfast at his table on Thursday, but what after that? How could she ensure she was in his orbit enough to make him fall?

Something Dr. Waverly said flashed through her brain, a sudden firework of inspiration. The office has notified me that your uniforms are ready for pickup and they’re finalizing your schedules now.

Smiling, Jaya slipped her cell phone from her pocket and began to dial.

Outside her window, the grasses swayed gently in the summer mountain breeze. In the distance, a stone fountain gurgled happily, its water sparkling in the late-afternoon sunlight. It was peaceful and calm here. A haven.

Grey

For fuck’s sake. Couldn’t a guy just sit and read in peace?