Grey stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. There, down below in the garden, he saw Jaya Rao sitting on a bench, her face serious, thoughtful… and guarded. Her slender fingers played with the pendant at her throat. Something about it had tugged at him when he’d first noticed it in the library, sparkling against Jaya’s throat.… A blanket of unease settled over Grey.

“Why are you here? And what are you hiding?” he murmured, his breath fogging the glass.

CHAPTER 4

Jaya

Isha still hadn’t texted by the time Jaya was finished at the library, so she decided to explore the gardens she’d seen from the window in her dorm room. She could use the time to plan her first meeting with Grey Emerson on Thursday, and nature always calmed her. When Jaya was in elementary school, Appa had the palace groundskeepers set up a little bench by the roses where she could spend her summers reading in peace and quiet. It had been her own private sanctuary, away from Isha’s troublesome antics, though neither of them said that out loud. Jaya smiled at the memory.

Outside, she walked along a small, winding path. The hedge along the pathway shielded her from anyone who might walk by, and she sat on a bench shaded by two large pine trees, pleased by the privacy, her thoughts returning to Grey Emerson.

Things had fallen into place well so far, Jaya had to admit. She’d been worried about how to insinuate herself into his social group, but it had worked out seamlessly when his friends took care of that. It had to be a sign from the universe; she was meant to break Grey’s heart.

It wasn’t uncalled for, not in the least. There was a running joke in the Rao family: What zodiac sign did the Emersons share? Gemini, because they were all so incredibly two-faced.

But she could play that game too. Thursday morning, the first day of school, she’d begin phase one of her plan. She would flirt and banter to the best of her ability; she’d stroke his ego and smile sweetly at him despite the poisoned arrow in her heart.

Jaya thought of how proud Appa would be of her for defending their family’s honor. Once the Emersons had a taste of their own medicine, he’d forgive her instantly for not being candid about her plan.

Glancing down at her rose pendant, Jaya discovered one of the eighteen rubies was missing. She stared at the empty socket, her stomach dropping. She’d worn this necklace for months without incident. She was normally so careful with her things, and to lose a gift from her father? Oh God, Appa. He was going to be beside himself; he couldn’t abide irresponsibility. Jaya got down on her knees and began to look.