“So he was right then.” Her mother walked into the apartment the way she always did, one part discomfort, the other part disbelief that Naina lived here now. The hodgepodge of all the feelings between her mother and her, every one of them unspoken, unexamined, unresolved, walked in with her.

“Who was right about what?” Although with Chandni Kohli, Naina didn’t need to ask the question. Only one he was right. Always. “Actually, forget I asked that.”

Naina walked into her tiny kitchen, which was open to her tiny living room, and grabbed her biggest glass and filled it with water. If Mummy was here and she was invoking the most venerable he of all time, Naina couldn’t afford to wallow in a hangover. Even though her head was feeling like a band of monkeys was scraping at her brain with overgrown claws.

How had she lost control of herself like that? She never lost control of herself. There simply was no one in the world she could trust enough to lose control around.

Gulping down the water, she forced her brain to focus.

“What are you doing here?” Even the sound of her own voice was too loud inside her head.

Her mother walked to the blinds. No! She was going to open them. That side of Naina’s kitchen got blindingly bright at this time of day. “Mummy, please—” Nope, she was going to do it no matter Naina’s protests.

All Naina could do was squeeze the counter behind her to keep the bright jabs of light from making her throw up. Despite the fact that she was almost breaking her fingers with the force of her grip, her belly churned. But she didn’t throw up. Thanks to the extra-strength Tylenol Vansh had left on her nightstand with that giant cup of lifesaving nectar.

Who did that? Who left your home after you had embarrassed yourself in the worst possible way and then remembered your key code that you probably gave them under the influence of too much champagne and came back and left you things? Things essential to your survival?

Fuck you, Vansh Raje.

This was all his fault. If he thought a giant tumbler of Philz fixed anything, then he was as arrogantly delusional as he appeared. Also, she needed to change her code.

The man had stolen her work from under her nose. Was it a requirement for anyone she let into her life to stab her in the back? Was that a damned qualification they put on the form they used to apply for her trust?

Wow. Too much wallowing, Naina. Get over yourself.

She gulped down more water while Mummy struggled with the half-stuck blinds. Naturally Naina’s having a hangover meant her mother really badly needed sunshine.

No more throwing up for you, missy. Your life’s quota is done. Over.